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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1985-03-20, Page 19r, • e ;4' • The Blyth Festival Singers are performing two concerts of sacred music March 24 at On- tario Street United Church in Clinton. Mary Hearn, of Clinton, Shelia Richard and Lindy Thomas, both of Brussels, Annette Lindsay, Whigham and Dave Colquhoun, Atwood, put the finishing touches to the program. (Shelley McPhee photo) Cneeluetor Laurie Ron hothom Singers bloom under his expert direction BY JAMES FBJEL thdesiiti spiaatheTovef mnsic— as many people as possible brought Laurie Rowbotham to Listowel and the high school where one of the best choral music programs in the country has been developed. "One reason I went to a small town was because a teacher said that I could go to Toronto or London or a larger centre, but they alreally have _people there. "He said I could do music a great service to go to a small town. It made sense and it still does." "I've had a lot of offers, mostly from Toronto and if I want to expand I have to leave the area. But I madeothis my base for the rest of my creative life:" Locating himself in a small town and the travelling inherent to developing his skills doesn't stop Laurie from studying with such world class conductors as Margaret Hillis of the Chicago Symphony Choir, Sir David Wilcox of the London Bach Choir and Wayne Riddell of the Montreal Tudor Singers. And so Laurie develops and teaches the choral music program at Listowel District Secondary School (LDSS), where the course is of such quality, the choir will travel to Europe to sing in Germany and in Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, France. Working at the high school also gives the University of Western Ontario graduate the opportunity to work with young singers. He finds their enthusiasm invigorating. "They sing with fervour and joy because they really love the music. They work with a hell or.highwater enthusiasm." That enthusiasm has drawn him into wdrking with the Ontario Youth Choir. The project was initiated 10 years ago and within six years _they had won in world c.ompetition. "The most exciting music is with youth. Some people would question that." But Laurie said a youth choir was responsible for the most intensely felt a piece of music he has heard over such professional choirs as the Elmer Iselen Singers named after Canada's best choral director. "I felt it viscerally. It was incredibly pure. I enjoy the professionals but I never heard the same from the Elmer Iselen Singers." This year has been designated the International Year of Youth and to celebrate, "a grand youth festival" with several youth choirs will be held on Nov. 11 at Roy Thompson Hall, Toronto. The theme of the year is Peace. One of the pieces the choirs will sing is Mass in Time of War and a song the Germans call the Drum Mass. To help convey the feeling of peace and co- operatiOn, and to gain the very special experience, negotiations are currently underway to encourage a choir from a comrnunist country to attend as well. Laurie also directs the Blyth Festival Singers. He can blend his two passions, spreading knowledge and love of music and working with youth, with this choir of about 40 people. After watching a concert conducted by Laurie, Sheila Richards, of Brussels, thought she would get in touch with the teacher to discover if he would be interested in conducting a choir made up of area residents. "It really fits in with the philosophy to try to get more people interested in choral music," he said, so he agreed to try it. The people arranging that first evening didn't expect much. They figured 15 'people ail fin d ffUtiiit music for25, just i n case. They were pleased and surprised when 69 people showed up to forrn the choir. Since that time the Blyth Festival Singers choir has grown to about 85 members and has shrunk to the present 40, having supplied many of the members for choirs springing up around the county. "At one time people drove in from a 40 mile radius but new there arc choirs in S6ifiirth and Kincardine." Laurie hopes to continue to develop each 'choir member's abilities and to acquaint them with an ever better repetoire. According to the singers, the Listowel man is doing just that. Mary Hearn, of Clinton, joined the choir last November having led the choir at Wesley -Willis United Church. "I've been to their concerts since the beginning, and I felt it was time to participate," she said of her decision to join. "I wanted the opportunity to sing a challenging type of music." Mary is a soprano and has been singing in church for years. The chance to sing with the Blyth Festival Singers, under "good direction" is a personal challenge. "It's a treat to sing in a choir like this in a small town." Jake Middelkamp, of Auburn, confirmed that Laurie's aim to create a spirit of -relaxed good fellowship and times had been accomplished. "You may think there's a lot of chattering during the evening (of rehearsal), but thpugh.q,ut the _night five. to 10 Minutes_ might be talk. We get fellowship through singing, not talking," said Jake. "Even though I don't know the names of all the people in the. choir, I could talk to anyone without any problems," added the tenor. Which introduces another point both Mary and Jake feel is important and which increases their satisfaction. Learning a full program is hard work and Laurie is thorough by nature. "We usually rehearse once a week for two hours a night until about two weeks prior to the concert. Then We practice twice a week," said Jake. Though some of the people in the choir can't read music, those who can more quickly pick up a piece will,help others, and each phrase in every song is repeated throughout the v iieeks of practice until every choir member knows the song intimately. "The more you put into it, the more satisfaction you get out of it," Jake stated simply. The Blyth Festival Singers are staging their next concert, featuring a program of sacred music, on March 24 at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. at Ontario Street United Church, Clinton. Music by Vivaldi, Bach, Handel and John Rutter will uplift the listener and twyymn sings will invite audience participation. And the guest soloists, both from the Listowel District Secondary School Chorus, are tenor Randall Rehkopf and Michelle Braine. Randall was described by Laurie as one of his Most promising students and the youngest member of the Ontario Youth Choir, and Michelle has the "most highly developed voice I've ever taught in (15 years," said the conductor. Tickets for the Clinton concert are available from choir members, the Blyth Saga and the Blyth Festival Box Office. .-15aVidreterSon; tieaderaf the`Offiel position this week atinoanCed a, dentleare programfor Ontario, The program for governrnent-sporisdred denticare is designed for pre-Ohool and elementary-school age children, seniors receiving GAINS, homebound " and in- stitutionalized seniors and cleft Palate suf- ferers. These are groups of individuals in our society clearly deserving of special con- sideration with regard to health care. About 2,000,000 people would be covered. Preventative dental care for children is one of the most effective health care pro - grams we can implement. A 1980 -study for the Ontario Government found that every $1 spent on child dental care would save $15 in future costs. The case is equallylear-cut for seniors in need. It is estimated that only 18 per cent of seniors see a dentist ia a given year, and the rate is even lower among low-income seniors and those who are homebound. Neglect of dental needs of seniors can and often does lead to significant, and expen- sive, medical problems. And, of course, no one can deny the special needs of cleft palate sufferers. Yet in Ontario, unlike other provinces, treatment for these people is insured when performed in a hospital but not hi a dentist's office. The *gest component of our scheme would be the children's program. Teams of salaried dental auxiliaries would be used to perform in -school screening and oral hygiene instruction. Each child would be ex- amined once per year and those in need of Corrective or restorative work, such as fill- ings, would be referred to local private practice dentists and, where necessary,to 'PARK 1111101111111111111 private clinics. The dentists involved would bill the province for services rendered bas- ed on a fee schedule negotiated by the Pro- vince and the Ontario Dental Association. Seniors on GAINS and cleft palate victims would simply go to their local Olden ,Who would bill the province for services rendered. Outreach programs, probably made up of dental staff .on contract for, several days per month in .a given .area, would reach homebound and in- stitutionalized seniors. In all these cases, dentists would be reimbursed at negotiated rates based on the ODA fee schedule. The sole reason for the original exclusion in the mid -1960'n of dental care from our health insurance program was practical - to reduce initial costs and to allow time for a severe shortage of dentists to be overcome. Even so, the "father of medicare", Mr. Justice Emmett Hall; recommended that a partial denticare program be iminediately introduced for children where the greatest returns could be quickly yielded. Successive Ontario Government spokesmen have talked about the impor- tance of denticare for children. In 1967; such a program was something "the province is considering at the present time." In 1971, it was "ander active consideration" and something "we might well start on very soon." In 1973, it was "a No. 1 priority". In 19131, ityena011lecl a POWAY "Oat will have to come whenfinances are avallal*L" More Than years after the Han Report, 014010 still does net have even a denticare program for children. Ontario, the richeSt province in the country, lags far behind Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Saskatchewan and even the Yukon in this respect; The case is similar with respect to den- ticare for needy seniors. In 1980, when my colleague Richard Ruston introduced a Resolution in the Hous ei calling for free den - tat care for seniors receiving GAINS payments, former Conservative Cabinet Minister Bruce McCaffrey called it "time- ly" and "important', saying "I think it is good and I intend to vote for the resolution." Though the Legislature concurred in the motion, no action has been taken by the government on this front either. Again, we lag far behind a number of other provinces. Our program would be paid for entirely from general revenues, no premiums or user fees would be charged. It is the Liberal position that such charges are inequitable, reeresSive and inappropriate for any aspect of the health care system. This denticare proposal is one of a series of policy announcements in the healthcare field. Like previously announced policies en programs for Ontario seniors, extra billing and the abolition of premiums, we believe that denticare is a practical and desirable program. It has been proven for many years in the other provinces, and has been promis- ed far too long here. It is time we began the completion of the comprehensive health care plan envisioned by the Hall Commission in 1964 by introduc- ing denticare in Ontario. Radio Collars will, help track Huron deer Co-operation is the name of the game in Wingham District's three-year commit- ment to study deer in the northern part of Huron County. The Ministry of Natural. Resources is working not only with other districts across the province, but with the local landowners,, in order to obtain detail- ed information on deer migration, activity and mortality .in the agricultural environ- ment. District Biologist Mike Malhiot said, "We are specifigally interested in identify- ing the types of habitat used by deer on a daily and seasonal basis so these areas can be better managed for the benefit of the deer population. It is important to deter- mine the effects of winter severity on habitat utilization and the fitness of the animals themselves." Mike went on to say, "Determining the causes of mortality in the deer herd and the value of supplemen- tary feeding will allow the Ministry of Natural Resources to work with the local residents to help ensure a plentiful and healthy deer population in Huron County in the future." During the winters of 1985-86, it is the in- tent of the Ministry to capture twenty-five animals in baited cages. The animals will be fitted with radio collars and their movements tracked for up to three years. Some of the deer will be tracked con- tinuously during both the summer and winter months in order to identify daily ac- tivities. Daily and monthly fixes on animal locations will be obtained throughout the year in order to identify migration pat- terns and habitat utilization. Should an animal die, the radio collar will identify this immediately and cause of death can be determined right away. • "Previously, this Ministry has placed' the emphasis on enforcing legislation to control poaching and dog predation, managing the legal harvest and encourag- ing the maintenance of existing habitat in known wintering areas," Wingham District Manager Andy Houser said. "This positive approach, working with the local people, • will provide us with a better understanding of the deer population while helping to ensure that Huron County will.. always have deer." Pet turtles may be infected with salmonella The Huron County Health Unit is advising owners of pet ttiftie-S•Whith have been Pure chased since September 1984, that a high percentage of these and similar animals may be infected with salmonella and capable of causing illness in those who han- dle them or the tank water in which they are kept. Recent cases of illness in children have been traced to these turtles. It is recommended that where turtles are kept as pets, children should not handle), them or be involved in cleaning the tanks. Adults who do handle them should use rub- ber gloves and wash thoroughly afterwards, - and avoid contaminating the environment. The tanks should not be kept in food areas and should be *inaccessible to other pets. Otherwise, it would be preferable to dispose of the turtles. Distributors and pet stores are aware of the problem and the public should avoid the purchase of these turtles. In testing for the presence of salmonella in hurtles, there have also been positive fin- dings in tanks of newts and frogs. Although far fewer of these are sold and kept as pets; similar precautions should be exercised. SOLD 1 'ALL POINTS REALTY INC. 524-2111 HAVE YOU SEEN WHAT'S BEEN HAPPENING? A large number of homes are being SOLD day aftet day ... and we still have buyers! 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