Mid-day Music at Melville returns Oct. 7

FERGUS – The concert series Mid-Day Music at Melville, presented by Fergus pianist and singer Brad Halls, returns for its fifth series of presentations, beginning on Oct. 7, and continuing every Wednesday until April 28 next spring.  

Each concert is held at Melville United Church in Fergus from noon to 1pm and will provide audience members with the opportunity to enjoy an entertaining musical respite in the middle of what might otherwise be a busy day, officials say.

This season, Halls will take his audience on a musical journey through a variety of themes that have inspired the great popular songwriters of the past century and beyond, officials say.  

Each concert will present songs from the best composers and lyricists along with Halls’ commentary about the background of the songs and their creators.

The first performance on Oct. 7 begins with the theme “Let’s Get Started” and will include songs by Cole Porter, Duke Ellington, Vernon Duke  and George Gershwin.  

Come and enjoy great standards including Another Openin’ Another Show, This Could Be the Start of Something Big, I’ve Got Beginner’s Luck, I Can’t Get Started, officials invite.

 Over the course of the upcoming season, other themes will feature two weeks around Remembrance Day with songs on the topic of memory, afternoons of songs about time, songs related to the weather, and three weeks of songs dedicated to the wonderful songs by showbusiness’s greatest women songwriters.  

As in previous seasons, there will be two weeks in December featuring the best of enduring Christmas music.

On several occasions over the course of the season, Halls will be joined by guest singers who will help him bring these great standards to life.

 Halls was born and raised in Fergus, and lived and practiced law in Cobourg, Ontario before making the decision to return to live in Fergus more than a dozen years ago.  

He has lived somewhat of a double life – lawyer by day and musician by night most of his life.  

For almost 30 years he presented his concert series Words and Music at Cobourg’s historic Victoria Hall, and worked in musical theatre there.  

In collaboration with his long time lyric writing and performing partner Paul Caldwell, Halls was the composer and performer on three albums of music for young people, and the pair were the stars of their own television series for children for two seasons entitled The Corner Store.  

The two performed for audiences of young people and adults in many locations across Ontario for many years.

Since returning to Fergus, Halls has continued to remain active in the musical community.  

He sang with the Guelph Chamber Choir for more than a decade and served as president of the choir for five years.   

He is now a member of the Centre Wellington Singers, and is the current chair of the board of directors of The Elora Festival and The Elora Singers.  He also is one of the music directors at both Speedside and Barrie Hill United Churches.

There is no admission charge for these performances, although visitors can make a donation to help compensate for the use of the church’s space and use of the grand piano.