Blyth Festival Singers
A Message from the Director
Message from the Director
GREETINGS!
Dear Friends:
Welcome to the Blyth festival Singers’ 32nd season of great choral music. It is also my 10th year as the choir conductor and I am delighted to be leading the group in making beautiful music once again. Thank you for your support last year and we hope we can entice you and your friends back for what promises to be another exciting season.
Our December concert features special guests, the Blyth Festival Orchestra and Eric Coates, reader, in our annual Christmas performance. Our spring concert, in many ways, breaks new ground with an exploration of early music (from 1200 to 1600). One again, at the end of May, we present our highly successful cabaret concert (dinner, concert and silent auction) featuring those well-loved Broadway show tunes we all know.
We are a non-profit organization, relying on membership fees, concert revenues and donations. If you wish to make a donation to assist the choir in maintaining its high standard of musical excellence, please email blythfestivalsingers@gmail.com or call 519-482-9660.
Robert Blackwell
CONDUCTOR and ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
BLYTH FESTIVAL SINGERS
Director of Music, Blyth Festival Singers
A Goderich area resident, Robert Blackwell is the Director of Music at Knox Presbyterian Church in Goderich, accompanist for the Huron String School, and he teaches private piano and theory. He is the former Director of Music at Central United Church in Stratford. For many years, he taught elementary school vocal and instrumental music in Elgin and Huron Counties. He completed graduate and post-graduate studies in music education at the University of Western Ontario. He has an Associate Diploma in organ and a diploma in choral conducting, both from the Royal Canadian College of Organists. Robert has been awarded scholarships in choral conducting as well as a gold medal from the University of Western Ontario.
This is Robert's ninth season as director of the Blyth Festival Singers. Time not devoted to music is spent operating a small fine woodworking business.
Accompanist, Blyth Festival Singers
It is our pleasure to welcome Laura McAlpine as our new choir accompanist.
Laura comes to us with a strong keyboard background, having obtained the Grade 10 Conservatory level in piano. She is also currently studying pipe organ and has recently won scholarships at the Walkerton Music Festival. Laura has participated in the Kincardine Summer Music Festival in violin and piano.
Other experience includes assisting with the accompaniment for the Saugeen Bach Choir, playing at various churches in the Walkerton area, providing special church music as a guest musician, and participating in other local choirs.
Laura currently works as a medical office receptionist in Lion’s Head.
About the Blyth Festival Singers
The Blyth Festival Singers is a county-wide community choir under the professional direction of Robert Blackwell. It functions as an important entity of the Blyth Centre for the Arts, which also includes the Festival Theatre, Orchestra and Art Gallery.
The choir, averaging between 40 -50 members, performs primarily in Huron County and has endeavoured to present a high standard of choral singing since its inception in 1980. A variety of music is performed: arts songs from all eras, popular music, Canadian and world folk songs, sacred and secular masterpieces.
The Singers rehearse on Wednesday evenings in Blyth from September to May. If you are interested in joining please speak to one of the choir members, email blythfestivalsingers@gmail.com or call 519-482-9660.
Blyth Festival Singers’ CD
Copies of our CD “Blyth Festival Singers in Concert- A Celebration of 30 Years of Song” will be available for sale at all performances, at the Blyth Festival Theatre, and from choir members. This is a wonderful collection of beautiful and exciting music for your listening pleasure.
2011-2012 Season
A Yuletide Garland: Music and Readings for the Season
This concert is a collaborative effort of the Singers, the Blyth Festival Orchestra, and Eric Coates- Artistic Director of the Blyth Festival Theatre. It features carols- both familiar and new- and humorous and poignant readings of the season.
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2011
2:30 PM
CLINTON UNITED CHURCHCLINTON
ADULTS- $15.00
CHILDREN (12 and under) $6.00
Early Music Exploration
Music from the Medieval and Renaissance periods is featured- including madrigals, motets, chansons and the earliest recorded round from the Middle Ages! The Singers’ special guest is a recorder quarter from the London Recorder Society.
SUNDAY, APRIL 1, 2012
2:30 PM
KNOX PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
GODERICH
ADULTS- $15.00
CHILDREN (12 and under) $6.00
Broadway, Brass and Blues
Join us for our annual Cabaret Dinner and Concert as we have fun highlighting some of the great Broadway show tunes of the last 100 years. You will also hear the wonderful sounds and stylings of the Suncoast Brass Quarter and Anne Potter, vocalist.
CABARET DINNER AND CONCERT
SATURDAY, MAY 26, 2012
6:00 PM
STANLEY COMPLEX, VARNA
ADULTS- $25.00
CHILDREN (12 and under) $12.00
