Tom Allen to receive honorary degree, present chamber musical at Convocation

BRANDON — Acclaimed CBC host Tom Allen will grace two Brandon University (BU) stages during this month’s Spring Convocation celebrations.

Allen has been selected to receive an honorary degree during the Thursday, May 29 morning Convocation ceremony at BU’s Healthy Living Centre. The evening prior to the Convocation ceremony, Allen will present a performance of his chamber musical JS Bach’s Long Walk in the Snow at the Lorne Watson Recital Hall.

“Tom Allen’s voice is well known in many of our homes from his decades on the radio, and his body of work as a writer and musician are equally impressive,” said Dr. Kofi Campbell, BU’S Acting President and Vice-Chancellor. “Tom inspires us with his keen ability to share the joy of music with us. I’m delighted to have him joining us for Convocation and the accompanying performance this month.”

Born in Montreal, Allen worked as a bass trombonist in New York City and toured with the Great Lakes Brass Band. He has hosted several CBC shows, including Music and Company, Shift and currently, About Time. Allen is an award-winning author and has written and toured a series of chamber musicals, including The Missing Pages, Being Lost and JS Bach’s Long Walk in the Snow. He is currently working with illustrator Ian Bell on the 18^th century-style Classical Musick Almanack.

The performance of JS Bach’s Long Walk Home will take place at 7:30 p.m., on Wednesday, May 28 at the Lorne Watson Recital Hall. Described as a coming-of-age odyssey of music, adventure and romance, the show tells the story of a young Johann Sebastian Bach on a 400 km trek that would mark a turning point in his life. Contact Terry McMaster at McMasterT@BrandonU.ca for complimentary tickets. Limited seats are available.

“Tom Allen is a renaissance person for the 21^st century,” said Greg Gatien, Dean of Music and Acting Provost at BU. “He is a passionate champion of all forms of music, a gifted storyteller, and a highly accomplished trombonist. He has been incredibly generous in his support of the Brandon University School of Music over the years, and welcoming Tom and his critically acclaimed stage show will add greatly to the jubilant spirit of Convocation.”

Also receiving an honorary degree during the same Convocation ceremony will be Swedish opera singer Elin Rombo. Rombo will perform a concert along with School of Music faculty member Sharon Rogers, on piano, on Thursday, May 29 at 8 p.m., in the Lorne Watson Recital Hall.

Brandon University bestows individuals with an honorary degree based on significant service to the university community or society; excellence in professional life or public service; or advancement of knowledge through research or teaching. Each year nominations are received from within the BU community as well as from other supporters of the University.

This year’s two-day Convocation will take place on Thursday, May 29 and Friday May 30, with ceremonies for graduates in Science and Music (Thursday, 10 a.m.), Education (Thursday, 2 p.m.), Health Studies (Friday, 10 a.m.) and Arts (Friday, 2 p.m.).

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