Federation Conference: August 8 -10, 2011
National Music Festival Competition: August 11-13, 2011
Grand Award Concert: August 13, 2011
Nova Scotia is looking forward to welcoming you all – delegates, designates, competitors, accompanists, friends and supporters – to one of the most beautiful parts of the world, Antigonish, in northern Nova Scotia, for the National Music Festival, in August 2011. While the word “Antigonish” is tricky to say like a local does, there will be nothing tricky about the ready and warm welcome that awaits you when you arrive here.
I encourage you to prepare for your visit to this part of the world by visiting two websites. First of all visit:
http://www.antigonishcounty.ns.ca/visitor.htm
and learn about the historic Acadian, Highland Scottish, Irish and native culture that characterizes this part of the world and that give it its own unique quality.
Secondly, I encourage you to explore the website of our host university, Saint Francis Xavier
University (stfx.ca). Explore its handsome and modern campus. Take a virtual tour and you will
probably be able to locate Bishops Hall where competitors and designates will be housed, or Somers & Power Hall where the delegates will get to stay in apartment style accommodations. Find the Bloomfield Centre. That is the student union building and it will be the hub for all that takes place during the Nationals. The Host Office will be here – as will so much else.
Look again and find Morrison Hall. All meals will be taken here. Your practice rooms are in the Music Department, so locate Gilmora Hall. Finally, your competition venues will include: Immaculata Hall; Auditorium, Schwartz School of Business; Nicholson Hall; Gilmora Hall; and, Dennis Hall, Coady International Institute. Along the way, you may have noticed the Charles V. Keating Millenium Centre and its adjacent swimming and other sports facilities. Some of these will be available to you to use during your stay.
When travelling to any new place, it always pays handsome dividends to come prepared to get the most out of your experience. Your Nova Scotia host committee is working very hard to make sure that everything is ready for your arrival. I know that you will come musically well prepared. I hope this short article will help you to come better prepared in other ways as well.
Gerry Punke, President,
Federation of Music Festivals of Nova Scotia,
and Chair, 2011 National Music Festival Host