The Honourable Harvey Hodder,

Speaker of the House of Assembly for Newfoundland and Labrador

I am delighted and honoured to introduce the Canadian participants in the Threnody Peace Education Project. For many years as an educator and in my current role as an elected Member of our Legislature, I have been associated with the Mount Pearl Show Choir and their Director, Mr. Carl Goulding. The Choir’s performances have been inspirational and challenging while at the same time a celebration of the joy of youth. In a world where the forces of discord often make news headlines, the Threnody Project is a plea for peace and calm.

The Newfoundland Symphony Youth Orchestra, with international experience, has been exemplary in the promotion and preservation of Newfoundland and Labrador culture and traditions. Their performances are treasured examples of artistic talent and I am certain the Orchestra, under the direction of Dr. Peter Gardner, will bring accolades, prestige and honour to the Threnody concept.

The S’et  A’newey M’kmaq Choir is an ensemble of M’kmaq youth whose goal is to revive their culture and language through the medium of music. For these youth, their performances are part of their educational, spiritual and moral development. Well-known in our Province, the Threnody Peace Education Project offers these youth an outstanding opportunity to share their rich cultural traditions with the world. My compliments to their Director, Brenda Jeddore.

As Speaker of the House of Assembly, I am enthusiastically positive that the Threnody Peace Education Project will be an event of a lifetime for these youth. I wish them well and I thank you for the gracefulness of your hospitality.

Professor Nakamura,

President of Elisabeth University of Music

I am very pleased to welcome Mr. Schafer and all those involved in the Threnody Peace Education Project performance. Situated in central Hiroshima, Elisabeth University was founded by a Jesuit missionary who witnessed first hand the results of the atomic bomb blast.  His shock initiated the desire to ease people’s grief by encouraging them to realize the importance of world peace through music.  Through reference to the texts of the victims of the atomic bombing in “Threnody” Schafer hoped that music could help us all to overcome the tragedies of the past and learn to live together as brothers and sisters in peace.  For the young Canadians involved in this project, the performance of this work in the actual city which experienced the effects of the atomic bomb is of great significance, and will certainly send a strong message for world peace.

I wish all of those involved in this project all the best with the Hiroshima performance and look forward with great anticipation to this important event.

Mr. Yuzan Fujita,

Governor of Hiroshima Prefecture

I would like to extend my warmest welcome to all those involved in Murray Schafer’s Threnody Peace Education Project Performance.

I believe that music in our daily lives can offer us more than just simple pleasure.  Music also plays a vital role in fostering in our children a sense of the vitality of community.  And it is through music that mutual understanding, which is the foundation of peace, can be deepened.  We are very happy to welcome the renowned composer of Threnody, Murray Schafer.  His presence, during the staging of this concert, is an extremely significant event for the promotion of musical culture in this prefecture.  We wait with great expectation for this performance which will certainly give the performers and audience a chance to meet and exchange views to help spread the message of peace.

In closing, I would like to pay my respects to all of the performers who have assisted in this project.  I wish you the greatest success.

Dr. Tadatoshi Akiba,

Mayor of Hiroshima City

A congratulatory greeting to all those involved in M. Schafer’s Threnody Peace Education Project Performance from the Mayor of Hiroshima. We are very happy to welcome all the performers from Canada along with the Canadian composer Murray Schafer. The Hiroshima performance of Schafer’s Threnody offers a great opportunity for the children who will take part in this event to experience the importance of peace through international exchange. Sixty years ago, Hiroshima suffered from the world’s first atomic attack. Ever since this event the city has engaged in a wide variety of efforts for eternal peace and a Nuclear-Free World. Speaking on behalf of a city committed to the abolition of nuclear weapons in order to achieve everlasting peace, I feel that this concert, taking as its starting point the experiences of the victims of the bombing 60 years ago is an extremely significant event. I have great respect for all those who are participating in this important performance and would like to express my great enthusiasm for the project.

We are looking forward to hearing the results of your efforts rehearsing this work and offer our hopes and prayers that your performance is a great success.