Adaskin, Frances Marr, 1900-

Born in 1900 at Ridgetown, Ontario, the daughter of Dr. Del and Eunice Marr, Frances was the eldest of three siblings. Although the family was shaken by the death of her younger brother Charles at the age of three, and despite an early problem with stuttering, Frances Marr remained a positive and optimistic person, devoted to her father and fascinated with the piano. Frances began playing the piano at an early age under the tutelage of Whitney Scherer. Later she would study with Thomas Martin at Alma College in St. Thomas. Eventually Frances moved to Toronto to study at the Conservatory of Music under Paul Wells. Although she felt her study under Wells was unproductive; it was at this time that she had the opportunity to play her first professional accompanist engagement. At this engagement she was to meet her future husband Harry Adaskin, whom she would marry in 1926. Initially, Frances would accompany her new husband and his band, the Hart House String Quartet on their many tours throughout North America and Europe. In 1938, Harry Adaskin quit the quartet and he and Frances began to tour, with Frances piano the sole accompaniment to Harrys violin. During this period she would strike out on her own as well, appearing in the ensemble music and comedy act "The Town Tonics". In 1946 the couple, along with Harrys young half-brother Gordon, whom the couple raised as a son, moved to Vancouver. Harry was offered a job with the new music department at The University of British Columbia, and Frances was to accompany him to every class until his retirement in 1973. Interestingly, Frances Adaskin played her first solo recital at the age of 75, and continued to play until shortly before her 90th birthday. Frances Adaskins accomplishments in music are many, but she was also an entertaining writer of mostly humorous anecdotes and stories, many of which were published by Saturday Night Magazine in the 1940s. As well, she wrote her memoirs, entitled "Fran's Scrapbook: A Talking Dream", in book form, which, as of 2002, remains unpublished. The crowning achievement of a lifetime of artistic achievement occurred in 1976 when Frances was awarded The Order of Canada. Frances Adaskin died in 2001.