Karen Hough

Karen Hough is a veteran busker on the causeway I first photographed in 2009. I've not featured her since because she generally only appears in the evening and I usually visit the causeway in the afternoon. I was happy to sit and listen to her on the weekend because her repertoire and sound is such a refreshing change from most other buskers. The sweet and mellow tone of her French Horn really adds something to Broadway classic tunes such as South Pacific's "Bali Hai". She plays classical music as well as popular and it's always a pleasure to see and hear her.

Karen Hough

I am constantly amazed by the variety of street entertainment on display here during the summer months. I've listened with pleasure to instruments I've never heard before such as the didgeridoo and the dulcimer. Above, however, is an instrument most of us are familiar with though it is seldom played in the streets, the French horn. Wikipedia has a good article on this instrument and informs me that the International Horn Society prefers to call it simply a "horn" rather than "French horn." Whatever it's called, one cannot mistake its mellow tones and when Karen Hough plays, all the traffic noises and busy-ness of the downtown evening fade into the background. If you're lucky enough to catch Karen playing, take advantage of the opportunity to listen to a fine performer on an instrument we rarely hear solo. Karen also plays in the Ensemble Pacifica and in the Vancouver Island Symphony Orchestra.