Canada Music Week

The CFMTA inaugurated Canada Music Week in 1960 to celebrate music composed by, and performed by, Canadians of all ages and levels. The week of activities always includes November 22, the feast day of St. Cecilia, patron saint of music.

The NLRMTA produces an annual recital by our students who perform selections by Canadian composers such as Anne Crosby, Clifford Crawley, Boris Berlin, David Duke, and Robert Fleming. Each year one composer is highlighted, and students are encouraged to learn and perform his or her works; in 2004, Linda Niamath of British Columbia was featured as the Composer of the Year. Previously chosen composers include Boris Berlin and Walter Buczynski.

A special collaboration with CBC Radio presents students on their radio show, "Musicraft." The young musicians are sent to the CBC recording studio to play their Canadian selections, and to be interviewed by the host, Francesca Swann. Those students who perform works by the Composer of the Year might also have the unique opportunity to converse with that person as part of the program. In 2004, composer Linda Niamath not only spoke with each individual via telephone in the recording studio, but also generously sent each one a personalized letter and an autographed piece of music.

Canada Music Week
November 29th, Saturday – 5:00 pm
Choral Room, Memorial University School of Music
Recital - Application DEADLINE November 22nd

Taping of repertoire for CBC Musicraft - TBA

2008 Canada Music Week CFMTA Music Writing Competition
Please see the Fall 2007 The Canadian Music Teacher , the CFMTA journal
Compositions due to the NLRMTA by May 1, 2008.
Please contact us for more information at info@nlrmta.org

20th Anniversary of Canada Music Week

2007 marks the 20th anniversary of the Newfoundland and Labrador Registered Music Teachers’ Association. To celebrate this occasion, our Canada Music Week events had a special focus on Newfoundland and Labrador composers, of whom five were represented in the recital: Michael Snelgrove (who was featured in the CMW issue of The Canadian Music Teacher); Ellen Badcock (now residing “upalong” but still a Newfoundlander); Joan Woodrow and Katherine Kaben (both active teachers, and members of the NLRMTA); and “Trad/Anon” (who of course is everywhere in Newfoundland!).

The recital was held on Saturday, November 24th in the Memorial University School of Music Choral Room. There were over two dozen performers in piano and voice, and a bumper crowd of parents, siblings, friends, and of course the teachers. Including the Newfoundland composers mentioned above, there were works of 15 Canadian composers played.

A highlight was the performance of Lilian Safdie’s Dance of the Loons, our contribution to the Cross Canada Performance. Of course, since Newfoundland is half an hour ahead of the rest of the country, it had to be carefully scheduled halfway through the program. Pianist Julia Stoeterau gave a polished and sensitive rendition of this challenging work.

A regular feature of Canada Music Week here in St. John’s is the recording and broadcast by CBC radio of the recital performers. Francesca Swann, producer of the local live music show Musicraft, welcomed 23 young musicians into the CBC studio on the Monday following the recital, to record their music as well as a short interview. Naturally, for many this was their first visit to the CBC or any recording studio; we hope that for many it was a taste of their future careers in music! In addition, four students who played Michael Snelgrove’s works will be paying a return visit to talk to the composer and get his feedback on their performances; the interviews will be part of the broadcast on Musicraft. Many thanks to Francesca for all her work on this marvellous project.

Congratulations and thanks to all who were involved in this celebration of Canadian music!