The Second Wind Community Band at their Cape Breton Community Band Fall Fest ’09 created the Ron MacKay ‘Music For Life’ French Horn Choir in September of 2009. This was created in memory of their dear friend and mentor and a great Nova Scotia Bandsman, Ron MacKay, who passed away in April of 2008.
The band received the Ron MacKay ‘Music For Life’ Award for 2009 from the Nova Scotia Band Association (NSBA) to start this new ensemble. Julie Cuming, freelance Nova Scotia, French Horn professional agreed to be the coach for this ensemble for the bandfest with the hopes that the Choir would become a permanent Eastern Canada ensemble.
We had 12 players from 4 provinces come out to the birth of this choir and the group agreed to meet quarterly throughout the year on the first Sunday of that month in Truro, Nova Scotia. The first meeting took place on Sunday, Nov. 1st, 2009 and 21 French Horn Players turned out to this first rehearsal.
So now……we have formed the group formally and membership to the Horn Choir is $25.00 and we plan to meet 4 times a year and hopefully have some opportunities to perform at concerts near our rehearsal venue and Bandfest throughout the year.
For more information about the horn choir visit the Facebook site called ‘the Ron MacKay Music For Life French Horn Choir’ Page or contact Laura Mercer at lauramercer@syd.eastlink.ca or Jean McKenzie at jeanmckenzie@ns.sympatico.ca our honourary life Horn Choir Member and Secretary-Treasurer for the group.
