The Citizen, 2003-06-25, Page 42BLYTH FESTIVAL SALUTE, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 25, 2003. PAGE 17.
Bly th Festival Singers to celebrate 25 years of music
By Bonnie Gropp
Citizen staff
As the lights prepare to shine on
the 2003 opening night stage, the
occasion is heralded, as it has been
for so many years, by the Blyth
Festival Singers. It is part of the
excitement at the premiere of each
season for theatregoers to enjoy the
harmonic blend of the choir in the
Memorial Hall courtyard prior to the
performance.
The idea behind the Singers took
shape more than two decades ago.
Two Blyth Festival board directors,
Lynda McGregor of Blyth and
Sheila Richards of Brussels, felt that
a choir would be an excellent
complement to the theatre. And
apparently, many shared their vision
as more than 90 people turned out
for the first practice, under the
direction of newly-hired conductor
Laurie Rowbotham.
“I think they must have been quite
pleasantly surprised,” says member
Gail Lear, who was at the first
practice. “The turnout I’m sure was
far beyond their expectations.”
The choir has thrived since its
inception with its members coming
from all areas of Huron County.
Having worked to achieve a high
standard of performance, it performs
throughout the local and
neighbouring areas.
The choir’s repertoire has covered
the gamut of musical styles with
them performing everything from
country and Scottish music to
classical, jazz and show tunes.
Since Rowbotham, the choir has
been led by Angus Sinclair, Wade
Whittaker, Richard Hansen and
current director Robert Blackwell of
Goderich.
Each director, says Lear, has
brought different talents and
contacts to the choir. “We have
worked with many skilled artists
from outside the area with whom we
would otherwise not have had
contact.”
Blackwell is director of music at
Central United Church in Stratford,
accompanist for the Huron String
School and a private piano and
theory teacher. The former
elementary school teacher
completed his graduate and post
graduate studies in music education
at the University of Western Ontario
Conservatory of Music. He has an
associate diploma in organ and a
dipolma in choral conducting from
the Royal Canadian College of
Organists.
Blackwell was awarded
scholarships in choral conducting as
well as a gold medal from UWO.
Accompanist for the Festival
Singers is Sharon Johnston of
Goderich. She holds a Bachelor of
Music degree from Wilfrid Laurier
University with a specialty in
accompanying.
Johnston studied performance
with Boyd Macdonald,
accompanying Marjorie Beckett and
choral music with Barrie Cabena.
She has accompanied for the dance
departments at the University of
Waterloo and Simon Fraser
University as well as for many
soloists and chamber ensembles.
Today, the 50-voi,ce choir is a part
of the Blyth Centre for the Arts. It
will celebrate its 25th anniversary in
2004 in the same year that the
Festival marks its 30th season of
presenting Canadian theatre
Lear says the choir’s contribution
to the Centre for the Arts helps to re
inforce the Festival’s mandate of
Canadian content as they too have
that in their concerts.
That some of the original
members left after four or five years
and began their choirs in their
communities, shows, says Lear the
Singers’ influence in the county.
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