Stephen Chatman was born in Faribault, Minnesota. Chatman obtained his B.Mus from Oberlin Conservatory and his doctorate from the University of Michigan. He is the recipient of many awards including a Fulbright-Hays grant, B.M.I. prizes, and a Martha Baird Rockefeller Fund grant.
Commissions of his works are many including works for the Toronto, Vancouver and Edmonton symphonies, the CBC and numerous individuals (Maureen Forrester and Jane Coop) and choirs (Vancouver Cantata Singers and Vancouver Chamber Choir). His works have been performed throughout the world and published by Jaymar Music, Edward B. Marks, Boosey and Hawks, Presser, F. Harris, Schirmer and G.V. Thompson.
Stephen presently teaches composition and orchestration at the University of British Columbia where he has been since 1976.
Grand Hotel is a part of Five British Columbia Folk songs which reflect the geographical character of British Columbia. It was originally written for mixed chorus unaccompanied.and commissioned by the CBC for the Vancouver Chamber Choir. Another arrangement is for SATB.
Tommy Roberts' Grand Hotel had one of the sixteen bars found at the turn of the century in the two blocks along Water Street between Cambie and Carrall Streets. "Tommy", as Roberts is referred to in the song, provided the loggers with a service apparently to their mutual advantage. The loggers would entrust him with their roll of bills and he would keep a tally on their spending till it was all gone - except for their return ticket on the boat back to camp. Otherwise, if they started carousing with their money in their pockets it would usually be stolen one way or another before their first night in town was over.
Last paragraph reprinted from Phil Thomas' Twenty-five songs for Vancouver, 1886-1986, p. 17.
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