August 1, 2010 Inner Harbour, Victoria, British Columbia

February 3, 2010

© Copyright The Victoria Times Colonist

Victoria BC - He was a former Victoria councillor and Capital Regional District chairman, but Murray Glazier made his biggest splash as a supporter of the arts.

With the Victoria Symphony barely breaking even in 1991, it was Glazier, then symphony president, who came up with the idea of Symphony Splash -- which has become one of the city's most popular events.

In an interview last year with the Times Colonist, Glazier said he took his inspiration for the "game-changing" Splash from England's unpopular King George I, who in 1717, rehabilitated his reputation by barging along the Thames River, followed by a second barge carrying the royal orchestra playing Handel's Water Music.

That afternoon, King George I was reborn, Glazier said. So, he thought, why not a Symphony Splash in the Inner Harbour? The idea was to help the symphony out of its financial fix. "It wasn't intended to last 20 years -- it was intended as a one-off to get us over this," he said.

Glazier served six years as president of the Victoria Symphony and was involved with Splash's 20th anniversary last year.

Symphony marketing director Bethany Wilson called Glazier "inspirational" and said his story about Splash's beginnings moved her to tears.

"He had a huge passion for that event and he definitely saw it as his legacy to the city," Wilson said.

Glazier, 74, died Jan. 29, 2010 after a battle with bone cancer. Services will be held at St. George's Anglican Church in Cadboro Bay tomorrow at 11 a.m.

Murray Glazier came up with the idea of having Symphony Splash in the harbour. The former Victoria councillor served six years as president of the Victoria Symphony and was involved with Splash's 20th anniversary last year in 2009.
Photograph by: Bruce Stotesbury, Times Colonist, Times Colonist

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