Cammac
Encyclopedia
Canadian Amateur Musicians/Musiciens Amateurs du Canada is a nonprofit organization supporting amateur music making at all ages and levels. It is commonly known by its acronym, CAMMAC.
CAMMAC runs two summer music centres (CAMMAC Lake MacDonald in the Laurentian mountains northwest of Montreal, Quebec
and the CAMMAC Ontario Music Centre (renamed Lake Field Musichttp://lakefieldmusic.ca in 2010) at the Lakefield College School
in the Kawartha Lakes
area of Ontario
). CAMMAC also holds regional activities year-round in Montreal
, Toronto
, Quebec City
, Nova Scotia
and Ottawa-Gatineau
. The Music Centres offer individual weeks of classes and music-making opportunities for adults and children, nine summer weeks at Lake MacDonald and in different years two or three weeks at the Lake Field Music in Lakefield. At the music centres, the different weeks emphasize different kinds of music. The regions support a variety of music-making, including, in different regions, monthly choral readings, orchestral performances, and specialized groups such as madrigal singing, jazz band, chamber music workshops and recorder ensembles. The Montréal region, which is the largest by membership, organizes a regularly rehearsing amateur orchestra.
CAMMAC was founded in 1953 by George and Carl Little, with their wives, Madeleine and Frances. Other important founding members were Mario Duschenes
, who taught recorder for many years; and Walter and Otto Joachim. Canadian baritone and educator Jan Simons
was general director from 1969 to 1990, and taught at the Lake MacDonald centre for 50 years. While CAMMAC's focus has been amateur music making, a number of alumni have gone on to professional careers in music, in some cases coming back as teachers.
CAMMAC runs two summer music centres (CAMMAC Lake MacDonald in the Laurentian mountains northwest of Montreal, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
and the CAMMAC Ontario Music Centre (renamed Lake Field Musichttp://lakefieldmusic.ca in 2010) at the Lakefield College School
Lakefield College School
Lakefield College School is a coeducational boarding school located north of the village of Lakefield, Ontario, Canada.The school's motto is Mens Sana In Corpore Sano...
in the Kawartha Lakes
Kawartha Lakes
The city of Kawartha Lakes is a unitary municipality in Central Ontario, Canada. Although called a city, Kawartha Lakes is the size of a typical Ontarian county and is mostly rural....
area of Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
). CAMMAC also holds regional activities year-round in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Quebec City
Quebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
, Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
and Ottawa-Gatineau
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
. The Music Centres offer individual weeks of classes and music-making opportunities for adults and children, nine summer weeks at Lake MacDonald and in different years two or three weeks at the Lake Field Music in Lakefield. At the music centres, the different weeks emphasize different kinds of music. The regions support a variety of music-making, including, in different regions, monthly choral readings, orchestral performances, and specialized groups such as madrigal singing, jazz band, chamber music workshops and recorder ensembles. The Montréal region, which is the largest by membership, organizes a regularly rehearsing amateur orchestra.
CAMMAC was founded in 1953 by George and Carl Little, with their wives, Madeleine and Frances. Other important founding members were Mario Duschenes
Mario Duschenes
Mario Duschenes, CM, LL.D. was a Canadian flautist, recorder player, music educator and conductor.-Early life:...
, who taught recorder for many years; and Walter and Otto Joachim. Canadian baritone and educator Jan Simons
Jan Simons
Jan Simons was a Canadian baritone, and music teacher and administrator. Complementing a vocal performance career in Canada in the 1950s and 60s, he was a member of the faculty of music at McGill University in Montreal and a long-time teacher and general director at the summer musical camp,...
was general director from 1969 to 1990, and taught at the Lake MacDonald centre for 50 years. While CAMMAC's focus has been amateur music making, a number of alumni have gone on to professional careers in music, in some cases coming back as teachers.