Media Releases
» Go to news mainMusic to Launch a Third Century
Music to Launch a Third Century
ʹڲapp announces composer of 200th anniversary convocation anthem
(Halifax – N.S.) – An original piece composed by Nova Scotia Music Award nominee and ʹڲapp alumni Paul St-Amand, has been selected as ʹڲapp’s new convocation anthem. The new composition will commemorate ʹڲapp’s 200th anniversary.
St-Amand’s piece was selected through a competition process that received over twenty submissions from emerging and well-established composers from across the country. The selection committee was made up of members of the university’s music faculty, student body, registrar’s office, Halifax’s music community, and members of the brass quintet that will perform the selected piece.
“His piece, titled the Eagle and Shield was beautiful, inspiring and optimistic,” said Jacqueline Warwick, Director, Fountain School of Performing Arts, and member of the selection committee. “The piece had an introspective quality that that will resonate with and be appreciated by all audiences.”
Among the elements that set St-Amand’s piece apart was the cryptogram around the pitches D-A-E in the melody, which symbolize “Dal.” “I wanted the music to reflect ʹڲapp's history, then pivot toward the future. The first half is a march-like tune with a Celtic rhythm, in homage to the university's Scottish roots,” said St-Amand. “The second half is more modern, with a machine-like pattern repeating under the melody. ʹڲapp is a hub for science and technology, so I tried to express striving for progress and the expansion of knowledge.”
A native of Bedford Nova Scotia, St-Amand received his Bachelor of Commerce Degree from ʹڲapp in 2004. He then went on to study at the Vancouver Film School. He is a founding member of the Bedford Brass Quintet and principal trumpet player with Nova Sinfonia and the Sackville Concert Band. St-Amand also performs with Halifax dance band Son Latino. A member of the jazz ensemble Blue Spirits, he received a Nova Scotia Music Award nomination for Jazz Recording of the Year for his debut album, Liquid Courage in 2017. Adding to his impressive list of achievements, St-Amand is also a member of the ECMA-nominated funk band Unidentified Funk Object. Annually, he organizes a charity performance called Harmony & Hope: A Concert for Cancer Research, which features the ʹڲapp Health Professions Chorale and the Bedford Brass Quintet.
The Eagle and Shield will be unveiled at the university’s Bicentennial Launch on February 6, and will be played at convocation ceremonies throughout ʹڲapp’s 2018 spring and fall convocation ceremonies. “Having my piece chosen by ʹڲapp is very exciting. You want your music to be played, so it's a thrill to know my composition will be performed at important events like convocation. Speaking as a trumpet player, I'm a huge admirer of the Maritime Brass Quintet, and I can't wait to hear them perform my piece. It will be a very special moment for me,” said St-Amand.
For more on Paul St-Amand and his composition, visit Dal News.
- 30 -
Media Contact:
Lindsay Savelle
Communications Officer – Media Relations
Communications and Marketing
ʹڲapp
(902) 494-4189
Lindsay.Savelle@dal.ca
Recent News
- Media release: ʹڲapp research team receives Moderna Global Fellowship Award to investigate mpox virus outbreaks in Africa, develop therapeutics and vaccine candidates
- Media opportunity: ʹڲapp study examines how rise in discrimination, harmful rhetoric targeting 2SLGBTQ+ people is affecting their mental health
- Media Opportunity: Historic First: Meet the Trailblazing Graduates of ʹڲapp’s Black and African Diaspora Studies Major
- Media opportunity: Increasingly popular 'looksmaxxing' sites can harm rather than help young men, making some feel like failures in the 'manosphere': ʹڲapp research
- Media opportunity: New global centre for mental health at ʹڲapp aims to reduce treatment gaps worldwide through care delivery innovations, education, research and advocacy
- Media Release: ʹڲapp Partners with Groups Across Nova Scotia to Celebrate International Day of Play with Province‑wide Events & Resources
- Media Opportunity: Interview ʹڲapp’s First Vice‑Provost, Indigenous Relations – John R. Sylliboy
- Media opportunity: Researchers at ʹڲapp, Sydney universities achieve quantum simulation of real molecules ‑‑ an achievement that could dramatically accelerate scientific discovery in chemistry and beyond