By Dan White – Special to the Sydenham Current
Happy New Year! The year has started off with a rush of activity for Joni and me.
The most significant development is that my eldest son is now a father! Joni and I became first-time grandparents on January 7. Our grandson is healthy, and we can’t wait to meet him.
I was thinking, if Trump continues with his bizarre threat to make Canada the 51st state, we should move closer to our grandson. He lives in Germany! But enough of the “T” word…
The CK Arts Council has partnered with the Wallaceburg Kinsmen to offer a Valentine’s Day Whodunit Dinner Theatre on February 14, with doors opening at 5:30 and dinner at 6:30. Tickets are $50 for the show and meal (provided by Tammy’s Kitchen), and there will be a cash bar. The cast is drawn from Wallaceburg and Chatham, and the show is written and directed by me and produced by Joni.
For tickets, call Joni at 519-627-4602. Proceeds from this show will be shared between the Kinsmen, assisting in the many great projects they support locally; the CK Arts Council, supporting arts and artists in all disciplines across CK; and CK Lend a Hand, reducing food insecurity at schools in Wallaceburg.
Perhaps you’re wondering what this type of show is like. The cast will not have a script. Instead, they will have characters and bits of information to share—some about their character and some about the other ne’er-do-wells who are suspects. Each actor will move about the room and engage with you as you try to decipher the guilty party. At the end of the evening, the detective will go through the characters and clues and divulge the villain who has stolen whatever the missing item is. It’s always a lot of fun!
The cast members are myself and Joni, Janet Barnes, Eva Marie Clarke, Dawne Mudford, Louise Stallaert, and Gavin Warren.
Speaking of Gavin, prior to his debut as an actor, this gifted musician will present another of his clarinet concerts. This time, he is partnering with gifted vocalist and Chatham music teacher Christine Baribeau, as well as Dr. Tiiu Harmer on piano.
The performance will take place on January 31 at the Wallaceburg Christian Reformed Church on Bruinsma Avenue. Tickets are $20, and doors open at 6:30. This event is proudly supported by the CK Arts Council.
Honestly, if you have not made it to one of Gavin’s performances yet, I strongly encourage you to make the effort. It is always a spectacular and inspiring evening. Even if you think “classical” or “fine” music is too highfalutin, give it a chance. Gavin does a fabulous job of making his music interesting, engaging, and inspiring. Attending a live performance is very different from listening to a recording.
By my next column, I will be announcing the shiny new Executive Director of the CK Arts Council. I suppose I should back up a bit. The CK Arts and Culture Network has determined that renaming ourselves makes our mandate clearer. Therefore, we have altered our name to the CK Arts Council. Nothing about our purpose actually changes, just our name.
As I write this, we have sifted through several excellent candidates and will be interviewing successful applicants this week. We will select an Executive Director in the next several days. What does an ED do for an organization? It gives it long-term stability, takes the burden off the volunteer board, and allows them to focus on projects that benefit the organization and the community, rather than the mundane but essential tasks of properly running a not-for-profit board.
Our ED will seek funding opportunities to enable us to more fully support arts projects and artists across CK. It is a very exciting time.
To wrap things up, I will return to my first sentence. The rush of activity we have is due to a few familiar commitments and one new one.
The Wallaceburg Brass Quintet has a new trombonist in Steven Reeves, and we are busy preparing for concerts in and around the community over the coming months. This includes another chamber concert with several small ensembles in the spring, a concert for a local church, and a tour of area seniors’ residences. Stay tuned for updates.
We also have our regular Tuesday night with the WCB and will be getting the Oktoberfest group back together for some children’s concerts at area schools. If you’re an educator, stay tuned for more information. Our new commitment is with the Lambton Concert Band. Joni and I are filling a couple of spots with their band while regular members are away.
I’m sure there will be regular updates about all of these in the coming months.
If you’re a lover of winter activities, enjoy this cold snap and wave as you rip by on your sled down the Sydenham. If not, hopefully, you can hunker down and stay warm.