President's Report 2007

Memorial passionate about Festival 500 celebrations

Festival 500 entertained hundreds once again this year.

One of Newfoundland and Labrador’s most prominent music celebrations took to the stage, the street and several other venues in the city last summer, including at Memorial University. Festival 500: Sharing the Voices is a world-renowned, non-competitive biennial choral event conceived 10 years ago to commemorate the John Cabot Anniversary marking 500 years of European discovery in North America.

And, as they were a decade ago, a group of musicians with strong ties to Memorial were front and centre and as passionate as ever about the event that brought choral groups from around the globe to the city and to Memorial. Festival directors Dr. Doug Dunsmore, School of Music; Dr. Andrea Rose, Faculty of Education; and Ki Adams, School of Music and Faculty of Education; are current faculty members at Memorial. Susan Knight, on leave from the festival this year, is a graduate, past instructor, Memorial alumna of the year and an honorary degree recipient. Festival director Peter Gardner is an adjunct professor at Memorial’s School of Music and artistic director of the Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra (NSO).