Prince Albert Grand Council Recorder Program
This will be the second edition of a unique music outreach program to First Nations Schools first initiated on the BC Tour.
The P.A.G.C. Recorder Program will culminate in a music sharing session performed by approximately 65 children who will be participating from three elementary schools within the Prince Albert Grand Council – a first nation tribal council in northern Saskatchewan. Over a 6-week period leading up to the NACO Tour, the children selected to participate will prepare a musical excerpt from Vivaldi’s Four Seasons to sing and play on recorder and will also prepare a performance presentation of something representative of their own cultural traditions. The final performance in front of a live audience on November 7th will be shared with eight members of the NACO brass and will bring together First Nation and Western cultural traditions. It will take place at the E.A. Rawlinson Centre for the Arts in Prince Albert beginning at 1:30pm and will open with a traditional Grand Entry and a Prayer.
Teachers have received support material and teacher training on recorder to help prepare them to begin the program with their students. The NAC Vivaldi and the Four Seasons Teacher Resource Kit and student newspaper guides with their strong connections to Aboriginal arts and story telling will be used by the teachers throughout the 6-week program and beyond.
Participating Schools:
Angus Mirasty School
Little Red River School
Little Red River School is a First Nations school located 60 km northwest of Prince Albert, Saskatchewan in Little Red River Reserve. This Cree reserve is home to 900 people. The languages spoken are English and Cree. The community consists of band members from Lac La Ronge Indian Band and Montreal Lake Cree Nation. The school opened in 1997 and is equipped with all the amenities of a modern school. Our school population is 260 students cared for by 43 dedicated teachers, tutors and support staff.
Sturgeon Lake Central School
Sturgeon Lake Central School is situated 30 km. north of Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. We have a dedicated group of students who are excited to be involved in the National Arts Centre Recorder Program. Sturgeon Lake First Nation has a vibrant, growing school community which offers a Head Start Program and Kindergarten through to Grade 12. We have a student population of 370.
NACO Brass:
- Horn Jill Kirwan, Liz Simpson
- Trumpet Karen Donnelly, Manon LaFrance
- Trombone Doug Burden*, Don Renshaw, Colin Traquair
- Tuba Nick Atkinson
