Friday, May 27 at 7.00 pm
Performers: Jenny Vincent and Bob McDonald
International recitalist Jenny Vincent and host of CBC’s Quirks and Quarks Bob McDonald have educated and entertained Vancouver Island residents over the past several years by bringing coupling visuals, narration and music to shed light on the invisible things all around us and the farthest reaches of the universe.
Jenny Vincent is an artist who has shed the traditional notions associated with classically trained organists. She has introduced her audiences to a wide spectrum of music, everything from Bach to classic rock. Her performances are delivered with a sense of style and artistry that have made her one of Canada's finest organists. Although widely recognized for her technical musicianship; she is regularly praised for her interpretation and connection to the pieces performed. Her playing has been described as emotionally expressive and intimately connected. It is with this versatility and passion that Jenny strives to make the organ a valued and accepted contemporary musical instrument.
Bob McDonald has been communicating science internationally through television, radio, print and live presentations for more than 40 years. He is the host of CBC Radio's QUIRKS & QUARKS, the award-winning science program with a national audience of nearly 500,000 people. He is also a regular reporter for CBC Television's THE NATIONAL as well as Gemini-winning host and writer of the children's series Heads Up! McDonald has also hosted The Greatest Canadian Invention and the seven-part series Water Under Fire. As a print journalist, McDonald has authored four science books and contributed to numerous science textbooks, newspapers and magazines including The Globe and Mail, Owl Magazine and many others. His latest book is Canadian Spacewalkers: Hadfield MacLean and Williams Remember The Ultimate High Adventure. He wrote the introduction to The Quirks & Quarks Question Book and the Guide to Space: 42 Questions (and Answers) About Life, the Universe, and Everything. Beyond his work in media, McDonald sits on the board of Friends of the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory, and is in demand as a public speaker across the country. McDonald has been honoured for his outstanding contribution to the promotion of science in Canada as the recipient of the Michael Smith Award from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, the Sir Sanford Fleming Medal from the Royal Canadian Institute and the McNeil Medal from The Royal Society of Canada. McDonald was also the recipient of a 2008 Gemini Award for Best Host in a Pre-School, Children's or Youth Program or Series. He has received twelve honourary Doctorates, and two honourary college degrees. In 2011 he was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada, and in 2014, asteroid 2006 XN67 was officially named bobmcdonald in his honour.