Diefenbaker Canada Centre to house Amati instruments

Posted May 15, 1998


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - May 14, 1998

Diefenbaker Canada Centre to house Amati instruments

The University of Saskatchewan's Board of Governors agreed today to
house the Amati instruments at the Diefenbaker Canada Centre, where
they can be acclimatized for one year without being played.

At the end of the year, a Presidential Amati Committee, consisting of
the President, Vice-President (Academic), a member of the Board of
Governors, the Dean of Arts and Science and the Head of the Music
Department will make a recommendation to the Board regarding the
possible use or display of the instruments.

Acclimatization is required to protect wooden objects from warping or
cracking when moved from a more humid climate, like Victoria's, to a
drier climate, like Saskatchewan's. The Diefenbaker Canada Centre is
an A-Level Museum with storage vaults that are climate controlled,
dust-free, with steady humidity levels and ultra-violet radiation light
protection.

The Board had considered a number of options for the Amati
instruments. These ranged from keeping the instruments in storage, to
putting the instruments on display, to seeking funding for a U of S-
based quartet to perform with the instruments. The Board weighed the
cost of each of these options against the benefits to the music
program, and to the university as a whole.

An earlier decision not to use any university operating funds to support
the use of the instruments was one of the key factors that influenced
the Board's final decision. During the First and Best fund raising
campaign, the university had discussions with some potential donors,
but support for the Amatis was not forthcoming.

However, the Board is hopeful that both the university's financial
position, and the opportunities for fund raising, may improve over the
coming year.

The instruments had been on loan to the Lafayette Quartet in Victoria.


For more information, please contact:

Mr. Hal Wyatt, Chair
Board of Governors
University of Saskatchewan
(403) 240-5519
(403) 233-7538