CANADA’S NATIONAL ARTS CENTRE ORCHESTRA, led by its renowned Music Director Pinchas Zukerman, toured the United Kingdom in the fall of 2014 to mark the 100th anniversary of the First World War, demonstrating the power of music as a force for healing and remembrance.
The tour celebrated the strong ties between Canada and the U.K., and commemorated the sacrifices of Canadians during the Great War, an event often portrayed as a pivotal moment in Canadian history when Canada came of age as a nation.
In addition to performances around the U.K. there was a robust education program with activities linking school-aged children in Canada and the U.K. using music to underline themes of remembrance and reconciliation.
The concert repertoire included works by esteemed Canadian composers Malcolm Forsyth and John Estacio.
Over the National Arts Centre’s 45-year history, touring, both domestically and internationally, has been one way we have lived up to the NAC’s national mandate. Canada’s National Arts Centre Orchestra is a cultural ambassador for Canada, bringing sublime music to audiences and also touching the lives of thousands of young people through outreach activities.
The NAC’s strength lies in performance, creation and learning, and during the National Arts Centre Orchestra’s UK Tour, we are showcasing the unique aspects of all three: delivering outstanding performances; spotlighting some of Canada’s most compelling composers and compositions; and offering unique education experiences for young artists and audiences.
With the 2014 UK Tour, Maestro Pinchas Zukerman and the musicians of the National Arts Centre Orchestra are communicating the strong cultural ties between Canada and the United Kingdom, and commemorating the sacrifices of Canadians during the First World War. Canada came of age as a nation during that terrible conflict and it is fitting that in their role as ambassadors, our musicians are demonstrating the power of music as a force for healing and remembrance.
We thank you for joining us on this journey.
Peter A. Herrndorf, O.C.
President & CEO, National Arts Centre
“This tour celebrates the deep and abiding friendship between Canadians and the people of the United Kingdom as well as the common values we share – freedom, justice, human dignity and democracy. It was for these things that Canadians fought alongside our British cousins 100 years ago. Through your music, people on both sides of the Atlantic will be reminded of the sacrifice our forebears made on our behalf.” The Right Honourable Stephen Harper, P.C., M.P., Prime Minister of Canada
“I know that, for many Canadians, involvement in that war is seen as part of Canada’s coming of age. It was also one of the most powerful manifestations of the extraordinary bonds of history, kin, friendship and shared values between Canada and the U.K., bonds which remain as strong as ever.” The Right Honourable Sajid Javid, M.P., Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, United Kingdom Government