Novelli and Aaron

FLORENCE NOVELLI, poet and playwright (1931-2014) She was born in Liverpool and raised in Shropshire. She immigrated to Canada in 1951. In 1972 at Toronto’s Colonnade Theatre, Florence co-founded her children’s theatre, specializing in the writing and staging of her ten all-original plays with music by Bernard Aaron (co-founder). Consistent public acclaim made these musicals an attraction in schools, libraries, hotels, business promotions, as travelling shows and at theatre festivals including the Canadian National Exhibition (1973 and 1974) and for Toronto’s North York Centenary, 1971. Florence’s entry appears in the first edition of “Who’s Who in Canadian Literature” and in many British and American international biographical publications. Returning to England with Bernard Aaron in 1984, the couple married in 1999. They moved to the South coast in 2010 and to Dorchester in 2012 where Florence died peacefully, Jan 30th, 2014.

Bernard A. Aaron: Visual artist, teacher, performer, composer (classical guitar). Born: 1939 Newcastle-on-Tyne, England. Emigrated: Canada 1967. Returned UK 1984. Entire wild life sculptures presented to the World Wildlife Fund during a reception in London attended by wild life film personalities, Armand and Michaela Denis. Honours Guitar, Royal Conservatory of Music, Toronto, 1982. Guitar instructor for colleges and boards of ed. (1972- 2010). Co-founder (with Florence Novelli) of Renaissance Theatre, Toronto, specializing in the writing and staging of Florence’s ten all-original children’s plays with music by Aaron (1972-1984.) Original composition published by Waterloo Music (Canada), Doberman (Quebec), Tayborn Publishing (UK). Several pieces printed in Classical Guitar and other International guitar magazines. Aaron’s guitar accompanies French Canadian singer Jean Cavall on 15 LP discs “Chants Pour Les Jeunes”. Biographical entries appear in the “International Who’s Who in Music” (I.B.C. UK) and in many other British and American international biographical publications. His all-original orchestral works for guitar and orchestra include “Una Princesa en la Corte del Califa” (“A Princess in the Court of the Caliph)”) © 2016, a historical essay based on the conquest of Granada, Spain by Queen Isabella, January 1492, and “Mightier than the Sword” © 2015, (the only ballet ever written for guitar and orchestra.)