Getting Up at an Ungodly Hour for the CBC's Sounds of the Season!

CBC - Canadian Broadcasting Corporation

December 4, 2015 - Sounds of Season at CBC




We have been trying for the past few years to attend the annual Sounds of the Season hosted by CBC's Metro Morning.

However, we were unable to make it downtown from where we were in time to get a seat in the recording studio.

Looking out from our friends's condo -  view of Toronto and the DVP

This year we were determined to make it early enough to get a seat for the 6:30a.m. show. Fortunately, we were invited to stay overnight at our friends' downtown condo so that we could be much closer to the CBC headquarters.

The Atrium at CBC - Canadian Broadcasting Corporation was ready for the show!

We arrived at our friend's place and ate dinner at 6p.m. After reserving a taxi for 5a.m. for the next morning, we went to bed shortly after 10p.m.











Jumping up from our bed and getting ready at the  the 4:30a.m. alarm, we reached the CBC  building by 5a.m., much earlier than we had anticipated.

Food Bank donation tables were set up at the entrance of the CBC, we stopped to make a donation and waited for a few minutes for our receipt.

The lineup was long at the CBC building for the annual Sounds of Season event.

By the time we got to the line, we were surprised at how long it was already at 5:30a.m.

 It went all the way to the back, then wound around to the back of the building.

The queue was already going around the CBC building at 5:00a,m. for the show!

We did not expect to be this far back of the queue. Would we be able to get into the studio for the 6:30am show - the main reason we got up at this ungodly hour?

People just kept coming while we patiently waited for show time. After an hour, the door flung open and people started streaming into the Glen Gould Studio.

Waiting area outside the Glen Gould Studio

Keeping our fingers crossed, we thought we would be able to get into the studio this time. But to our great disappointment, the door closed with just four people ahead of us!

Kevin Sylvester was there entertaining the crowds and kids with his cartoon drawing

For those of us who were left behind, we continued to wait with the hope that some people might come out after an hour or so.






Kevin Sylvester, a former broadcaster of CBC, set up his easel outside the studio and started drawing cartoon characters to entertain the crowd in the lineup.

Silent auction as going on at the same time 

There was a silent auction going on in the Atrium where people could bid on items in which they were interested.

The Silent Auction table was decorated with festive items. 

There were a few of creative and beautiful items on display and the table was decorated beautifully with seasonal items.

Overflow audience caught the show on the TV set up in the CBC atrium

Chairs were set up in the lobby to catch the overflowing crowd; free coffee and cookies were offered to visitors to the CBC building that day.













Lots of really good musicians and artists were performing at the Sounds of the Season show.

Lots of excellent musicians performed at the Sounds of Season

We finally got a seat at around 7:30a.m. By then we had stood and waited for two and half hours already!

We caught the last few performances by some excellent musicians.

The music was upbeat, fantastic and full of Christmas spirit!

Mat Gallowway & Maria Tremonti at the 2015 Sounds of the Season show

We saw Mat Gallowway in person hosting the show and with his many guests that morning.

Kathleen Wynne dropped by to support the Food Bank fundraising event

The Ontario premiere, Kathleen Wynne also dropped by the show and brought some food items to show support for the Food Bank's fundraising campaign.

Meeting the Metro Morning cast after the show in the CBC's atrium

Soaking up the Christmas atmosphere in the Glen Gould Studio and enjoying the beautiful music, we were sad that the one hour  flew by in no time.

At the end of the show, the Metro Morning show cast was out in full force in the atrium meeting the public.

It was a really fun event! We were glad that we got in for an hour to see our favourite CBC daily Metro Morning show being broadcast live.

Next year, we need to be at the CBC building by 4:30a.m. if we want to have a seat for sure in the studio!

R.T.
CBC Headquarters
Front Street, Toronto