The Citizen, 2013-08-29, Page 23THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, AUGUST 29, 2013. PAGE 23.
The Blyth Festival Singers are
excited to announce the appointment
of Sharon Poelstra as their new
musical director, for the group’s
33rd season, which begins this
September. The Singers wish their
former director, Robert Blackwell,
the very best in his future
endeavours, after 11 very successful
years at the helm.
The new director comes to the
Blyth Festival Singers with a wealth
of enthusiasm and experience.
Poelstra’s introduction to
conducting began in Grade 11 when
she was handed the baton and asked
to lead her high school’s concert
band. In Grade 12 she spent the year
assisting the junior secondary choir
teacher. Sharon holds Bachelor’s of
Music, and of Education, and
originally embarked on a career
teaching secondary school music.
After five years Sharon left
education to focus on a solo singing
career in opera and concert.
Many opera performances later, in
1998, she returned to conducting
when she founded the “Intermediate
Vocal Ensemble” at the Manitoba
Conservatory of Music and Art. As a
faculty member, Sharon taught voice
and became a much sought-after
music festival adjudicator.
Since 2000 she has been the
artistic director for The New
Tecumseth Singers of Alliston,
conducting works by Vivaldi,
Handel, Haydn, Mozart, Faure and
Rutter as well as producing the
choir’s 2007 recording “Look to this
Day.”
Sharon has also conducted
Handel’s Messiah with the
Headwaters Concert Choir and the
Stratford Concert Choir. In the
upcoming season she will be
conducting the Brahms’ Requiem
for the Stratford Concert Choir.
In 2003, as president of the New
Tecumseth Arts Council, Sharon co-
founded the South Simcoe Festival
of the Arts – now in its 10th season.
She also served for eight years as an
executive member of the Ontario
Chapter of the National Association
of Teachers of Singing and edited
the association’s professional
journal.
In 2010 Sharon extended her
musical adventures to conducting
children when she joined the artistic
staff of the St. Marys Children’s
Choir in Stratford.
Now she is at the helm of the
Blyth Festival Singers, a non-
auditioned community choir that
performs a variety of styles of music
over its three-concert season. This
year’s exciting performances will be
on Dec. 1, April 6 and May 31 so be
sure to mark your calendars.
Planning is already in the works for
the Christmas program.
So, singers, one and all, here’s an
opportunity to work with an exciting
new musical director.
Registration for the Blyth Festival
Singers will be on Wednesday, Sept.
4 at 7 p.m. with practice following
immediately afterwards. The June
Hill rehearsal hall is accessed at the
back stage door of the Blyth
Memorial Hall. As a non-auditioned
choir the group welcomes vocalists
with varying abilities from high
school age on up. Students are half
price. There is even a free three-
week trial to see if you like it. If you
have any further questions please
call Gary at 519-482-9660.
So if you love to sing and there is
always an earworm infecting your
brain, then the Blyth Festival
Singers are for you.
The Blyth Festival Singers are
pleased to have 104.9 The Beach as
their media sponsor.
Continued from page 14
where a crew of their employees is
there it make sure the ice is
assembled properly.
Continuing on the tour members
learned how they suspend
everything from flowers to toy
tractors in ice. Finally we came to
the end of the tour where we found
an ice slide. All of the members
took a ride on the slide. Then we
thanked our guides for a tour I
am sure many of us will not soon
forget.
Tour thrills 4-H club
Poelstra new musical director
of the Blyth Festival Singers
Coffee and a chat
Playwright Anusree Roy, right, provided the second of a
series of four Coffee with a Playwright events at the
Queens Bakery in Blyth last week. On Thursday, Roy sat
down with the public and conducted a reading of her play
No One We Know.The play was the focus of a workshop at
the Blyth Festival earlier that day and, according to Roy,
features local businesses. (Denny Scott photo)
Entertainment Londesborough ON.............................................www.seedforwildbirds.comnaturesnest@tcc.on.ca 430 Queen Street, Blyth, Ontario226-523-9720Specialty Coffees &Espresso BarLunches, fresh pies, buttermilkbiscuits, cakes, etc.
Forthcoming Marriage
Gerry and Julie Jutzi
of Brussels
are pleased to announce the
marriage of their daughter
Kendall Alicia
to
Andrew Russell
son of
Lorne and Julie Behrns
of Gowanstown
Wedding to take place
Saturday, August 31, 2013
at the Listowel Golf Course.
Advance Tickets preferred
Tickets: Deb 519-440-8862 or Lisa 519-482-3118
From the studio of Carol-Lynn Reifel...
The Graduating Voice Recital of
Brittany Lyon
with collaborative Pianist Kim Duca.
Saturday, August 31st
at 2 pm
at the
Blyth Christian Reformed Church.
Featuring works by Strauss,
Puccini, Mozart, Purcell and
many more.
Admission: Non-perishable food
item to be donated.
Happy 45th
Wedding
Anniversary
Murray & Ruth
Lowe
— August 31 —
Happy First Birthday,
Alec James!
We are blessed to have such a
wonderful little grandson and
treasure every moment we spend
with you. Being our first grandchild
you hold a special place in our
hearts. Abundant thanks to God
for the blessing of you, and to your
Daddy and Mommy, Levi and
Rebecca Taylor.
Love from Grampa Wayne and
Gramma Karen