OnStage Uxbridge - That Summer

I know that everyone has been waiting for the last in the series of 4 shows from OnStage Uxbridge, and the wait is over - That Summer is going to be on stage and ready to entertain you on April 9 - 10 and 15 - 17. It will be held at the Uxbridge Music Hall and the tickets can be purchased online on OnStage Uxbridge website or by visiting Brock Street Music/Blue Heron Books.

That Summer is written by Canadian David French and tells a story of Margaret Ryan who returns with her grand-daughter to a lakeside Ontario cottage where 32 years before, she was FORCED to spend a summer with her sister. It was a time of discovery, awakening and tragedy and you will learn how it influenced Margaret for the rest of her life.

It is certainly worth seeing some well known and seldom seen Uxbridge actors bring the story to life for you.

The David Festival in Port Perry

I know that you will forgive me for advising you about a very exciting event happening in the community next to Uxbridge - Port Perry, when you hear how wonderful the "David Festival" will contribute to the arts and learning.

The David Festival will be offered on Saturday, March 27th and there are different opportunities to be involved - choral music, children's choral music and poetry. This is the second year of this festival, and recently it was written - "The vision of the Festival is to encourage, enable, engage and equip folks to glorify God through music and the arts among and through the churches of Scugog."

The day starts with D.S. Martin, an award-winning Canadian poet, will lead the Saturday morning poetry workshop, being held at the Anglican Church of the Ascension from
10 a.m. - 12 noon.

Also happening in the morning, a children's choral workshop will be held at St. John's Presbyterian church led by well known and respected director, festival adjudicator, vocalist, composer; Mark Ruhnke. Mark will then lead the adult choral workshop in the afternoon at the Port Perry United Church. Mark will take the group (reported to already be over 100) through a number of pieces including one that he will have composed for this weekend.

Now if you can't join in on the workshop, you are invited to see the wondrous results of all of these workshops by listening to the mass choir of over 120 voices, at 7pm on Sunday March 28th at Port Perry United Church.

This is the ultimate opportunity to breath the art that you love, and to be able to learn from some individuals who not only love art - but live it.

How do you celebrate a 25th Anniversary?

Well this isn't a celebration of an anniversary for a couple, or a person, it is for the Uxbridge Celebration of the Arts. Yup, that's right 25 years.

There are some very interesting stories around how it started (I don't know them but if you know the people around it, there MUST be), the amazing acts, performances, shows that were seen over 24 years, AND some mind boggling things that will be happening this September 2010 - to celebrate 25 years.

We are not going to extend the celebration, it will still be run over 2 weekends - so 2 1/2 weeks.

We will not be increasing prices to cover the multitude of events and things we are putting together - actually, there will be more FREE things happening than ever before.

We will not expect just certain type of arts lovers to be happy with what we are presenting - there will be SO MANY things, you will have a hard time picking.

Look for some new adventures (not yet confirmed but considering) - a night that will highlight the local young talent in the area - a photography exhibit - a "25 Hour" creation project - HUGE street party - children focused events - and that's all I can say or I will be letting too many cats out of too many bags.

Watch for more information as it comes to me. September can't come soon enough for me, that is for sure.

I just bought myself a piece of art!!!

Talking about all things art - which this blog does if you haven't already noticed, is the fact that I have purchased myself a wonderful piece of art for my birthday. I am thrilled. My parents-in-law sent me some money for my birthday, and as usual, they were very generous, and so I thought - "ohhhh, what can I get for myself?" I could always go to jewellery, clothes, shoes, chocolate (yup I did think to buy that much chocolate), and then realized what I really wanted was a wonderful piece of art from someone that I admire very much - Wynn Walters.

For those who don't know Wynn, he is a very active and long standing artist in the Uxbridge community, and has a wonderful reputation for beautiful sculptures. Some in stone, from wood, from plaster, from bronze - just so much. He is part of just about every community enhancing and improvement group in Uxbridge, along with his wife Mary Margaret, Uxbridge Trails committee, Uxbridge revitalization committee, Uxbridge Celebration of the Arts, singing groups and as always, will be featured on the Uxbridge Studio Tour and involved in the Uxbridge Celebration's Sculptures Symposium. MMMMM, not sure how he will have time to get my piece done, but he promised that he would.

I am just ecstatic to be having a piece of a Wynn Walters art in my home, and if nothing else - IT IS ABOUT TIME!!!!

New club in Uxbridge? not that kind of club!

I recently found out, and I thought I knew so much about my town, that there is a place where youth (and youth at heart) can go and see local bands, and invited bands. It is a controlled, safe environment for the youth of Uxbridge to hang out and well, not get into trouble.

This place is Club U and it is located at 69 Brock St. W. NOW WHERE HAVE I BEEN?

Part of it is that this is not my kind of place I guess, and if anyone saw me in there, they would think that I was coming to pick up my grandchild, or trying very hard to relive my youth. Also, I have not been to a dance/club/rock concert in way too many years, and no comments from the peanut gallery on that one.

Some of the great talent (both local and not) that has played there is BETA PORN, Deadwalk, Shut Eyes, conquered Ground, Denied Existence and more. Club U has also offered special feature nights like Retro Night and Beatles night, and often the events are all ages.

The next event is featuring Part 2 - STEREOS Robb Chalifoux DJ DANCE PARTY. And I am sure it will be amazing. Good things happening in Uxbridge around arts and yes this too is ART. It is great that there is a place where the youth can go and find their Art.

Planning for the 25th Anniversary of Celebration of the Arts

As with anything that is going to be spectacular, and a "cannot miss" event, the planning and ideas happen so many months ahead. Uxbridge Celebration of the Arts 25th anniversary year is not any different. We have been planning for a number of months, but now is the crunch and final organizing of everything.

The best thing about the planning meetings are the ideas that come streaming from the committee. One idea sparks the thoughts of another member, which give another a suggestion to make it even that much better. BUT if we did all of the things that we have been talking about, we would have to extend the celebrations into 4 weeks instead of 2.

If you love arts, and I mean any kind of art in the form of sound, visual, movement, prose and so much more, this really is the event to keep in mind. And we will absolutely forgive you if you can't make it to every event, but boy oh boy, you are going to want to. And it won't be very hard on your pocket book because many of the events will be FREE. Yessssirrrr, that is what I said. FREE.

We are also making a strong increased effort to fit in a number of "children's focused" events as well, and look forward to stirring the imaginations of those young people from Uxbridge township.

Watch this blog and the papers for announcements on events, artists, schedules, descriptions and even deadlines if you want to participate in some of the contents.

Please push this out to your network, and over the next few months you will be as excited as I am and as our executive is.

This is going to be almost as good as the 2010 Winter Olympics!!! Almost? or better.

Brahms and Lauridsen performed by Uxbridge Chamber Choir

The first of this years concerts from the Uxbridge Chamber Choir will be held on Sunday, March 7th at 3pm. It will be held at St. Pauls Anglican Church on Toronto Street.

I am sure that all of you have heard at Johannes Brahms, and some of you can even name a number of the wonderful compositions of this well known composer, but what about the beauty of the poetry of "Liebes Leider Waltzes". This is a collection of love poems put to music, and the highlight of this performance will be not just from the beauty of the voices of the choir, but of the accompaniment. This is composed to be accompanied by 4 hands on 1 piano, and we are thrilled to have Anne Mizen and Dorothy Jovkovic taking on the role of the 4 hands. Something to hear AND to see.

The other work large work that is performed is Morten Lauridsen's Lux Aeterna, beautiful and haunting chanting music for a Requiem Mass. When you hear the beauty of the tones and sound of this Latin texted piece, you will feel as if you're floating, taken away with the movement of the lines and sections as they move with and around each other.

To round out the program, they will also have a selection of pieces by a small group of singers called the Tudor Singers.

Okay this music will not be the foot stomping, hand clapping and dancing in the aisles type of music, but you will appreciate the skill of Tom Baker as director, the choir in sharing their love of singing German and Latin text and the sound of this type of music floating and ringing in the wonderful acoustics of St. Paul's church.

So I've got you itching to find tickets? - they can be purchased for $18 at PharmaChoice, Blue Heron Books or at the door. Wondrous.

PS - if you have a concert or art program that you want to have me mention, please contact me and I will be happy to pass the information along.