Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- [1960-2018] (Creation)
Level of description
Extent and medium
6 m of textual records (27 boxes)
Context area
Name of creator
Biographical history
Rick (Herbert Richard) Wilkins is a Canadian arranger, composer, conductor and tenor saxophonist. Born in Hamilton, Ontario on February 1, 1937, he played in and arranged for various dance bands in Hamilton and Burlington before moving to Toronto in 1957. In Toronto, he performed with Benny Louis' dance band among others, and was an arranger for Jack Kane's CBC orchestra. He briefly studied arranging with Phil Nimmons at the Advanced School of Contemporary Music in Toronto.
Throughout his career, he prepared and conducted music for a number of CBC and CTV specials, including scoring Oscar Peterson's Canadiana Suite for a 1979 CBC TV presentation. During a stint in Los Angeles, he was a music director at CBS TV for a series and several specials featuring the Jackson Five. In addition to his work as an arranger, Wilkins also composed a number of original scores for CBC TV dramas, documentaries, and the opening ceremonies at the Calgary Olympics, to name a few.
As a performer, Wilkins worked with various Toronto studio orchestras and was a member of the Boss Brass, Nimmons 'N' Nine Plus Six, and other ensembles.
Wilkins was named a Member of the Order of Canada in 2002.
Repository
Archival history
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
Donated to the University of Toronto Music Library by Rick Wilkins (A2024-05).
Content and structure area
Scope and content
Fonds consists of manuscript arrangements, orchestrations, and compositions by Rick Wilkins for various jazz and pop musicians, television programs, films, and events.
Over Wilkins' career, he worked as a performer, arranger, orchestrator, conductor, and producer with numerous musicians, including: Eugene Amaro, Tommy Ambrose, Peter Appleyard, Guido Basso, Ed Bickert, Dianne Brooks, Juliette Augustina Cavazzi, Trudy Desmond, Vic Franklyn, Benny Goodman, Paul Grosney, Jon Hendricks, Bonnie Hicks, Oliver Jones, Jack Kane, Vanda King, Ranee Lee, Moe Koffman, Carol McCartney, Rob McConnell, John McDermott, Diane Miler, Anne Murray, P.J. Perry, Pete Petersen, Oscar Peterson, Ginette Reno, Doug Riley, Gino Salvador, Arlene Smith, Don Thompson, Kenny Wheeler, and Karina Zorn.
In addition to arrangements and compositions for jazz and pop musicians, Wilkins arranged and composed music for various CBC television programs, including The Wayne & Shuster Show, Juliette, Tommy Ambrose Show, Bandwagon, and scored a number of CBC television dramas. Wilkins' papers also include the manuscript for The Changeling (1980), a horror film directed by Peter Medak.
Fonds also includes manuscript scores for music by Rick Wilkins written for the opening ceremonies of the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary and for the opening of the Toronto Skydome (now known as the Rogers Centre).
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
System of arrangement
Original order maintained. Files arranged in alphabetical order by title of arrangement or composition.
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
Conditions governing reproduction
Language of material
Script of material
Language and script notes
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Finding aids
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related units of description
Also see arrangements by Rick Wilkins for Nimmons 'N' Nine Plus Six in the Phil Nimmons fonds (OTUFM 30) and in the Ron Collier fonds (OTUFM 35).
Notes area
Note
Most manuscripts are not dated. Dates inferred from known dates of performances and recordings.
Note
On his manuscripts, Rick Wilkins indicates high and low voices using "girls" and "boys" respectively; these indicators are also used throughout the description of this fonds. These parts are not written for children's voices.
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Dates of creation revision deletion
Last updated October 2024.