THE CANADIAN BAND ASSOCIATION’S NATIONAL YOUTH BAND OF CANADA
- A CHRONICLE
(en français)
At an annual meeting of the Canadian
Band Directors Association[i]
in Edmonton, Alberta on November 6, 1976, a motion to
hold a 1978 National Convention in connection with the 100th
Anniversary of the Canadian National Exhibition was approved. Martin Boundy announced that he had been
investigating the possibility of forming a National Youth Band for the occasion
and “could see no reason why the National Council should not entertain the idea
as it would add prestige to the convention and bring the name CBDA to the
fore.” The National Council President Keith
Mann was asked to appoint a Chair to investigate and expedite the formation of
such an ensemble. Mr. Boundy was
appointed and the seed that would grow into the Canadian Band Association’s
National Youth Band of Canada was planted.
Martin Boundy acted as the first
National Youth Band Music Director and in 1978 was joined at the podium by
guest conductors Keith Mann, Ted Robbins (Ontario Chapter President), Captain
Robert Redhead (Salvation Army Territorial Music Secretary) and Dr. Ralph
Kennard (CBDA National President Elect).
Walter and Wayne Jeffrey acted as band managers and instrumental coaches
included Annelie Metrakos (Flute), Paul Emond (Oboe), Mary Ellen Morgan
(Bassoon), Robert Theil (Clarinet), Peter Schofield, (Saxophone), Judith
Sheppard (French Horn), James Ford (Trumpet), Ted Robbins (Low Brass) and Rita
Mulhern (Percussion).
Lieutenant-Colonel Clifford Hunt,
then CNE Musical Director, a former CBDA President, and the retired Canadian
Forces Supervisor of Music, was instrumental in having the band invited to
perform at the Exhibition and in securing $13,000 in funding from the
Exhibition’s Board of Directors. A
sizable grant was also received from “Lottario” the Ontario Provincial Lottery.
While in Toronto the band also performed at the Bramwell Booth Temple
of the Salvation Army and a CBC audio engineer was engaged to record and
produce an LP recording from that concert.
A roster of the sixty-eight NYB
musicians is included on the back of the LP and while home Provinces were not
listed it is known that the majority of musicians came from Ontario
and that Western Canada and the Maritimes were
also represented. A number of these
musicians have gone on to become respected instrumentalists and outstanding
music educators. The 1978 NYB repertoire
included John Barnes Chance’s “Variations on a Korean Folk Song”, the “CBA
March” by W.S. Sheppard, Louis Applebaum’s “Suite of Miniature Dances”, Dmitri
Shostakovich’s “Festive Overture”, “Spirit of Pageantry “by Percy Fletcher,
Clifton Williams’ “Festival”, “Rise and Shine” by Donald I. Moore, Autumn
Morning by Robert McMullin and Harold L. Walters’ perennial favourite, “Instant
Concert.”
At the 1978 national convention in Toronto, President Keith Man reported on the success of
that year’s NYB and expressed his hope that the second NYB would be formed for
the 1980 CBDA national convention in Alberta. A motion was passed to that effect. Discussions took place over forming the band
every second year, on identifying potential sponsors, on applying for federal
funding and on the structure and ongoing management of the ensemble. It was also suggested that a NYB be formed in
1981 to perform at the World Band Contest in Kerkrade,
Holland. The meeting also passed a motion to pursue
commissioning a work for the 1980 band with $2500 being recommended as the
commission fee.
At a subsequent session, the idea of
forming a 1979 NYB was discussed, as was having NYB age limits parallel those
of the National Youth Orchestra. A
motion “that the CBDA endeavour to set up a National Youth Band of Canada for
the year 1979” was carried, and the CNE would be approached for a second
grant. A debate also took place on using
the word “band” in association with the NYB - some felt it might be more
conducive to obtaining government grants and high-level sponsorship if
nomenclature such as “wind symphony”,
“wind ensemble” or “symphonic wind ensemble” were used. The word “band” was, and has been, retained
to this day.
National Youth Bands were not formed
in 1979 or 1980 as according to minutes from the CBDA national council meetings
held in Calgary
in November 1980, “finances prevented their formation and the final decision
was to abandon the organization of the Youth Band of Canada.” Canada was not
to see the formation of another National Youth Band until 1991.
The first documented reference to
re-establishing the National Youth Band of Canada appears in the Minutes of a Montreal national council
meeting that took place in June 1989. It
is unclear where the impetus came from to re-open discussions on the NYB
project but the Alberta Chapter member, Frank Dunnigan, presented a thorough
report and a NYB planning guide at this meeting. His proposal included an NYB age limit of 16
to 19, having Canadian and international conductors alternate each year and
establishing five regional NYB performance areas across Canada.
The band would rehearse and tour in
one of these regions each year and would utilize local university facilities
and musical equipment to lower operating costs.
The recommended instrumentation was 55 to 65 musicians, and a formula
was to be established ensuring to ensure that each member association had a
minimum number in the NYB. The band’s
repertoire would be selected by the conductor and would include at least one
Canadian composition and one work featuring a soloist. The NYB would rehearse and tour each
August. Selection to the ensemble would
be by tape and personal audition and all musicians accepted into the programme
would require a recommendation from their provincial chapter.
Expenses of $91,000 covering 100% of
the project cost were forecast along with sponsored revenues of $100,000. The proposal was “accepted in principal” and
Frank Dunnigan was appointed to chair a committee to begin work on a National
Youth Band. The committee was to have
representation from each member association.
In December 1989 the minutes of the national council meeting held in Chicago reflect that
Frank Dunnigan was to continue as Chair of the NYB Committee through 1990.
On June 9, 1990 a CBA Special Annual
Meeting was held in Regina, Saskatchewan
at which Frank Dunnigan reported that Dennis Tupman, Vice-President of the
Canadian Music Educators Association, had expressed interest and support for
the idea of having the National Youth Band perform at the 1991 CMEA National
Conference in Vancouver. Mr. Dunnigan subsequently presented a
detailed proposal for NYB performances at the 1991 Conference and the meeting
passed a motion officially naming the ensemble “The Canadian Band Association National
Youth Band.”
The Board recommended that the
student musicians be housed in UBC residences and that names for potential
conductors be submitted to Frank Dunnigan by June 30, 1990 – it was stipulated
that the conductor must be a Canadian citizen or landed immigrant to Canada. The estimated cost per musician would be $700
with CBA affiliates each committing to an amount of $1,830 as their Chapter’s
contribution to the project. While the
cost of meals would be borne by each musician, sponsorships could reduce both
individual and affiliate costs.
It was also agreed that BC would act
as host Chapter and Alberta
as the organizing Chapter. Minutes of a
CBA Executive Meetings held in Halifax
in October 1990 reflect that Frank Dunnigan was concerned about sufficient NYB
fund raising activities. The Minutes
also reveal that while no conductor had yet been selected planning was
proceeding and that NYB 1991 would take place.
By the time of the CBA’s 1990 Annual
General Meeting in Chicago Dr. Dennis Prime had been selected as the NYB
Conductor, auditions had been received from Newfoundland,
Nova Scotia, New
Brunswick and Quebec,
a tentative schedule had been prepared and the date of 15 February 1991 set for
completing the band’s instrumental roster and in identifying staff and
chaperones. The NYB Budget was once again reviewed, as were the many logistical
items that would require attention. The
1991 National Youth Band Committee included Frank Dunnigan, Larry Pearen, Ron
MacKay, Jim Forde, Marc Crompton, Ed Staples and Allan Hicks.
NYB 1991 was a resounding success
with Dr. Dennis Prime doing an outstanding job as Music Director. He selected challenging literature including
March of the Belgian Paratroops, Trauersinfonie,
Newfoundland Rhapsody, Overture to Candide,
Sinfonia V, Lyric Essay, Fiesta del Pacifico, Children’s March and a world
premiere of “Mountain of Youth” written as a class project by Mountain Secondary School. The band was made up of 52 musicians from all
Ten Canadian Provinces. Joining NYB ’91
was famed Canadian Alto Saxophone soloist Paul Brodie and the Vancouver based Japanese drumming group
“Katiri Taiko.”
As the Canadian Band Association had
arranged its Spring General Meetings to coincide with the NYB performance dates
many of the CBA Board were able to attend the 1991 concerts. At the General Meeting session held on 11 May
and on completion of the 1991 NYB project two fundamental questions were asked:
(1) was the NYB worth doing again and (2) when will it held next? After much discussion it became clear that
the CBA Board wanted the NYB project to continue and to flourish – a motion was
passed “that the CBA plan to make this a regular activity with the next NYB to
be held in 1993 pending appropriate funding on a national level.” A second motion stated that bids to host the
1993 NYB were to be submitted in writing to the CBA President by November 1,
1991 and distributed to the other affiliates prior to the CBA meetings in Chicago that
December. The second generation of the
CBA’s National Youth Band of Canada had been born.
At the December 1991 Chicago meetings President Ron MacKay announced that a bid
to host the 1993 NYB had been received by Nova Scotia but that it had been
withdrawn. CBA Vice-President Gilles
Valois then asked for CBA support in having Quebec Host the 1993 NYB. The Minutes of those meetings reflect that
the next NYB would be held in the Province
of Quebec.
At the CBA’s next General Meeting held
in Toronto in
June 1992, a report on planning for the 1993 National Youth Band was circulated
by the Quebec Federation des Harmonies.
Dates were set that would coincide with the 1993 Festival des Harmonies
in Sherbrooke. Financing the project was again of primary
concern with the Federation des Harmonies announcing that it was presently
waiting for word on its application for a government grant. CBA President Allan Hicks was tasked to
contact all provincial affiliates, to ask for a commitment from each and to
ascertain the number of students each of them would support – this by 30 June
1992. By 31 October 1992 auditions were
to be submitted to the Federation and by 15 November a decision was to be made
with regard to proceeding with the 1993 National Youth Band.
By the time the CBA Board gathered
in Chicago for
its December 1992 General Meetings no final decision on NYB ’93 had been
taken. A current Federation des
Harmonies report was presented which among others, expressed concerns over
finances. Decisions were made extending
the deadline for auditions until February 15, 1993, that individual NYB
participation costs could not exceed $1000 including transportation and that
February 22, 1993 would become the confirmation date for the continuation of
the 1993 NYB project. A motion was also
passed that a document be prepared proposing a 1994 National Youth Band which
would be held in Toronto
in conjunction with Musicfest Canada National Finals. The 1993 CBA National Youth Band was
cancelled.
At the December 1992 CBA Meetings in
Chicago an ad hoc Committee had been formed to
draft a national proposal to submit to Musicfest Canada outlining the following
considerations: fundraising ventures; NYB performance opportunities; a joint
National Conference; times and dates. The committee was made up of Teresa Lee
as Chair, Allan Hicks, Larry Pearen, Jim Forde and Bruce McGregor.
In June 1993 Teresa submitted the
Committee’s draft report to the CBA Board in Toronto.
Recommendations were made to streamline
and focus the organization’s activities to better reflect the national scope in
the most educationally sound, expedient manner.
It stated that the CBA’s responsibility was to instrumental music
education and to its provincial affiliates.
As an advocacy agency, CBA must assist the provincial affiliates in
their mission to foster, promote and encourage the establishment, growth and
development of band activity throughout the nation. The report went on to say that CBA recognized
the value of the NYB project and wished to create a National Music Conference
resulting in a union of effort between MusicFest Canada and the Canadian Band
Association.
The
Committee report set out long and short-term goals, provided detailed
recommendations, listed time-lines, provided a tentative budget and a schedule
for a 1994 National Youth Band at Musicfest, listed areas of responsibility for
CBA National, the NYB Manager, Provincial Associations and the NYB
musicians. Much lively discussion
ensued over this and a motion passed “that the next CBA National Youth Band be
held in Toronto in conjunction with Musicfest Canada in 1994
and that the project be based on the proposal brought forth by Teresa Lee and
her Committee.”
The NYB
’94 Committee included Teresa Lee as interim coordinator Manitoba
to British Columbia, Bruce McGregor as interim
coordinator Ontario to Nova Scotia, Benjamin Trowell and Paul Minor
as CBA (Ont) representatives, Larry Pearen as Musicfest liaison, Jim Forde as
Treasurer and Allan Hicks as the CBA National representative.
By the
time of the CBA’s December 1993 meetings in Edmonton much had been accomplished toward
NYB ‘94. Auditions had been completed
with only 2 French Horn and 2 Trombone vacancies. Bramwell Tovey had accepted the call to act
as the band’s Music Director and Alain Trudel had been secured through Yamaha
Music Canada
as the featured soloist. Although at
this meeting a motion was passed that the 1995 NYB would be held at Musicfest
in Calgary two
subsequent motions reversed this decision as the Board elected to wait until
after the 1994 project had been completed and a full report presented at the
June 1994 national meeting.
In June Larry Pearen reported on the
success of the 1994 NYB and the proposal to form a 1995 NYB at Musicfest was
voted upon and approved by the CBA Board. Larry Pearen was appointed as the
1995 Project Manager with Jim Forde, Allan Hicks and Ardith Haley volunteering
to serve on the NYB Committee[ii]. The CBA’s National Youth Band of Canada had
taken its place as the association’s “Flagship project.”
As of this writing the CBA National
Youth Band of Canada has been successfully operated on an annual basis since
1994. In 2001 the CBA Board approved a
request from the Manitoba Band Association that NYB 2002 perform in their
Province in celebration of their Association’s 25th Anniversary.
This brought to an end the NYB’s connection with Musicfest who that year formed
their own national concert band. The CBA
remains grateful to Musicfest Canada
for the support it provided to the National Youth Band for eight consecutive
years and for the significant role it played in the longevity of this
project. The CBA is also very
appreciative of corporate sponsors such as Yamaha Canada Music, St. John’s Music and
Larry’s Photo and pays tribute to the unfailing and generous support of
parents, grandparents, friends and the NYB musicians. Hundreds of Canadian musicians are now
included in the alumni of the CBA’s National Youth Band of Canada. They have worked with Canada’s finest
conductors, performed with Canada’s finest instrumentalists and have rehearsed
and performed in excess of 150 compositions and arrangements of the world’s
finest band literature. The CBA is much
indebted to all those who have worked so hard and who have been so committed to
this project. In addition to those NYB
committee members already mentioned Sheryl Bowhay of Calgary, Gilles and
Pierrette Valois of Sorel, Quebec, Coleen Richardson and Jim and Anita Mackay of
Winnipeg, Noreen Forde, Hope Gendron, Lucille Humble and Maggie Helms of
Halifax, Tracy (Wynn) Babineau[iii]
of Truro and Ray McLellan of Edmonton have also volunteered their valuable time
and provided extraordinary leadership to this project. Ray McLellan remains an integral member of
the NYB organizing Committee.
National Youth Band Music Directors
and Yamaha Music Canada
soloists: