Students from across Metro Vancouver gathered to perform the new Music Monday anthem,
VANCOUVER – An ensemble of Metro Vancouver elementary and secondary students gave a free public concert, May 7, at the Vancouver Art Gallery / Robson Square, as part of the 14th annual Music Monday, a cross-Canada event to raise awareness for music education. Maestro Gerald King from the University of Victoria conducted the mass performance which was hosted by Canadian artist Tarun Nayar from Delhi 2 Dublin and youth co-hosts from the CMEC Youth 4 Music Network.
The young musicians from Metro Vancouver performed the Music Monday anthem titled Sing It Together, co-written by acclaimed Canadian songwriters Marc Jordan and Ian Thomas in honour of Canada’s 150th anniversary.
Launched in 2005 by The Coalition for Music Education, Music Monday is the world’s largest single event dedicated to promoting music education with over 1 million student performers across Canada. Music Monday (musicmonday.ca) is presented by the Coalition for Music Education in Canada, and sponsored by Tom Lee Music, Long & McQuade, Coastal Jazz and Blues Society, British Columbia Music Educators Association, Vancouver Opera, and the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra.
“Music Monday is a chance to publicly remind law-makers and decision makers at all levels that music education taught by qualified professionals is essential in every school and every community,” said Christin Reardon MacLellan, President of The Coalition for Music Education in British Columbia. “Music Education is invaluable as it teaches children cooperation, requires them to think and ask questions, seek solutions, be patient and the shows them the value of hard work”.
Spectators were treated to musical performances from a variety of genres and languages. Highlights include J.S. Bach’s “Brandenburg Concerto No.3” performed by Lord Byng Senior Honor Orchestra under the direction of Odette Kurth, “Sesere Eeye” an Australian children’s song composed in a mixture of languages from the Torres Strait and South Pacific Islands performed by Cameron Elementary School Choir under the direction of Jake Autio, “Come What May” from the film Moulin Rouge performed by the Windemere Secondary School Choir under the direction of Andrea Lee, and the Latin dance number “Spider Legs” by Rob Wiffin performed by W.J. Mouat Secondary Wind Symphony under the direction of Janet Wade.
