Women for Music
We extend our sincere appreciation to the Women for Music for many years of outstanding support and your remarkable contributions to the life of Symphony Nova Scotia.
Your work has been instrumental in bringing world class orchestral music to your community. You support our local musicians and bring inspiring new artists to our city. You launch careers in music. You educate our youth and make our concerts accessible to many people of all ages and backgrounds.
Thank you for each and every hour of book sorting and selling, meetings, reports, and for the social and learning opportunities you offer.
Thank you for working so diligently towards our continued success!
They are an extraordinary group. Some are Haligonians – born and raised. Some have come from away: Cape Breton, New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario, and the States. There’s a European contingent as well from the Netherlands and the British Isles. They’ve studied various disciplines, raised families, and pursued assorted careers in science, education, research, health care, finance, and journalism. Many are well travelled – whether relocating for work or for adventure, they’ve experienced places like the Antarctica, Australia, New Zealand, the Falkland Islands, South America, the Caribbean, Greenland, China, Russia, and the Ukraine.
These are women with many interests, remarkable talents, and a wealth of life stories full of joy, challenges, and accomplishments. They are warm and generous and hard working – and they all love music.
The Women for Music Society has its roots in the early 1950s – when a small organization was formed with a goal “to help form a Symphony Orchestra and to work diligently towards its continued success.” Today the membership has grown to close to 80 women who have created friendships while working tirelessly throughout the year to promote and support classical music. Fundraising is a core volunteer activity and proceeds support Symphony Nova Scotia as well as other musical groups in the area.
Women for Music have come to be best known for the giant book sales they pull together twice a year at the Forum. They are BIG events – highly anticipated by a loyal following and drawing huge crowds. Featuring a high quality selection of more than 14,000 used books, these sales are impressive feats of planning, orderliness, and efficiency. (One patron recently compared the operation to a military procedure.) It’s the culmination of months of volunteer labour in their Chebucto Road Book Depot. (Located in the Maritime Conservatory of Performing Arts.) The depot has regularly scheduled times when it’s open for receiving book donations and there are also many additional hours spent meticulously vetting, sorting and pricing the thousands of books, DVDs, and CDs. The fundraising results of all this hard work are equally impressive with proceeds climbing every year. The 2017 fall sale alone netted a record-breaking $18,689!
The Women for Music Society meets once a month in a bright airy classroom in the Chebucto Road Conservatory. After a brief business agenda, a musical guest is featured – often a professional musician playing a few well-chosen selections and talking about a life in music. This is invariably followed by “tea, treats and friendly chatter.”
New members are always welcome. Interested? For more information visit: www.womenformusic.com
“The love of music can lead you to many places, but when we have a fine orchestra in our own small city we have a lot to be thankful for and we must do what we can to keep it.” – Shirley Dean (left) “We have so much music technology now but nothing is like live music. The human component of a live concert is so important.” – Margaret Swift (right)
“The Symphony enriches all the arts. Musicians contribute to so many musical organizations in the province as well as teaching privately and through the universities.” – Margaret Caley (right)
“Music brings the community together. People of diverse ages, backgrounds and aptitudes make up the audience. At the end of a concert we’re all smiling at each other. It’s very unifying.” – Joan Cunningham (center)
“You feel at home at Symphony concerts. You know it’s where you belong. I always sit in the balcony where I can see the whole orchestra… It’s an intimate place and you are a part of something quite beautiful.” – Junne Bagley (center)
“We can all relate to a moment when we are overcome with peace and tranquility, when we hear one of our favourite compositions.” – Cathy Ross (center)
“I love the feeling when you come home from a Symphony concert. You’re busting with joy. You feel happy – like you’ve had a really good meal!” Riet Vink (center)
Photos courtesy of Snap’d Halifax and Women for Music.