Recent Lehmann- related Research: a Master Class in New Brunswick, Canada

You may view the program.

The Archivist from the Mount Allison University, Cheryl Ennals, writes:

The correspondence in this file reveals that in March 1961 Mount Allison was contacted by the New Brunswick Government (both the NB Travel Bureau and Adult Education) to see if Mount Allison would support Ms Lehmann's planned lecture/demonstration in Fredericton and "supply...operatic talent for the scenes". Apparently, Dr. Ellen Ballon, a Montreal pianist and friend of Lehmann, had visited Fredericton during the summer of 1960 and was struck with "the emphasis being placed on matters musical and cultural" there. She suggested that she would persuade Lehmann to come to Fredericton and give "two musical lectures to New Brunswick singers".

Ballon was working with the New Brunswick Government to organize this event. The initial plan was to have only New Brunswick participants. However, when Mount Allison was contacted, it advised that it would be difficult to find enough operatic students just from New Brunswick and that the opportunity should be opened for participants from the entire Atlantic region.

Given that Mount Allison has a long history of music education in this region (first documented music diplomas awarded in 1874; establishment of the Mount Allison Conservatory of Music in 1885; first Bachelor of Music degree awarded in 1917) and the fact that the Mount Allison campus is physically located in the centre of the Maritime provinces, the plans were changed to hold this event here, which it was on April 10-11, 1962.

Cheryl Ennals
University Archivist
Mount Allison University
49 York Street
Sackville, New Brunswick
E4L 1C6 Canada
Visit our web site http://www.mta.ca/library/archives/index.htm

cennals@mta.ca