Concordia University College of Alberta
Dr. John Hooper to Represent Canada in Australia
July 18, 2005
The Handbell Guilds of Canada recently announced that they have selected Dr. John Hooper to represent Canada as one of the conductors at the 12th International Handbell Symposium in Brisbane, Australia in August 2006. Dr. Hooper is the director of the School of Music at Concordia University College in Edmonton, where he is the conductor of Jubiloso! Bells of Concordia as well as the Concordia Concert Choir. He will be conducting the massed handbell choirs of 800 ringers as well as leading workshops and seminars on directing. Canada is one of six countries which form the international handbell association.
The formal announcement by Lorna Lawrence, president of the Handbell Guilds of Canada, came at the Ringing Link, a national conference recently held in Penticton , BC. Jubiloso!, under Hooper's direction, performed twice at the conference, including a premiere of a work by Saskatoon composer Patricia Thomson. Coincidentally, Ms. Thomson's work, "My Skating Song" will be the Canadian composition to be featured at the Brisbane symposium. Jubiloso! hold auditions annually and is looking for potential ringers for next season. Concordia has received generous support from the Alberta Foundation for the Arts and Handbells, Etc. for Jubiloso!