Performers ham it up during last year’s inaugural Blue Bridge Festival.
Georgina
May 14, 2008 07:33 PM
By: John Slykhuis
They’ll make beautiful music along the banks of the scenic Black River in Sutton next month as the second annual Blue Bridge Festival sets sail.
Brenda Muller, organizer of the event that made its successful debut last year, said this year’s festival will have something to appeal to young and old alike and everyone in between.
The festival kicks off June 6 at the Georgina Arts Centre and Gallery, itself one of the most acclaimed small galleries in the province, with a meet-the-artists reception starting at 8 p.m.
The festival’s host performers and poets will present an intimate evening concert of cabaret songs, poetry and fine chamber music, including the Ardeleana Trio, of which Ms Muller is artistic director.
Saturday is packed with events, starting in the morning with creative writing workshops, the first featuring prose and poetry with Barry Dempster, Patricia Keeney and M. Travis Lane at Knox United Church.
Songwriting will be featured at the nearby Sutton Arts Centre with Marie-Lynn Hammond.
The popular Magoo will entertain youngsters at St. James Hall, just across the road from Knox.
He’ll be followed by Mary Gardner’s narration of the Cree Legend of First Rabbit, accompanied by Ardeleana. Both events get under way at 10:30 a.m.
Everyone is invited to bring a canoe or kayak and paddle down the Black River while being serenaded by opera singers and Georgina’s own Mayor Rob Grossi, well-known for his Italian pop favourites.
The river route leads to the legendary Blue Bridge at Mossington on the shores of Lake Simcoe, where you will be met by Scottish bagpipers and the First Nations Chippewa drummers.
There, a horse and wagon will be waiting to transport participants to Sibbald Point Provincial Park, just a short ride up historic Hedge Road.
“The diversity of events was great with opera and chamber music, poetry readings and a gala concert of massed choirs, festival orchestra and individual artists. A tip of our collective hats to the wonderful effort which gave great pleasure and pride too many Georgina residents,” said festival-goer Carol McDermott of Sutton.
At the arts centre, a horse-drawn tour of the area’s heritage sites will depart, through Jackson’s Point to Sibbald Point Park, ending at the troubadour stags in the park, where featured performers Marie-Lynn Hammond and the Sirens of Stouffville, Magoo, Ed Winacott and Edith Hawkins, Brian O’Sullivan and the Pic-Nickers, Fluterra, Yellow River Ensemble, Evergreen Recorder Ensemble will be.
The busy day’s events culminate with a concert featuring the Festival Orchestra and York Region’s finest choirs performing Pergolesi’s Magnificat under the direction of Tony Browning, the Tapestry Chamber Choir in Rutter’s Requiem, the Ardeleana Trio and Yellow River Ensemble in a premier by celebrated composer Alice Ho, plus vocalists Wallis Giunta and Andrea Cerswell, all woven together with festival poets’ verse.
Sunday features an exciting event on the Georgina Island First Nation with an excursion by ferry followed by a Nanabush Trails walk and sound-poetry workshop.
Sound artist Victoria Fenner will lead a soundwalk, engaging participants to compose evocative sound poems from recorded sounds.
Participants are invited to bring their recording devices. The day’s events include a savoury Chippewa brunch. The Aazhaawe ferry boat departs from Virginia Beach at 9:15 a.m.
There will be fun for the children as well on the lawn of St. James Hall at 11:30 a.m. with a repeat performance of Legend of First Rabbit, followed by the popular Melissa’s Song musical theatre performed by Brenda Muller.
The event concludes in the afternoon at Knox United Church with a matinee concert featuring George Crumb’s mesmerizing Voice of the Whale, the premiere of a cello/piano work by Canadian composer Jean Anderson, written for Brenda Muller and Catherine Maguire and song settings of poems by M. Travis Lane and other festival poets. This will all be whimsically juxtaposed with Mozart and new poems.
A strawberry social follows, where the performers will celebrate the conclusion of the Blue Bridge Festival.
Hear the members of the creative writing workshops, the Nanabush Trails Soundwalk, along with improvised music.
Ms Muller said volunteers are also welcome.
Volunteers prepare for, perform and present the festival and are welcome to join in, she said.
Perform a local ‘clean up, green up’ of the Black River prior to the raft journey down the river, sing in the Festival Choir, play with professionals in the festival orchestra at the gala, or give the historical tours, as well as drive the raft down the river.