The Citizen, 2015-12-10, Page 22PAGE 22. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2015.
Sparling hosts Christmas jazz evening at Hall
Sunday Fun Group
holds cookie sale
Blyth Memorial Hall will be
swinging on Dec. 16 with a fusion of
jazz and Christmas music brought to
life by local musician Annie
Sparling and several visiting jazz
artists.
The event is a fundraiser for the
Blyth Memorial Community Hall
Revitalization Project through
Campaign 14/19 which will see,
among other major changes in the
community, major renovations made
to Memorial Hall.
Called “A Jazz Christmas”, the
evening will feature the vocal
stylings of Sparling backed up by
jazz pianist Clayton Peters and Jason
Hunter playing saxophone. Peters
will also be bringing a drummer to
complete the ensemble.
Sparling has a long history with
music and said she really wanted to
get involved with an event like the
concert.
“I wanted to work with jazz music
and I love Christmas songs,” she
said. “I was looking for a jazz pianist
when Huron Christian School
[where Sparling’s children attend
school] hired a young, ambitious
musician [Peters] who is a writer
and composer. He plays jazz piano. I
asked him about collaborating on
this project and he said he was very
interested.”
Music has been a part of
Sparling’s life from very early on,
having grown up in a musical home
in Taylor, Michigan.
She performed in community
productions as well as school
productions at Wayne State
University where she originally
became involved in its opera
program. She also performed as a
soloist with choirs in the Detroit
area.
Once in Canada, Sparling became
an instructor of music for children,
as well as a vocal teacher and coach.
Locally, she has been a featured
soloist and choir member for the
Blyth Festival Singers as well as
performing in her home church at
Huron Missionary Chapel in
Auburn.
Peters is the band director at
Huron Christian School and an
accomplished pianist, percussionist,
composer and teacher. He records
original improvisational piano
pieces.
Hunter is a professional musician
who retired after being a part of the
music scene in Boston for 10 years.
He received his Bachelor of Music
from Montreal’s McGill University
and now works at the Bruce Nuclear
Facility. He has performed with
several professional musicians
including Michael Bublé and The
Temptations
“We have been working for
several weeks arranging the songs,”
Sparling said. “We rehearsed on
Sunday to bring it all together.”
Sparling has always loved singing
and said that, now that her children
are more independent, she can
pursue opportunities like this.
“Singing is something that sort of
wells up in me and I have to do,” she
said. “This seems like the right time
to get into singing more
professionally, so I’m hoping this
can be the first of many concerts.”
Sparling chose to hold the concert
for the 14/19 fundraiser concert
because she believes in the
campaign.
“The values of 14/19, the rural
experience and its contribution to
Canadian culture are important,” she
said. “Memorial Hall and the theatre
are at the heart of that, as is the Blyth
Festival. The rural [focus] on
productions there is important. Our
culture and our area with events like
fall fairs, great food and rural life are
important and something that needs
to be preserved and invested in so
people can enjoy it.”
Sparling said that, due to the rural
nature of the area, it can often be
marginalized when compared to
bigger cities and everything possible
needs to be done to make sure the
unique culture of rural areas is
maintained.
The event will be catered by
award-winning Chef Peter Gusso of
the Part II Bistro. Gusso is preparing
a three-course meal inspired by the
holiday season that will feature
locally-sourced ingredients.
Tickets for the event are available
at the Blyth Festival box office and
are available for both the concert and
the dinner or the concert alone.
For more information on tickets,
call 519-523-9300. More
information on the event can be
found through 14/19 at
www.blyth1419.ca or calling 226-
523-1419.
Continued from page 3
keeps his messages simple like the
Ten Commandments. The voice of
God speaks to what God wants us to
know. He is usually asking us to
change. We should try and make a
quiet time for ourselves and to carve
out time for God. We are often afraid
of the message because change is
hard. God promised Mary and
Joseph that He would be with them
and He has also promised us that He
would be with us. The word YES
stands for Y – Yield Ourselves, E –
Examine ourselves and S – surrender
Ourselves to God. The world
can change because one person
said YES at the right time.
The choir sang the anthem “Little
One, Tiny One.” The offering was
received followed by the offertory
response “As With Gladness Men of
Old,” the offertory prayer and the
prayers for the people and silent
prayers. The last hymn “Once in
Royal David’s City” was sung
followed by the benediction and the
singing of the chorus of the hymn,
“Hope is a Star.”
Everyone was invited to go
downstairs with the Sunday Fun
Time Group for their cookie sale and
coffee. Emily Phillips won the draw
of a basket of goodies.
Happy Birthday Wishes
to Bill and Doreen Taylor
on their 85th and 75th birthdays
Love from Glen, Lisa, Blake, Taarna, Lance;
Marion, Mariah; Murray, Brenda, Rebecca,
Chantel, and Katelyn.
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Have a Safe and Merry Christmas from Steve, Steph and the Little Bowl Team
519-524-BOWL (2695)
204 Huron Road, Goderich
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Taking the stage
Blyth’s Annie Sparling will be spreading Christmas cheer
with a jazz edge to it on Dec. 16, while at the same time
doing her best to raise funds for Campaign 14/19, an
ambitious project to revitalize the arts and culture scene in
Blyth. Sparling will be performing alongside Clayton Peters
and Jason Hunter. After growing up in a musical household,
Sparling honed her skills in school productions at Wayne
State University and choirs around the Detroit area, where
she grew up. (Photo submitted)
By Denny Scott
The Citizen
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