The Guelph Chamber Choir’s 2010/2011 season continues with a concert exploring the folk music traditions of Canada and abroad together with four local choirs and award-winning folk artists, James Gordon and Tannis Slimmon.
Folk & Family will be presented on Saturday, March 5, at 8pm in the intimate and relaxed setting of Harcourt Memorial United Church. The last community concert of African-American music in this venue, in 2009, enjoyed an overflow audience, standing and cheering for the power of the combined voices of five choirs.
This year’s concert includes James Gordon, one of Canada’s most prolific songwriters, beloved for his songs about social justice, heritage, and environmental issues. His classic “Frobisher Bay” has been recorded and performed by hundreds of singers world-wide and will be heard on this concert. Tannis Slimmon is praised by Bill Stunt of CBC Radio as, “a terrific songwriter and a gifted performer… I consider her one of the country’s musical treasures.” In 2008, she was honoured as Contemporary Vocalist of the Year at the Canadian Folk Music Awards for her album “Lucky Blue”.
The choral community is strong and vibrant in and around Guelph. For this concert we welcome and celebrate the talents of the Centre Wellington Singers, the Harcourt Memorial United Church Choir, John F. Ross C.V.I Concert Choir, and The Rainbow Chorus of Waterloo-Wellington. Conductor Gerald Neufeld commented, “We are pleased to bring together local groups to share and enjoy the wealth of choral music in our region. Folk music is a personal pleasure – music that speaks directly to the heart and soul.”
Join James Gordon and Tannis Slimmon for a PodiumTalk! exploring Guelph Folk Music Traditions, immediately before the performance from 7:00 to 7:30pm.
Reserve your seats soon and plan to arrive early, as seating at Harcourt Memorial United Church is limited and unreserved.
Single tickets are now available for only $20 each or 4 for $60. Organizers encourage young adults to attend with $10 tickets for those 30 and under and only $5 for youth with the popular eyeGO programme. Single tickets are available through choir or board members, or through the River Run Centre by calling 519-763-3000 or online at riverrun.ca. To discover more, please visit the website at www.guelphchamberchoir.ca or call 519-836-5103.
