From CANOE — JAM! Music
TORONTO (CP) – They’ve always been hip, but soon they’ll be royal.

The Tragically Hip will be honoured by The Royal Conservatory of Music at a so-called Royal Occasion gala on May 24. The band’s members will be presented with an honorary fellowship at the event, held annually by Canada’s largest and oldest independent arts school. “Each year, the conservatory honours Canadian artists who have made a lasting contribution to the arts,” Peter Simon, president of The Royal Conservatory of Music, said Tuesday in a release.

“We’re proud to recognize the achievements of The Tragically Hip, a quintessentially Canadian band whose music resonates with millions of fans.”

The Tragically Hip, formed in 1986 by five friends from Kingston, Ont., will perform for the guests following the presentation.

In the 10 years since it began, the Royal Occasion has honoured some of Canada’s greatest artists, including soprano Isabel Bayrakdarian, Vancouver Symphony music director Bramwell Tovey, Broadway singer and stage actor Louise Pitre, pop group Barenaked Ladies, singer/songwriter Bruce Cockburn, tenor Richard Margison, producer/songwriter David Foster and jazz pianist Oscar Peterson.

Proceeds from the event will support the conservatory’s Community School, the Young Artists Performance Academy, The Glenn Gould School and Learning Through the Arts, a public school program.

The conservatory hopes to open a new state-of-the-art centre for performance and learning next year. The $92-million project will feature a 1,140-seat concert hall, new studios and classrooms, a new-media centre, library and rehearsal hall.

The Hip, who’ve garnered 11 Junos and an induction into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, are currently recording a new studio album.

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So…. who can get me tickets to this show?