We've looked at a number of fall concerts and events coming up in and around Niagara the last couple of months, but not one of our local treasures that somehow often seems to run underneath the radar a little bit. So this weekend, as they prepare to kick off their 25th Anniversary season, let's look at the new season for Gallery Players of Niagara.
Artistic Director Margaret Gay can hardly believe it is 25 years ago this chamber music enterprise launched in Niagara. From humble beginnings grew a group of chamber musicians comfortable enough in their own collective musical skins to bring in numerous guest artists and entire guest ensembles to share music with their audience.
The audiences for their part have been just as welcoming as the artists themselves, willing to try new things and follow new paths, sure in the knowledge the players and Artistic Director Margaret Gay know the way and won't steer them wrong.
And they never have.
That brings us to this first concert of their 25th Anniversary season, another new endeavour and brimming with new ideas ready to explore. Tomorrow afternoon at 2 in the Recital Hall at the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre, Gallery Players present the World Premiere of Borodin's Muse - An Animated Concert.
Borodin's Muse brings music and drama together to illuminate the life of 19th century Russian chemist and composer Aleksandr Borodin through music both by Borodin and his contemporaries, and with words by way of a play by St. Catharines playwright Anthony Magro, starring actor Colin Bruce Anthes as Borodin along with Genevieve Jones. The production is directed by local theatre veteran Barbara Worthy.
Music to be performed include Borodin's String Quartet #2 as well as Arensky's Variations on a Theme by Tchaikovsky, Op. 35, Glinka's Quartet #2 and Liszt's Liebestraum #3 in A Major.
Brock University's Walker String Quartet will be the instrumental performers. The Quartet, made up of Niagara Symphony Principal Cellist Gordon Cleland and violinist Vera Alekseeva along with violinist Faith Laura and violist Roman Kosarev will be joined by pianist Erika Reiman. The Walker String Quartet was founded at Brock University not that many seasons ago and has quickly established itself as a chamber musical force not to be missed.
The rest of the season's concerts are just as interesting, beginning of course with their annual Christmas concert, entitled The Heart of Christmas Past. The concert features Glissandi and Shaw Festival alumnus Guy Bannerman in words and music of familiar yuletide favourites. The stories are derived from festive remembrances shared by Gallery Players audience members last season, which is a nice twist.
Glissandi is made up of Douglas Miller on flute, Deborah Braun on harp and David Braun on violin. Their popularity has grown exponentially over the years with popular holiday recordings and concerts such as this season's Christmas production.
There are two performances, December 19th at 4pm at Silver Spire United Church in downtown St. Catharines and December 20th at 7:30 pm at Grace United Church in Niagara-on-the-Lake.
The first concert of the new year will feature Niagara native Kristin Hoff, mezzo-soprano along with violist Caitlin Boyle, guitarist Timothy Phelan and pianist Antoine Joubert in a performance entitled From Home and Afar - A Journey of Enchantment.
The musical journey goes from Germany to Canada with a side trip to Argentina. Compositions include Brahms' Two Songs for mezzo, viola and piano, Op. 91, Three Songs for mezzo, viola and piano by Frank Bridge, the Canciones sefardies for guitar and mezzo by Sid Rabinovitch, Penelope for piano and voice by Cecilia Livingston and Astor Piazzolla's Histoire du Tango, arranged by Timothy Phelan for viola and guitar.
The concert comes up at 2 pm on February 9th of next year at Silver Spire United Church in downtown St. Catharines.
Next up is Songs of Life, Year 2 and Bach on Turtle's Back - Death. An intriguing title, right? Songs of Life explores creation destruction and transformation through performances by solo violinist Julia Wedman of Tafelmusik and dancer Brian Solomon along with the music of Johann Sebastian Bach.
Solomon is also the director and choreographer for the production and in addition to Wedman is accompanied by soprano Sinead White, tenor Asitha Tennekoon, mezzo-soprano Jessica Wright, baritone Keith Lam, Alison Melville, flute, Michelle Odorico, violin, Patrick Jordan, viola, Maho Sone on keyboard and Margaret Gay on cello.
Incidentally the Year 2 in the title refers to the fact this is year two of a three-year project, all supported by the Pluralism Fund. The concert comes up at 2pm on March 8th in the Recital Hall of the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre.
The annual Movie Night comes up April 4th in the Film House at the PAC with a screening of Charlie Chaplin's classic 1931 film City Lights. The film, considered one of Chaplin's best, follows the misadventures of Chaplin's iconic tramp as he falls in love with a blind girl and develops a complex relationship with an alcoholic millionaire.
The improvised score will be performed by Douglas Miller on flute, Eric Mahar on guitar, and Penner Mackay on percussion. Local film historian Joan Nicks will be speaking about the film's significance in the pre-screen talk, which begins at 6:45pm, followed by the screening with musical accompaniment at 7.
The May 10th concert features a new venture for Gallery Players, Inside the Music, in which musicians draw the audience deep into a selected piece of music, guiding their musical listening experience. The renowned Eybler Quartet will be joined by Suzannah Clark, Professor of Music at Harvard University as together they perform as well as discuss things such as harmony, phrase structure and the social significance of an important work by Haydn.
Performers include violinist Aisslinn Nosky, Julia Wedman on violin, Patrick Jordan on viola and Margaret Gay on cello. Music will include Haydn's String Quartet Op. 54 No. 1, Franz Asplmayr's String Quartet Op. 2 No. 6 and Cris Derksen's White Man's Cattle.
The concert takes place at 2pm on May 10th at Silver Spire United Church in downtown St. Catharines.
Finally, the Vesuvius Ensemble visits St. Catharines on June 14th at 2pm for a performance entitled Tarantella: Viva Napoli! The group performs on a host of rustic instruments, few of which I can pronounce, presenting instrumental and vocal music that paints a musical portrait of Naples and the surrounding area.
The members of the Vesuvius Ensemble include Francesco Pellegrino, Marco Era, Lucas Harris, Romina Di Gasbarro and Ben Grossman.
The sunny finale to the Gallery Players' 25th Anniversary season takes place at Silver Spire United Church in downtown St. Catharines.
Intrigued? Gallery Players are worth your time and you can purchase tickets either as a subscription or individually by calling them at 905-468-1525 or go online to www.GalleryPlayers.ca. I know they had phone problems earlier this week but hopefully things are all sorted out by now. If all else fails, you can call the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre box office at 905-688-0722.
Have a great weekend!
Saturday, November 23, 2019
Saturday, November 16, 2019
Music Niagara presents Choralfest starting this weekend
There is something about the colder weather we are experiencing now that brings out in me a desire to revel in the magnificent sounds of truly great choral singing. Be it a church choir or professional ensemble, there are a multitude of choices from which to choose in Niagara. Some of the best from Niagara and beyond will be on full display this month and next during Music Niagara's Choralfest.
The summertime music festival has pioneered inventive classical and jazz programming in the Niagara Region for many years now, but usually by mid-August they are done for the season. Not anymore.
With Choralfest Music Niagara is endeavouring to present world-class, diverse music experiences in unique and intimate settings throughout Niagara. Performances range from crackerjack school choirs to the best Toronto has to offer.
The whole festival kicks off tonight with a performance by the Juno award-winning Elmer Iseler Singers with Lydia Adams conducting. On the programme will be works by Guerrero, Lassus and Gibbons along with Canadian composers such as R. Murray Schafer, Vivier and others. The Elmer Iseler Singers will be performing tonight at 7 pm at Niagara Mennonite Church at 1775 Niagara Stone Road in Niagara-on-the-Lake.
The Avanti Chamber Singers under the direction of Dr. Rachel Rensink-Hoff, fresh from their debut performance of the season in St. Catharines last weekend, will perform on November 19th. Dr. Rinsink-Hoff, Assistant Professor of Music at Brock University most often performs with the community-based chamber choir under the umbrella of Brock's Viva Voce Choral Series. Here they step from underneath that umbrella to bring their trademark choral music, both accompanied and a cappella to Niagara-on-the-Lake with works by not only Canadian but also Niagara-based composers.
The performance begins at 7 pm in the cozy confines of St. Mark's Anglican Church on Byron Street in the Olde Town.
November 22nd the Victoria Scholars, an all-male, award-winning choir of international acclaim will perform everything from Gregorian chants to works by French-Canadian composers, both sacred and contemporary. To date they've recorded four albums and have performed with some of the biggest names in classical and contemporary music. While their sound is firmly rooted in the traditional Renaissance music, they push their musical boundaries to include the Baroque, Classical and Romantic eras as well. The Victoria Scholars perform at 7 pm in one of my favourite churches in Niagara, Our Lady of Peace next door to Mount Carmel Monastery at 6988 Stanley Avenue in Niagara Falls.
The next night the Celaya Conservatory Children's Choir will perform at 1:30 in the afternoon at St. Mark's Church in Niagara-on-the-Lake. If you have not heard of the Celaya Conservatory Children's Choir before, you're not alone. Neither had I. It turns out they're one of the top Children's choirs in Mexico and this is their very first performance in Canada. Count on hearing some Latin American music to warm up a late November afternoon on November 23rd.
That very evening one of the big draws for Choralfest this year will be a Sing-Along Messiah, with the Messiah Chorus and Orchestra conducted by Mervin Frick filling the space at St. Mark's in Niagara-on-the-Lake with the glorious Handel oratorio that for many is a Christmas tradition. If you feel like joining in, well, go right ahead. It is a Sing-Along Messiah after all. It happens at 7pm on November 23rd.
On the 24th, Music Niagara presents the Vesnivka Choir and Volunge Choir, also at St. Mark's at 2 in the afternoon. Volunge, it turns out, is named after Lithuania's beautiful "Golden Oriole" and is an award-winning Lithuanian choir led by conductor Dalia Viskontas along with accompanist Danguole Radtke. Volunge will perform an eclectic programme of Lithuanian sacred and secular songs and major works before giving way to the Vesnivka Choir led by founding conductor and director Halyna Kyitka Kondracki. Their programme will be sung entirely in Unkrainian with works by Oleksander Koshyts, who first brought the familiar "Carol of the Bells" to North American audiences, as well as Ukrainian folk songs and works by Ukrainian-Canadian composers. The programme will conclude with some lighter fare by composer Bohdan Vesolowsky.
One of the local highlights to the festival is the appearance by the award-winning Laura Secord Secondary School Choir from right here in St. Catharines. Under the direction of Ms. Katryna Sacco, the choir has toured many North American cities as well as in Europe. They've also worked with many professional musicians including Measha Brueggergosman, Kenny Rogers, Take 6, Molly Johnson, Jackie Richardson, Joe Sealy and most recently, during the Voices of Freedom Festival last weekend at the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre. The performance will be November 24th at 7 pm at St. Mark's Church in Niagara-on-the-Lake.
The Hamilton Children's Choir comes to St. Mark's Church on November 25th at 7:30 pm, accompanied as well by the Celaya Conservatory Children's Choir. Jasmin Lin, a Music Niagara Performance Academy alumni and student at Juillard will perform with the choir onstage on the great Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume "Messiah" violin awarded to her by the Canada Council Instrument Bank for three years.
The festival will conclude December 8th with a decidedly non-choral performance by the Toronto All-Star Big Band performing their Swinging Christmas show, a collection of seasonal and all-time favourites from the Golden Age of Swing. The performance begins at 7 pm, again at St. Mark's Church in Niagara-on-the-Lake.
If you are interested in any or all of the performances beginning tonight and running through to December 8th, you can purchase tickets in advance through the Shaw Festival box office by calling 1-800-511-7429. There will be special student pricing discounts available as well.
Have a great weekend!
November 16th, 2019.
The summertime music festival has pioneered inventive classical and jazz programming in the Niagara Region for many years now, but usually by mid-August they are done for the season. Not anymore.
With Choralfest Music Niagara is endeavouring to present world-class, diverse music experiences in unique and intimate settings throughout Niagara. Performances range from crackerjack school choirs to the best Toronto has to offer.
The whole festival kicks off tonight with a performance by the Juno award-winning Elmer Iseler Singers with Lydia Adams conducting. On the programme will be works by Guerrero, Lassus and Gibbons along with Canadian composers such as R. Murray Schafer, Vivier and others. The Elmer Iseler Singers will be performing tonight at 7 pm at Niagara Mennonite Church at 1775 Niagara Stone Road in Niagara-on-the-Lake.
The Avanti Chamber Singers under the direction of Dr. Rachel Rensink-Hoff, fresh from their debut performance of the season in St. Catharines last weekend, will perform on November 19th. Dr. Rinsink-Hoff, Assistant Professor of Music at Brock University most often performs with the community-based chamber choir under the umbrella of Brock's Viva Voce Choral Series. Here they step from underneath that umbrella to bring their trademark choral music, both accompanied and a cappella to Niagara-on-the-Lake with works by not only Canadian but also Niagara-based composers.
The performance begins at 7 pm in the cozy confines of St. Mark's Anglican Church on Byron Street in the Olde Town.
November 22nd the Victoria Scholars, an all-male, award-winning choir of international acclaim will perform everything from Gregorian chants to works by French-Canadian composers, both sacred and contemporary. To date they've recorded four albums and have performed with some of the biggest names in classical and contemporary music. While their sound is firmly rooted in the traditional Renaissance music, they push their musical boundaries to include the Baroque, Classical and Romantic eras as well. The Victoria Scholars perform at 7 pm in one of my favourite churches in Niagara, Our Lady of Peace next door to Mount Carmel Monastery at 6988 Stanley Avenue in Niagara Falls.
The next night the Celaya Conservatory Children's Choir will perform at 1:30 in the afternoon at St. Mark's Church in Niagara-on-the-Lake. If you have not heard of the Celaya Conservatory Children's Choir before, you're not alone. Neither had I. It turns out they're one of the top Children's choirs in Mexico and this is their very first performance in Canada. Count on hearing some Latin American music to warm up a late November afternoon on November 23rd.
That very evening one of the big draws for Choralfest this year will be a Sing-Along Messiah, with the Messiah Chorus and Orchestra conducted by Mervin Frick filling the space at St. Mark's in Niagara-on-the-Lake with the glorious Handel oratorio that for many is a Christmas tradition. If you feel like joining in, well, go right ahead. It is a Sing-Along Messiah after all. It happens at 7pm on November 23rd.
On the 24th, Music Niagara presents the Vesnivka Choir and Volunge Choir, also at St. Mark's at 2 in the afternoon. Volunge, it turns out, is named after Lithuania's beautiful "Golden Oriole" and is an award-winning Lithuanian choir led by conductor Dalia Viskontas along with accompanist Danguole Radtke. Volunge will perform an eclectic programme of Lithuanian sacred and secular songs and major works before giving way to the Vesnivka Choir led by founding conductor and director Halyna Kyitka Kondracki. Their programme will be sung entirely in Unkrainian with works by Oleksander Koshyts, who first brought the familiar "Carol of the Bells" to North American audiences, as well as Ukrainian folk songs and works by Ukrainian-Canadian composers. The programme will conclude with some lighter fare by composer Bohdan Vesolowsky.
One of the local highlights to the festival is the appearance by the award-winning Laura Secord Secondary School Choir from right here in St. Catharines. Under the direction of Ms. Katryna Sacco, the choir has toured many North American cities as well as in Europe. They've also worked with many professional musicians including Measha Brueggergosman, Kenny Rogers, Take 6, Molly Johnson, Jackie Richardson, Joe Sealy and most recently, during the Voices of Freedom Festival last weekend at the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre. The performance will be November 24th at 7 pm at St. Mark's Church in Niagara-on-the-Lake.
The Hamilton Children's Choir comes to St. Mark's Church on November 25th at 7:30 pm, accompanied as well by the Celaya Conservatory Children's Choir. Jasmin Lin, a Music Niagara Performance Academy alumni and student at Juillard will perform with the choir onstage on the great Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume "Messiah" violin awarded to her by the Canada Council Instrument Bank for three years.
The festival will conclude December 8th with a decidedly non-choral performance by the Toronto All-Star Big Band performing their Swinging Christmas show, a collection of seasonal and all-time favourites from the Golden Age of Swing. The performance begins at 7 pm, again at St. Mark's Church in Niagara-on-the-Lake.
If you are interested in any or all of the performances beginning tonight and running through to December 8th, you can purchase tickets in advance through the Shaw Festival box office by calling 1-800-511-7429. There will be special student pricing discounts available as well.
Have a great weekend!
November 16th, 2019.
Monday, November 11, 2019
Proving you can come home again
This Friday November 15th a homecoming of sorts will take place at the Niagara Artists Centre on St. Paul Street in downtown St. Catharines. Longtime folk musician and teacher Jane Lewis, born and raised in St. Catharines, will return to the city with musical partner Eve Goldberg to host a local launch of their new CD collaboration, All That's Real on Borealis Records. They perform under the moniker Gathering Sparks, which is an apt description of what they do.
It's been awhile for Lewis, as she moved from the city to Guelph several years ago to pursue a music career full time. Why Guelph? Why not? I've always found Guelph and much of Wellington County to be a hotbed of creative organic folk music, much of it making it on to the airwaves of Canada's national broadcaster CBC as well as selling strongly in the Canadian music marketplace.
I used to work in a music store on Carden Street in downtown Guelph years ago, Twelfth Night Music, and it had a relatively large selection of Canadian-grown folk music, and it always sold quite well. So it should come as no surprise Lewis would follow her folk inclinations to the city.
Somewhere along the way, while recording her solo album Stay With Me, leading music workshops on singing harmony and singing backup vocals for other artists, Jane hooked up with Toronto-based musician and vocalist Eve Goldberg and things just seemed to click. Goldberg, originally from Boston, moved to Toronto in 1981 and has been a busy performer at festivals, folk clubs and concert venues across Canada and the US ever since.
Eve has released three albums on her own, Ever Brightening Day in 2006, Crossing The Water in 2003 and A Kinder Season also in 2006. Like Lewis Eva is also an experienced teacher who engages aspiring musicians in private lessons, workshops and classes.
Jane Lewis plays piano, ukulele, accordion as well as sings; Eve Goldberg also sings, plays acoustic guitar and ukulele. For the CD launch on Friday they will be joined by special guest Cheryl Prashker on drums and percussion, who also appears on the new CD.
Together, Lewis and Goldberg perform as Gathering Sparks and their new collaboration is entitled All That's Real, produced by Jeff Bird of Cowboy Junkies fame. Joining them on the new disc, which first launched back in early October in Guelph, are the aforementioned Cheryl Prashker on percussion as well as Anne Lindsay on fiddle, Joel Schwartz and Kevin Breit on guitars and a host of harmony singers, all of whom presumably worked at one point or another with Lewis!
Already the lead-off song from the album, Bringing in the Light has been recognized with a 2019 Folk Music Ontario "Songs From The Heart" Award in the Singer-Songwriter category. That's on top of the group being nominated for a 2014 Canadian Folk Music Award for Vocal Group of the Year for their six-song debut CD.
Their inclusive style embraces folk, pop, blues and gospel influences all played on acoustic guitar, piano, accordion and of course the ukulele. They had me at the ukulele, actually. Although I've never played one I've always loved that humble stringed instrument ever since I first heard British singer George Formby on the instrument many years ago. Who doesn't love the ukulele?!
Anyway, this is the very first time Lewis and Goldberg have written together but you'd never know it. They have brought together their passion for wordplay, strong melodies and harmony to create 11 new songs plus one cover of a Pete Townshend classic. The end result is a collection of songs that are decidedly hopeful and upbeat as well as reflective and full of great storytelling.
Perhaps that's not such a bad combination in these divided times we seem to live in.
If you want to join in on the CD launch yourself, you can pick up tickets for $20 in advance or $25 at the door Friday night. Advance online orders can be made by going to www.gatheringsparks.com. The concert/launch begins at 8 pm and NAC is located at 354 St. Paul Street.
Have a great week!
November 11th, 2019.
It's been awhile for Lewis, as she moved from the city to Guelph several years ago to pursue a music career full time. Why Guelph? Why not? I've always found Guelph and much of Wellington County to be a hotbed of creative organic folk music, much of it making it on to the airwaves of Canada's national broadcaster CBC as well as selling strongly in the Canadian music marketplace.
I used to work in a music store on Carden Street in downtown Guelph years ago, Twelfth Night Music, and it had a relatively large selection of Canadian-grown folk music, and it always sold quite well. So it should come as no surprise Lewis would follow her folk inclinations to the city.
Somewhere along the way, while recording her solo album Stay With Me, leading music workshops on singing harmony and singing backup vocals for other artists, Jane hooked up with Toronto-based musician and vocalist Eve Goldberg and things just seemed to click. Goldberg, originally from Boston, moved to Toronto in 1981 and has been a busy performer at festivals, folk clubs and concert venues across Canada and the US ever since.
Eve has released three albums on her own, Ever Brightening Day in 2006, Crossing The Water in 2003 and A Kinder Season also in 2006. Like Lewis Eva is also an experienced teacher who engages aspiring musicians in private lessons, workshops and classes.
Jane Lewis plays piano, ukulele, accordion as well as sings; Eve Goldberg also sings, plays acoustic guitar and ukulele. For the CD launch on Friday they will be joined by special guest Cheryl Prashker on drums and percussion, who also appears on the new CD.
Together, Lewis and Goldberg perform as Gathering Sparks and their new collaboration is entitled All That's Real, produced by Jeff Bird of Cowboy Junkies fame. Joining them on the new disc, which first launched back in early October in Guelph, are the aforementioned Cheryl Prashker on percussion as well as Anne Lindsay on fiddle, Joel Schwartz and Kevin Breit on guitars and a host of harmony singers, all of whom presumably worked at one point or another with Lewis!
Already the lead-off song from the album, Bringing in the Light has been recognized with a 2019 Folk Music Ontario "Songs From The Heart" Award in the Singer-Songwriter category. That's on top of the group being nominated for a 2014 Canadian Folk Music Award for Vocal Group of the Year for their six-song debut CD.
Their inclusive style embraces folk, pop, blues and gospel influences all played on acoustic guitar, piano, accordion and of course the ukulele. They had me at the ukulele, actually. Although I've never played one I've always loved that humble stringed instrument ever since I first heard British singer George Formby on the instrument many years ago. Who doesn't love the ukulele?!
Anyway, this is the very first time Lewis and Goldberg have written together but you'd never know it. They have brought together their passion for wordplay, strong melodies and harmony to create 11 new songs plus one cover of a Pete Townshend classic. The end result is a collection of songs that are decidedly hopeful and upbeat as well as reflective and full of great storytelling.
Perhaps that's not such a bad combination in these divided times we seem to live in.
If you want to join in on the CD launch yourself, you can pick up tickets for $20 in advance or $25 at the door Friday night. Advance online orders can be made by going to www.gatheringsparks.com. The concert/launch begins at 8 pm and NAC is located at 354 St. Paul Street.
Have a great week!
November 11th, 2019.
Monday, November 4, 2019
Bravo Niagara! Voices of Freedom Festival coming up this week
I'm a little late getting to my weekend blog this week as it is now Monday but hey, better late than never, right?
Anyway, I don't want to leave this for another day as an important and interesting music festival is coming up later this week in Niagara. The entrepreneurial souls at Bravo Niagara! Festival of the Arts in Niagara-on-the-Lake have organized a three-day festival around this Friday evening's concert featuring pioneering jazz pianist Monty Alexander and musical friends.
The concert, Friday evening at 7:30 in Partridge Hall at the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre in downtown St. Catharines, promises to be one of the jazz events of the fall season in Niagara. Jamaican-born pianist Monty Alexander, who now makes his home in the United States, headlines the concert. Opening performances will feature award-winning drummer Larnell Lewis of Snarky Puppy fame along with his band, and special guest, South African bass player Bakithi Kumalo, who has performed with Paul Simon. Needless to say with talent like that, jazz and Afro-Caribbean music aficionados alike will want to be there.
Kicking off the festival will be a special interactive student workshop with Bakithi Kumalo featuring iconic Paul Simon music at Laura Secord Secondary School Thursday afternoon at 1 pm. Kumalo will discuss growing up in Soweto, South Africa during Apartheid and the influences of Nelson Mandela, the South African anti-apartheid leader who just happened to be a personal acquaintance of Kumalo.
The workshop is free and open to the public.
Thursday evening at 7:30 pm the Niagara-on-the-Lake Public Library will host the screening of the film Under African Skies with special guest Bakithi Kumalo. Kumalo, of course, appeared on the ground-breaking Paul Simon album Graceland and he will introduce the film in which he is featured.
The documentary explores the cultural and political climate of South Africa 25 years ago and follows Simon as he returns once again to South Africa. Under African Skies features appearances by anti-apartheid activists and musical legends including Quincy Jones, Harry Belafonte, Sir Paul McCartney and David Byrne.
Sadly, the film screening presented in partnership with the Niagara-on-the-Lake Public Library is already sold out, but you can join the wait list if you choose.
Friday morning at 10 a second interactive student workshop will be held at Laura Secord Secondary School with drummer Larnell Lewis. The Toronto native and musician, producer, composer and educator has established himself as one of the most diverse and in-demand drummers around, and has worked with such well-known names as Etienne Charles, Gregory Porter, Benny Golson, Lalah Hathaway, Pat Metheny, John Scofield, Lisa Fisher and Kurt Elling among others.
The workshop is free and again, open to the public.
Saturday morning at 11 the Niagara Historical Museum will host an Artists as Activists Roundtable, exploring the role of artists in society and the historic and present-day interaction of music and social change. Moderated by Jazzcast.ca's Garvia Bailey, featured participants include Bakithi Kumalo, producer and artist manager Celine Peterson, and Stanford Thompson, founder and executive director of the El Sistema-inspired organization Play On, Philly!
The Saturday roundtable is presented in partnership with the Niagara Historical Museum, is free and open to the public, but advance registration is required. Go to www.bravoniagara.org for more information.
Finally, there is a film screening at the Film House at the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre in downtown St. Catharines I plan on attending this Saturday afternoon at 4 pm. Entitled Crescendo: The Power of Music, the screening will feature special guest Stanford Thompson.
Thompson's organization Play on, Philly! is one of the schools that have embraced the concept of Venezuela's phenomenal youth orchestra programme El Sistema, founded in 1976 and which has brought social transformation to several million disadvantaged children in the country. Want proof? Superstar conductor Gustavo Dudamel came through El Sistema.
The film documents the journey of three students, one in Harlem and two in Philadelphia at Play On Philly!, along with their teachers and the community around them, all responding to the mysterious power of music.
I've seen the trailer for this Jamie Bernstein directed film and it looks absolutely inspiring, so I am looking forward to seeing the full film on Saturday afternoon. You can too as the event, co-presented by Bravo Niagara! and the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre, is free and open to the public. But again, you have to register in advance.
So that sounds like a lot of musical inspiration coming our way this week in Niagara, all presented by Bravo Niagara! Festival of the Arts. Want more information on events and on ordering tickets? Just go to www.bravoniagara.org and you'll find out all you need to know.
Have a great week!
November 4th, 2019.
Anyway, I don't want to leave this for another day as an important and interesting music festival is coming up later this week in Niagara. The entrepreneurial souls at Bravo Niagara! Festival of the Arts in Niagara-on-the-Lake have organized a three-day festival around this Friday evening's concert featuring pioneering jazz pianist Monty Alexander and musical friends.
The concert, Friday evening at 7:30 in Partridge Hall at the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre in downtown St. Catharines, promises to be one of the jazz events of the fall season in Niagara. Jamaican-born pianist Monty Alexander, who now makes his home in the United States, headlines the concert. Opening performances will feature award-winning drummer Larnell Lewis of Snarky Puppy fame along with his band, and special guest, South African bass player Bakithi Kumalo, who has performed with Paul Simon. Needless to say with talent like that, jazz and Afro-Caribbean music aficionados alike will want to be there.
Kicking off the festival will be a special interactive student workshop with Bakithi Kumalo featuring iconic Paul Simon music at Laura Secord Secondary School Thursday afternoon at 1 pm. Kumalo will discuss growing up in Soweto, South Africa during Apartheid and the influences of Nelson Mandela, the South African anti-apartheid leader who just happened to be a personal acquaintance of Kumalo.
The workshop is free and open to the public.
Thursday evening at 7:30 pm the Niagara-on-the-Lake Public Library will host the screening of the film Under African Skies with special guest Bakithi Kumalo. Kumalo, of course, appeared on the ground-breaking Paul Simon album Graceland and he will introduce the film in which he is featured.
The documentary explores the cultural and political climate of South Africa 25 years ago and follows Simon as he returns once again to South Africa. Under African Skies features appearances by anti-apartheid activists and musical legends including Quincy Jones, Harry Belafonte, Sir Paul McCartney and David Byrne.
Sadly, the film screening presented in partnership with the Niagara-on-the-Lake Public Library is already sold out, but you can join the wait list if you choose.
Friday morning at 10 a second interactive student workshop will be held at Laura Secord Secondary School with drummer Larnell Lewis. The Toronto native and musician, producer, composer and educator has established himself as one of the most diverse and in-demand drummers around, and has worked with such well-known names as Etienne Charles, Gregory Porter, Benny Golson, Lalah Hathaway, Pat Metheny, John Scofield, Lisa Fisher and Kurt Elling among others.
The workshop is free and again, open to the public.
Saturday morning at 11 the Niagara Historical Museum will host an Artists as Activists Roundtable, exploring the role of artists in society and the historic and present-day interaction of music and social change. Moderated by Jazzcast.ca's Garvia Bailey, featured participants include Bakithi Kumalo, producer and artist manager Celine Peterson, and Stanford Thompson, founder and executive director of the El Sistema-inspired organization Play On, Philly!
The Saturday roundtable is presented in partnership with the Niagara Historical Museum, is free and open to the public, but advance registration is required. Go to www.bravoniagara.org for more information.
Finally, there is a film screening at the Film House at the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre in downtown St. Catharines I plan on attending this Saturday afternoon at 4 pm. Entitled Crescendo: The Power of Music, the screening will feature special guest Stanford Thompson.
Thompson's organization Play on, Philly! is one of the schools that have embraced the concept of Venezuela's phenomenal youth orchestra programme El Sistema, founded in 1976 and which has brought social transformation to several million disadvantaged children in the country. Want proof? Superstar conductor Gustavo Dudamel came through El Sistema.
The film documents the journey of three students, one in Harlem and two in Philadelphia at Play On Philly!, along with their teachers and the community around them, all responding to the mysterious power of music.
I've seen the trailer for this Jamie Bernstein directed film and it looks absolutely inspiring, so I am looking forward to seeing the full film on Saturday afternoon. You can too as the event, co-presented by Bravo Niagara! and the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre, is free and open to the public. But again, you have to register in advance.
So that sounds like a lot of musical inspiration coming our way this week in Niagara, all presented by Bravo Niagara! Festival of the Arts. Want more information on events and on ordering tickets? Just go to www.bravoniagara.org and you'll find out all you need to know.
Have a great week!
November 4th, 2019.
Saturday, October 26, 2019
Choral season is now upon us!
There are many things I look forward to in the autumn: the crisp, clear days beneath a bright blue sky, showing against the bright colours of the trees ready to shed for another winter; the abundance of produce and other good things in our farmer's market; the hot apple cider waiting for me Saturday mornings when I arrive at the market; and of course, the music of the season.
For me, nothing celebrates the cooler fall days musically quite like great choral music. It goes hand in hand with warming yourself in a church with history all around you. And it also celebrates the very fine performing arts spaces much of our music - choral and otherwise - often calls home.
So this weekend we'll highlight a couple of choral concerts coming up this weekend and next, featuring performances in Guelph and here in St. Catharines. In both cases, you will not be left wanting for great music of the past and present.
There is no country on earth I think with a better choral lineage than Great Britain. Going back to Elizabethan times up through the 19th and 20th centuries, there has never been a shortage of great purveyors of choral music originating in the British Isles. Two modern-era British composers will be front and centre for both concerts I'm highlighting this weekend.
Tomorrow afternoon in Guelph, the Guelph Chamber Choir under newly-minted Artistic Director Dr. Charlene Pauls will pair up with the GCVI Chamber Choir to celebrate the good that is all around us with a concert entitled Five Days that Changed the World. The title work is by British composer Bob Chilcott and joins other works that focus on bringing people together.
The Chilcott work highlights five moments that connected and advanced humanity: the invention of printing, the abolition of slavery, the first powered light, the discovery of penicillin, and the first human in space. The music reflects humour along with wonder and a touch of poignancy throughout its movements.
Other works on the programme tomorrow afternoon include Winnipeg composer Andrew Balfour's welcoming song Amba (sung in Ojibway), American composer Joan Szymko's It Takes a Village, French composer Maurice Durufle's introspective Ubi Caritas, Canadian composer Sarah Quartel's Sing, My Child, and Paul Simon's familiar Bridge Over Troubled Water in a new gospel arrangement by Kirby Shaw. Also on the programme will be Eric Whitacre's Cloudburst.
The concert will be at 3 pm tomorrow afternoon at Harcourt Memorial United Church in the heart of Guelph, and tickets are available in advance through the River Run Centre box office by calling 519-763-3000.
Next Saturday evening at 7:30 pm, Chorus Niagara kicks off their new season with the Canadian premiere of Michael Tippett's 1941 oratorio A Child of Our Time. This powerful work was composed in response to the horrors of Kristallnacht, when Nazi Germany ramped up fear and terror in the country. Tippet's work remains a compelling call for unity in a divided world, which perhaps seems as cogent a comment on our own times as much as it was on mid-20th century life as the world found itself again embroiled in war.
A Child of Our Time draws inspiration from African-American spirituals such as Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen, Steal Away and Deep River among other works, and will be performed by the combined forces of Chorus Niagara and the Orpheus Choir of Toronto, 160 voices strong, the Orpheus Concert Orchestra and featured soloists Johane Ansell, soprano, Lauren Segal, mezzo-soprano, Andrew Haji, tenor, and James Westman, bass.
Of course, Robert Cooper, Artistic Director of both Chorus Niagara and the Orpheus Choir of Toronto will conduct in Partridge Hall at the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre in downtown St. Catharines.
For tickets for this and the entire Chorus Niagara season, call or visit the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre box office at 905-688-0722 or email boxoffice@FirstOntarioPAC.ca.
There you go, two reasons to embrace the cooler autumn weather by warming your heart and soul with great choral music with meaning, this weekend and next. What could be better than that?
Enjoy your weekend!
October 26th, 2019.
For me, nothing celebrates the cooler fall days musically quite like great choral music. It goes hand in hand with warming yourself in a church with history all around you. And it also celebrates the very fine performing arts spaces much of our music - choral and otherwise - often calls home.
So this weekend we'll highlight a couple of choral concerts coming up this weekend and next, featuring performances in Guelph and here in St. Catharines. In both cases, you will not be left wanting for great music of the past and present.
There is no country on earth I think with a better choral lineage than Great Britain. Going back to Elizabethan times up through the 19th and 20th centuries, there has never been a shortage of great purveyors of choral music originating in the British Isles. Two modern-era British composers will be front and centre for both concerts I'm highlighting this weekend.
Tomorrow afternoon in Guelph, the Guelph Chamber Choir under newly-minted Artistic Director Dr. Charlene Pauls will pair up with the GCVI Chamber Choir to celebrate the good that is all around us with a concert entitled Five Days that Changed the World. The title work is by British composer Bob Chilcott and joins other works that focus on bringing people together.
The Chilcott work highlights five moments that connected and advanced humanity: the invention of printing, the abolition of slavery, the first powered light, the discovery of penicillin, and the first human in space. The music reflects humour along with wonder and a touch of poignancy throughout its movements.
Other works on the programme tomorrow afternoon include Winnipeg composer Andrew Balfour's welcoming song Amba (sung in Ojibway), American composer Joan Szymko's It Takes a Village, French composer Maurice Durufle's introspective Ubi Caritas, Canadian composer Sarah Quartel's Sing, My Child, and Paul Simon's familiar Bridge Over Troubled Water in a new gospel arrangement by Kirby Shaw. Also on the programme will be Eric Whitacre's Cloudburst.
The concert will be at 3 pm tomorrow afternoon at Harcourt Memorial United Church in the heart of Guelph, and tickets are available in advance through the River Run Centre box office by calling 519-763-3000.
Next Saturday evening at 7:30 pm, Chorus Niagara kicks off their new season with the Canadian premiere of Michael Tippett's 1941 oratorio A Child of Our Time. This powerful work was composed in response to the horrors of Kristallnacht, when Nazi Germany ramped up fear and terror in the country. Tippet's work remains a compelling call for unity in a divided world, which perhaps seems as cogent a comment on our own times as much as it was on mid-20th century life as the world found itself again embroiled in war.
A Child of Our Time draws inspiration from African-American spirituals such as Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen, Steal Away and Deep River among other works, and will be performed by the combined forces of Chorus Niagara and the Orpheus Choir of Toronto, 160 voices strong, the Orpheus Concert Orchestra and featured soloists Johane Ansell, soprano, Lauren Segal, mezzo-soprano, Andrew Haji, tenor, and James Westman, bass.
Of course, Robert Cooper, Artistic Director of both Chorus Niagara and the Orpheus Choir of Toronto will conduct in Partridge Hall at the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre in downtown St. Catharines.
For tickets for this and the entire Chorus Niagara season, call or visit the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre box office at 905-688-0722 or email boxoffice@FirstOntarioPAC.ca.
There you go, two reasons to embrace the cooler autumn weather by warming your heart and soul with great choral music with meaning, this weekend and next. What could be better than that?
Enjoy your weekend!
October 26th, 2019.
Saturday, October 19, 2019
Men with big hearts wearing big heels...for a great cause
Taking another diversion this weekend to write about today's 13th annual Walk a Mile in HER Shoes fundraiser for Gillian's Place held at the Pen Centre. It is an event I have attended since the very first one held downtown at Market Square, and very near and dear to my heart.
The first year men walked the streets downtown, circling King Street, Queen Street, St. Paul Street and James Street, ending up again on King and winding up at Market Square. I remember that first year the weather was not all that nice and although the relatively small group of men who took part were game, at least one went down with a serious injury, I'm told.
So after that organizers wisely chose to move the event indoors to The Pen Centre, where it has been held every October since then. The location is ideal as it is enclosed, the floor is smooth and level for the most part, and it is easier to create an audience with all the shoppers already in the mall to begin with.
I think it was the second year onwards I decided to don heels myself to walk with the men, but I never really got a lot of donations, which you need in order to register. I made it, but just barely.
The last few years, however, I have been on the sidelines as a financial supporter, cheering on the men in heels. I opted to heed the advice of a lawyer friend of mine who suggested, quite rightly, considering my new career path as a letter carrier for Canada Post, an ankle or foot injury would not be in my best interests. Especially considering in those early days I didn't qualify for benefits, so if I couldn't work I wouldn't get paid.
So an enthusiastic bystander I became, although maybe before I retire I will don the heels once again for old time's sake.
Those who chose to walk today were all ages, from all walks of life, sharing a common goal: to end violence against women. They are to be commended for their determination and willingness to endure a one-mile walk in heels for the betterment of the community, but it is only one day.
Women who seek shelter at Gillian's Place and other women's shelters in communities large and small across the country endure tremendous pain both mentally and physically at the hands of their spouse or partner for great lengths of time.
It shouldn't be that way, and in a perfect world it wouldn't be. But the reality is it is happening on a daily basis right here in our communities, perhaps right on your own street without you even knowing it.
An acquaintance of mine confessed to me earlier this year she was once in an abusive relationship and frankly, I was shocked to hear it. A very kind soul with a good heart, she could certainly hold her own in a difficult situation. Or so I thought. She told me she ended the marriage and escaped with her children when the situation became untenable.
That story plays out every day in most every community, so she is no different. But she is a survivor, and I admire her so much for digging deep down inside herself to gather up the courage to leave for a better life elsewhere.
So men walk on this day every year, in a fun event with a very serious purpose: to raise much-needed funds for Gillian's Place to keep doing what they do, helping those who need it the most.
I don't have numbers on how many participants there were today although it was as large as ever, if not moreso. But collectively the men who walked raised $125,000 to continue the good work done every day at Gillian's Place, and that translates into a job well done.
Men walk as individuals, as I always did, or as part of a group from a company or club. No matter how they walk, the result is the same. And the money raised is greatly needed now more than ever.
Yes, in a perfect world we would not need a Gillian's Place. But I can't see that happening anytime soon, unfortunately. So it is vital we do this every year, either by walking ourselves or supporting those who do. Because you just never know who might benefit from what Gillian's Place can offer them. It could be someone you never imagined would be in need at all.
So thanks, gentlemen, for a job well done today. But keep those heels handy, as next year you will be called upon again to show the community just how much you care, and how much we can change the lives of so many each and every day.
Have a great weekend!
October 19th, 2019.
The first year men walked the streets downtown, circling King Street, Queen Street, St. Paul Street and James Street, ending up again on King and winding up at Market Square. I remember that first year the weather was not all that nice and although the relatively small group of men who took part were game, at least one went down with a serious injury, I'm told.
So after that organizers wisely chose to move the event indoors to The Pen Centre, where it has been held every October since then. The location is ideal as it is enclosed, the floor is smooth and level for the most part, and it is easier to create an audience with all the shoppers already in the mall to begin with.
I think it was the second year onwards I decided to don heels myself to walk with the men, but I never really got a lot of donations, which you need in order to register. I made it, but just barely.
The last few years, however, I have been on the sidelines as a financial supporter, cheering on the men in heels. I opted to heed the advice of a lawyer friend of mine who suggested, quite rightly, considering my new career path as a letter carrier for Canada Post, an ankle or foot injury would not be in my best interests. Especially considering in those early days I didn't qualify for benefits, so if I couldn't work I wouldn't get paid.
So an enthusiastic bystander I became, although maybe before I retire I will don the heels once again for old time's sake.
Those who chose to walk today were all ages, from all walks of life, sharing a common goal: to end violence against women. They are to be commended for their determination and willingness to endure a one-mile walk in heels for the betterment of the community, but it is only one day.
Women who seek shelter at Gillian's Place and other women's shelters in communities large and small across the country endure tremendous pain both mentally and physically at the hands of their spouse or partner for great lengths of time.
It shouldn't be that way, and in a perfect world it wouldn't be. But the reality is it is happening on a daily basis right here in our communities, perhaps right on your own street without you even knowing it.
An acquaintance of mine confessed to me earlier this year she was once in an abusive relationship and frankly, I was shocked to hear it. A very kind soul with a good heart, she could certainly hold her own in a difficult situation. Or so I thought. She told me she ended the marriage and escaped with her children when the situation became untenable.
That story plays out every day in most every community, so she is no different. But she is a survivor, and I admire her so much for digging deep down inside herself to gather up the courage to leave for a better life elsewhere.
So men walk on this day every year, in a fun event with a very serious purpose: to raise much-needed funds for Gillian's Place to keep doing what they do, helping those who need it the most.
I don't have numbers on how many participants there were today although it was as large as ever, if not moreso. But collectively the men who walked raised $125,000 to continue the good work done every day at Gillian's Place, and that translates into a job well done.
Men walk as individuals, as I always did, or as part of a group from a company or club. No matter how they walk, the result is the same. And the money raised is greatly needed now more than ever.
Yes, in a perfect world we would not need a Gillian's Place. But I can't see that happening anytime soon, unfortunately. So it is vital we do this every year, either by walking ourselves or supporting those who do. Because you just never know who might benefit from what Gillian's Place can offer them. It could be someone you never imagined would be in need at all.
So thanks, gentlemen, for a job well done today. But keep those heels handy, as next year you will be called upon again to show the community just how much you care, and how much we can change the lives of so many each and every day.
Have a great weekend!
October 19th, 2019.
Saturday, October 12, 2019
Giving thanks this weekend for a special place set to close
It's Thanksgiving weekend in Canada and many of us were out in force today getting what we need for a big family get together and feast to celebrate the annual harvest. The farmer's market in downtown St. Catharines, for example, was bustling with people packed in cheek to jowl looking for just the right additions to their dinner table.
No matter how you spend your time this holiday weekend and with whom, I want to take a moment of your time to offer my thanks for a special little slice of peace and tranquility just around the corner from our house that is soon to close.
Gwen's Teas moved from downtown on St. Paul Street to a lovely period home at 90 Welland Avenue a while ago, and for the longest time I would drive by early in the morning on my way to work and say to myself I should go in again sometime and check out the new digs. I did finally do that just over a year ago, and I have been going back regularly ever since.
Gwen's Teas is full of just about every variety of tea you can imagine, available for you to purchase and take home or brewed on the spot in their charming tea room at the front of the house. There you will also find loads of tea-related gifts for sale along with a few tables for people to sit at as they "take tea".
I have always had a soft spot for tea rooms and have been known to go out of my way to visit one on my travels over the years, no matter where I happen to be. But this one, located steps from our home, is amongst the finest you'll encounter anywhere.
First off, it is peaceful, as any good tea room should be. It's not a library, of course, but there are books on tea on the shelves if that's your preference.
Secondly, the shop knows how to brew a proper cup of tea. That's vitally important in a world where people accept tea bags in tepid water at many dining establishments, accustomed as they are to catering more to coffee lovers.
When I would visit, as I did again this week, I always opt for Scottish Breakfast tea which I find strong, bracing and very much to my liking. Pair the tea with a scone or two with all the trimmings and you have an afternoon tea fit for a king.
Many visits have included conversations with the friendly proprietor of Gwen's Teas, Pam Cicci, a single mom whom I believe lives upstairs looking after her two teenage children. Lately though, Pam has been absent more and more from the tea room, and the reason, as reported in The St. Catharines Standard last year, is very sad indeed.
Pam, you see, is battling colon cancer that has already spread to her liver. Regular visits over the past year to the Walker Family Cancer Centre have not produced the desired result.
Through it all this past year as I visited for tea Pam was always upbeat and cheerful in the face of such heartbreaking news, serving tea with a quiet grace you cannot help but admire. About a month ago when I visited, I saw Pam for the last time and she confided things had not been going well. But she remained optimistic and that wonderful smile was there as always.
Volunteers have been running the shop while Pam was battling her cancer but at the beginning of this month Pam made the difficult decision to close the business so she can devote all her remaining time to dealing with the cancer and to take care of her young family.
It was a difficult decision but I think it is the right decision at the right time, and I am sure her many customers will agree as well. As much as we will miss the tea room and of course seeing Pam there, the focus has to be elsewhere at this moment, so today was the final day for regular tea service at Gwen's Teas.
On Monday, a store closing sale will begin, and run through to next weekend with all tea-related merchandise marked down for quick sale. There will be no tea service, I'm told, just the sale for this final week.
I spent part of a sunny Thursday afternoon there for my final afternoon tea before the sale begins, and although I was sad, I was also glad. Glad Pam can spend the time needed to focus on what matters most, and glad I finally chose to stop in over a year ago to rediscover this little gem in our city.
Should you choose to visit the sale this week, be sure to share a memory of one of your favourite things about Gwen's Teas. Pam I am sure would love to hear it!
Cancer can be ruthless and doesn't play favourites. But we can at least celebrate a life well lived and richly rewarded in so many ways, offer positive energy, and hope for a better outcome this time. If ever someone deserves our support, Pam does and it is needed now.
Let's celebrate with tea, shall we? Pam would never want it any other way...
Be thankful for those around you this weekend, and never underestimate the power of love and hope.
Have a great Thanksgiving weekend.
October 12th, 2019.
No matter how you spend your time this holiday weekend and with whom, I want to take a moment of your time to offer my thanks for a special little slice of peace and tranquility just around the corner from our house that is soon to close.
Gwen's Teas moved from downtown on St. Paul Street to a lovely period home at 90 Welland Avenue a while ago, and for the longest time I would drive by early in the morning on my way to work and say to myself I should go in again sometime and check out the new digs. I did finally do that just over a year ago, and I have been going back regularly ever since.
Gwen's Teas is full of just about every variety of tea you can imagine, available for you to purchase and take home or brewed on the spot in their charming tea room at the front of the house. There you will also find loads of tea-related gifts for sale along with a few tables for people to sit at as they "take tea".
I have always had a soft spot for tea rooms and have been known to go out of my way to visit one on my travels over the years, no matter where I happen to be. But this one, located steps from our home, is amongst the finest you'll encounter anywhere.
First off, it is peaceful, as any good tea room should be. It's not a library, of course, but there are books on tea on the shelves if that's your preference.
Secondly, the shop knows how to brew a proper cup of tea. That's vitally important in a world where people accept tea bags in tepid water at many dining establishments, accustomed as they are to catering more to coffee lovers.
When I would visit, as I did again this week, I always opt for Scottish Breakfast tea which I find strong, bracing and very much to my liking. Pair the tea with a scone or two with all the trimmings and you have an afternoon tea fit for a king.
Many visits have included conversations with the friendly proprietor of Gwen's Teas, Pam Cicci, a single mom whom I believe lives upstairs looking after her two teenage children. Lately though, Pam has been absent more and more from the tea room, and the reason, as reported in The St. Catharines Standard last year, is very sad indeed.
Pam, you see, is battling colon cancer that has already spread to her liver. Regular visits over the past year to the Walker Family Cancer Centre have not produced the desired result.
Through it all this past year as I visited for tea Pam was always upbeat and cheerful in the face of such heartbreaking news, serving tea with a quiet grace you cannot help but admire. About a month ago when I visited, I saw Pam for the last time and she confided things had not been going well. But she remained optimistic and that wonderful smile was there as always.
Volunteers have been running the shop while Pam was battling her cancer but at the beginning of this month Pam made the difficult decision to close the business so she can devote all her remaining time to dealing with the cancer and to take care of her young family.
It was a difficult decision but I think it is the right decision at the right time, and I am sure her many customers will agree as well. As much as we will miss the tea room and of course seeing Pam there, the focus has to be elsewhere at this moment, so today was the final day for regular tea service at Gwen's Teas.
On Monday, a store closing sale will begin, and run through to next weekend with all tea-related merchandise marked down for quick sale. There will be no tea service, I'm told, just the sale for this final week.
I spent part of a sunny Thursday afternoon there for my final afternoon tea before the sale begins, and although I was sad, I was also glad. Glad Pam can spend the time needed to focus on what matters most, and glad I finally chose to stop in over a year ago to rediscover this little gem in our city.
Should you choose to visit the sale this week, be sure to share a memory of one of your favourite things about Gwen's Teas. Pam I am sure would love to hear it!
Cancer can be ruthless and doesn't play favourites. But we can at least celebrate a life well lived and richly rewarded in so many ways, offer positive energy, and hope for a better outcome this time. If ever someone deserves our support, Pam does and it is needed now.
Let's celebrate with tea, shall we? Pam would never want it any other way...
Be thankful for those around you this weekend, and never underestimate the power of love and hope.
Have a great Thanksgiving weekend.
October 12th, 2019.
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