Don Wherry - 1935 - 2001

On a beautiful, warm summer night, we were forced to say a sudden goodbye to a dear friend and guiding spirit.

July 28, 2001 was the inaugural Victoria Park Lantern Festival - a community event, attended by hundreds of people, of all ages, carrying paper lanterns. Don - with his Scruncheons and members of the Black Auks - led the parade through the park, playing music that echoed through the night. At the climax, Don suffered a heart attack and collapsed to the ground. He died shortly afterwards in hospital.

Born in Hamilton, Don moved to Tors Cove, Newfoundland in 1973. It wasn't long before he'd moved to the centre of St. John's and was an integral part of the city's vibrant musical and cultural fabric.

As anyone who knew him or his work will attest, Don's talents and achievements were varied and virtually boundless, matched by his warmth and creative spirit. He played with, among other groups, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Toronto Dance Theatre, CBC Festival Orchestra, Rising Tide Theatre and the Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra.

He was a beloved mentor, private tutor and professor of music at Memorial University, where his percussion students became - and remain - The Scruncheons. He was also a founding member of Fusion and the Black Auks. He composed Harbour Symphonies for ship's horns in St. John's, Montreal and San Francisco.

And then there is the Sound Symposium. Since the first festival in 1983, Sound Symposium has become an international event; a week-and-a-half of interdisciplinary artistic exploration, improvisation, performance and collaboration. Performers come from as far away as Japan, South America, and Africa to join in the celebration. The first 10 Symposia were helmed by Don and his wife, Kathy Clark-Wherry.

In the months since Don's death, he has been formally honoured several times. He was given the Rogers Cable Arts Achievement Award at the Newfoundland and Labrador Arts Council Awards last October. Also last October, the Music Industry Association of Newfoundland and Labrador held its first annual Youth Concert for Instruments, a fundraiser for the Don Wherry Instrument Fund, used to purchase new and used instruments for students.

Don's legacy continues on in the work of the Scruncheons, the Black Auks, and in the rhythm of people around the world fortunate to have been touched by his inspiration and friendship.

The Sound Symposium too, continues, organized by Kathy Clark-Wherry and a team of Don's friends and colleagues.

From day one, the Sound Symposium was an exceptional event, driven by Don's passion, openness and sense of fun and adventure. It will move forward in this spirit.