Concerts

Canada 150 Concerts

Two marvelous concerts to end our season. Our director, Janet Gaskin, has a reputation for “raising the bar” for the performances of our unauditioned community choir, and this season it has gone way higher! Janet put together a great programme for our Canada 150 concerts and there were many highlights. A big thank you to Rusty Swinehammer for being our guest artist at the concerts.

It was our particular privilege to bring to performance our accompanist John Plant’s work “Voices Answering Back: The Vampires”. Ken Vaughan’s thoughtful reading of the poem set the scene for the concert performance. This is an amazing piece, extremely challenging, yet really interesting, very enjoyable to perform, and from audience feedback, to listen to. A big thank you to John and Janet for their creativity and perseverance working with us on this piece.

Further highlights were hearing Rusty Swinehammer’s elegant and charming rendition of some Canadian favourites, and the performance of “Wild Islands Archipelago” with words by our very own Gordon Hammond, and music by Rusty. Our president, Allan Banks, did a fine job guiding us through the moving French Canadian folksong “Un Canadien Errant”. Soloists shone in a hearty Choir delivery of “Barrett’s Privateers”, most fitting for a performance in Sherbrooke Village! John Plant supplemented the song-list with keyboard performances, including, at Sherbrooke Village, playing the 1917 Casavant organ. What a treat!

A big thank you to the audiences in East Chezzetcook and Sherbrooke Village for their support.

What a season! A huge thank you to Janet Gaskin, our director, to Allan Banks, our president, and to John Plant, our accompanist (and resident composer!), for leading us to greater heights than many of us thought possible for a bunch of amateurs.

Here are some photos from the East Chezzetcook concert at St. Genevieve’s Church:

Here are some photos of the preparation for the Sherbrooke Village concert:

Here are some photos from the Sherbrooke Village concert:

 
Fund Raiser / Rehearsals

Cheese & Wine Fundraiser House Rehearsal in West Jeddore

A great big thanks to Coastal Voices bass Dave Kerr for hosting again our Cheese & Wine fundraiser at his beautiful home in West Jeddore. The drive into the community along the winding shoreline road past the fishing boats on a calm spring evening with a setting sun set the scene for a very productive rehearsal. Dave’s church conversion home makes a terrific space for both Choir and guest audience. Also, a hearty thanks to the audience for attending and for their warm support. We have some way to go to be ready for our concerts on May 27th and 28th, and we are getting there!
Concerts

Countdown for Canada 150 Concerts

We’re excited to be in the final month preparing for “This is My Home”, our Canada 150 Concert we’ll be presenting at St. Genevieve’s Church, East Chezzetcook on the evening of Saturday 27th May, and at St. James Presbyterian Church, Sherbrooke Village, the following afternoon, on Sunday 28th May.

 

Both concerts will feature guest artist Rusty Swinehammer and the performance of a newly commissioned work for the Choir by our accompanist John Plant. The work will be premiered at the East Chezzetcook concert. The Choir has an all-Canadian repertoire to celebrate the Canada 150 anniversary. How wonderful it will be to sing Barrett’s Privateers “…..How I wish I was in Sherbrooke now! ….” in Sherbrooke Village. At the Sherbrooke concert John will also play Froberger’s Toccata in D minor on the 1917 Casavant (Quebec) pipe organ.

 

The East Chezzetcook concert will start at 7 p.m. on Saturday 27th May. Tickets are $12 and may be obtained in advance from Choir members or Allan Banks at 902-889-3179. Tickets will also be available at the door.

 

The Sherbrooke Village concert will start at 2 p.m. on Sunday 28th May. Admission by free-will donation.