Vanier College Names Choir Room after Robert Frederick Jones and Extends renaming of Galerie Henry Lehmann Gallery for a period of Five Years

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At its November 24th regular meeting the Vanier College Board of Directors approved the naming of a choir room in honour of the late Robert Frederick Jones. The Board of Directors also approved to extend the renaming of the college’s Galerie Henry Lehmann Gallery for a period of five years.

Robert Frederick Jones (1947-2012) taught music at Vanier College from 1976 until his retirement. Dr. Jones was also the choir accompanist for many years at the college, working every week to help prepare the choirs for their concerts. Unofficially, he was the composer in residence during his time at Vanier where he composed several pieces of music which are now being played worldwide. In 2011 the Vanier College Choir performed the world premiere of Robert Frederick Jones’ La Terra Promessa. The twelve-movement symphony for soloists, chorus and orchestra was commissioned to celebrate Vanier College’s 40th Anniversary.

His compositions have been performed in North and South America, Asia and Europe in such places as Westminster Abbey and Salisbury Cathedral. His work is influenced by the colours, moods, and austere landscape of the Arizona desert where he grew up.

“Robert Frederick Jones was a consummate professional, working not only with the choir but with students in his classes and those he accompanied to concerts. He went well beyond the scope of his expected duties to the college and its students. Naming the choir room in Robert’s honour is one way to extend out thanks and appreciation for all of the contributions he made to Vanier College over the years,” said Mr. Normand W. Bernier, Vanier College’s Director General.

Vanier’s existing choir room located in B-210 will be renamed the Robert Frederick Jones Choir Room. To mark the occasion Vanier College will organize a commemorative ceremony to mark the fourth anniversary of his death while a commemorative plaque will also be added.

In addition to honouring Robert Frederick Jones the Vanier College Board of Directors approved a decision to extend the renaming of the Galerie Henry Lehmann Gallery for an additional five years.

**Henry Lehmann at Vanier
**For more than 33 years Henry Lehmann taught at Vanier College in the Humanities and Communications Art, Media, Theatre programs.Passionate about art, its connections and its central importance in life, Henry Lehmann, who passed away in 2009, was known not only for his teaching but also for his guest lectures on art in other programs of the College and for the insights into art and culture he shared through his published articles and reviews.

In 2010, Vanier College honoured this well-loved teacher with the inauguration of Galerie Henry Lehmann Gallery. Located in room B-305, the gallery offers a charming exhibition space located in the heart of the Communications Program. Over the years the student/faculty-run gallery has acted as a space for presenting student art in a public space.

Besides being a Vanier teacher, Lehmann was the leading English-language art critic in Montreal for many years. For nearly four decades he wrote and commented on art and architecture for The Gazette, The Montreal Star, Montreal Daily News, Montreal Mirror, and CBC radio and television (Daybreak, Monday Night Special, CityBeat).