News: Front Page

First, and most simply, you can show your support by using this #ArtsVote avatar on your social media accounts.
Meet your local candidates. Attend forums and debates. Send an email or letter. Answer the door when your local candidate drops by and have a conversation. Ask questions about their policies and support for arts and culture in your community. If you have specific concerns to your area, let them be heard. Vote!
To find the official candidates list in HRM with their contact information go to http://www.halifax.ca/election/CandidateList.php. To find candidates in your area of NS go to http://www.localdecisions.ca/find_your_candidates.

Questions for all candidates across Nova Scotia:
1. How would you encourage and nurture the growth of arts and culture in our district?
2. Do you support a dedicated budget to the arts in our town/city?
3. What is the role of arts and culture in economic and social well-being of our community?

Questions for Halifax candidates:
The 2014-15 budget, included $300,000 to the Interim Professional Arts Organization Grant Program, a precursor to Arts HRM, which was supposed to deliver operating funding to arts organizations through a peer jury system for 2015-16. Council had also accepted a recommendation to increase funding to $768,000 by the end of 2018 as well as give grants to individual artists in 2017-18. We have been stuck in Phase 1 of the 3-year plan with no details about the creation of Arts HRM, a peer jury system or an increase to funding. Full details of the advisory report are available at halifax.ca/boardscom/documents/SACACReport.pdf.
1. Do you support the creation of an arms-length arts and culture granting body within the next 3 years?
3. Do you support raising the Arts and Culture funding budget, to meet the national average per capital municipal funding, from the current $300,000 to $768,000 by the end of 2018?
4. Do you support the creation of a program for individual artists to access funding?

Resources:
http://www.canadianartscoalition.com/drop-the-mic-what-can-we-learn-from-arts-advocacy/. Thanks to the Greater Halifax Arts Coalition for their resources and question templates.

The province’s most talented young choral singers will gather as the Nova Scotia Youth Choir, under the direction of guest conductor, John Trotter, to present concerts in Wolfville, Lunenburg and Dartmouth on September 24th and 25th.
The Nova Scotia Youth Choir is a program of the Nova Scotia Choral Federation, and for 26 years, has been bringing choral excellence to the young singers of Nova Scotia. This program provides opportunity for singers ages 16-25 to work intensively on a wide variety of choral repertoire with some of the best choral instructors and directors in the field today.

The program explores life and love, and features Barber, Shearing and Brahms, with a set by French composers Poulenc and Faure, and vibrant Spanish song cycle as well.

Concerts will be Saturday, September 24th at 7:30 p.m. at Wolfville Baptist Church, and on Sunday, September 25th at 2:00 p.m. at St. John’s Anglican Church, Lunenburg, (presented by Musique Royale) and at 7:30pm at Woodlawn United Church, Dartmouth (presented by Dartmouth Community Concerts). They will be joined by resident conductors Ross Thompson, Krista Vincent and accompanist Lynette Wahlstrom.

Tickets are $20/$10 (students) for Lunenburg contact Music Royale , for Dartmouth contact Dartmouth Community Concert Association and $15 /$5 (students) for Wolfville, contact Nova Scotia Choral Federation.

NSYC Video

This past August, I had the privilege of being a part of an amazing choral experience in Berwick with the Nova Scotia Choral Federation’s Adult Choir Camp.  It was a bit of a surreal experience, as I got to wear many different hats at the same time (so to speak) as NSCF board president, a member of the Canadian Chamber Choir, as well as my “dad hat”, having the great joy of attending camp with my family.

Speaking on behalf of the NSCF board, I would like to express my great thanks to all those who took part in a marvellous week of music-making.  The sense of community that the choir camp atmosphere fosters is so very special, and it was a delight to have such a large number of singers taking part in ACC.  Thanks to those campers that have expressed an interest in taking part in volunteer activities with the NSCF’s restructuring – if you haven’t already done so, and feel you could lend a hand on an occasional basis, please let us know.  Many hands make light work!

Representing the Canadian Chamber Choir, I can say with all honesty that the CCC absolutely loves coming to Nova Scotia.  We feel so at home, have made so many good friends over the years, and know that we will have supportive and enthusiastic audiences.  A particular highlight this tour was our performance in Wolfville, where we honestly felt like it was a “rock star” atmosphere – it will be a long time before we are able to sing for an audience that vocal (a hometown crowd, if you will); this was quite overwhelming for us as performers.  Thank you so much to all those who came to hear us sing in Wolfville, Lunenburg, and Halifax – it was a joyful experience.

The highlight of my week, however, was being able to spend time with my family for the week.  Normally CCC choir tour means time away from family, but thanks to the NSCF, we were able to bring our children along to camp for the week, while my wife Laura sang in Adult Choir.  Thanks so much to NSCF for helping to set up child care for the week!  The magical family experience continued in that I was able to spend time with the family members of several other CCC’ers, and my kids were treated so well by everyone at camp.  Thanks to all those around who were part of “the village” in caring for us all, all week long – the safe, friendly atmosphere was so special.  My daughter Erica had such fun making her “concert debut” at the end of the ACC concert, and I got to watch (and dissolve into a puddle of goo) in pride.

If you haven’t taken part in the NSCF’s summer camp programs, I highly recommend you do so.  I am so filled with gratitude and fond memories, and hope that the same experience can be shared with as many people as possible!  Thanks to the camp committee, to Tim, to Heather, and all those who helped this all happen.

Until next time!

Chris Bowman

NSCF Board President, Canadian Chamber Choir Tenor, “Dad”

Ruth Avard Lawley, age 88, formerly of Ardoise, passed away peacefully on Sunday, August 28, 2016. Born April 22, 1928 in North Sydney, NS, she was the daughter of the late Thomas and Agnes (Dodds) Lawley.

Music was Ruth’s passion. She graduated in 1952 from Mount Allison University’s Conservatory of Music with a Major in Piano. She taught in public schools of Newcastle, NB, Oxford, NS and Granby, Quebec, and was a true educator. Ruth was also employed as organist and choir director for many churches within Atlantic Canada. She was a founding member of the Nova Scotia Choral Federation in 1976, and served as the first president. Ruth also owned and operated Lawley’s Music Stand for 25 successful years. Her compassion and love for all animals was also very important throughout her life, and she enjoyed raising and caring for them at her Ardoise hobby farm.

Arrangements have been entrusted to DeMont Family Funeral Home & Cremation Service, 419 Albert St., Windsor (902-798-8317). A celebration of Ruth’s life will be held 11 a.m. Friday, September 2 in DeMont Family Funeral Home Chapel, Rev. Kevin Cox officiating. A reception will follow in the Elmcroft Reception Centre. Family flowers only by request, however, donations in memory of Ruth may be made to Nova Scotia SPCA, P.O. Box 38073, Dartmouth, NS B3B 1X2, or the Nova Scotia Choral Federation, 1113 Marginal Rd., Halifax, NS B3H 4P7. Messages of condolence may be sent to the family by visiting: www.demontfamilyfuneralhome.ca

Obituary

As part of our 40th Anniversary celebrations, we have updated our website! Please explore get acquainted with the space. We hope you find it easy to use! As part of this design, there will be more ability for members to access what they need directly!

On the new “Members” page, (to which active members will receive a login password), members will now request to borrow music with the new Library Loan Form, post directly onto the Events Calendar, and… share your stories with our choral community on the new “Members Blog”! Members will post about upcoming events, opportunities, jobs, travel, professional development, program experiences, fundraisers, experiences… you name it! The more we share our stories, the more connected we can become.