Tag Archives: Christ Church Anglican
Canadian and Japanese Music Presented In Meaford Concert
by Bill Monahan
On August 26th, Christ Church Anglican in Meaford is continuing its series of jazz and classical concerts with a special performance by Keiko Yoden-Kuepfer of Canadian and Japanese music on piano and organ. The program will be divided into two thirty minute sets. The first features the church’s pipe organ with music by Canadian composers, while the second set utilizes the new baby grand piano in performances of a variety of music by Japanese composers.
Since immigrating to Collingwood in 2006 Keiko Yoden-Kuepfer has become a very active member of the local musical community while at the same time acting as an important cultural link between Collingwood and its sister city of Katano, in Japan, where she was born.
Growing up in Katano, she began to study piano at age seven. In high school she was trained as a concert organist and, after gaining a degree in music educations from Osaka International University, she taught at the University for eight years, and also worked as a pianist/interpreter for master classes in Austria, Germany and Japan.
In 1999, through the Group Study Exchange of Rotary International, she was able to visit Collingwood. The experience inspired her to emigrate to Canada and settle permanently in Collingwood, where she continued to study and teach. Along with diplomas from the Royal Conservatory of Music and the Royal Canadian College of Organists, the received the Immigrant Artist of 2015 award at the Simcoe County Newcomer Recognition Awards.
Keiko is an ambassadress of Katano International Friendship Association, helping to deepen friendship between Katano and Collingwood. She continues to serve as music director and organist of All Saints’ Anglican Church in Collingwood where she leads the chamber choir, instrumental ensemble and youth activities. She has also performed piano concertos with the Huronia Symphony Orchestra and the Kitchener Chamber Orchestra. She provides private lessons to students in Collingwood in piano, organ, double bass and voice.
Tickets for the recital are $20 for adults, $10 for students. The show takes place at the church, 34 Boucher St. E. in Meaford, starting at 3 p.m. on August 26th.
It’s A Jazz Weekend For Local Fans
by Bill Monahan
With the annual Jazzmania series of concerts happening in Thornbury and a special jazz concert by Patricia Wheeler in Meaford, it’s a special treat for jazz fans this weekend.
Start the weekend early at Bruce Wine Bar with the hot jazz of Toronto based iSpy Trio. Led by singer-songwriter Rebecca Everett, the band plays a style inspired by the 1940’s gypsy jazz of Quintette du Hot Club de France, with a mix of vintage and original tunes. Lead guitarist Tak Arikushi is well known for his virtuosity and trademark Django licks. The trio is rounded out by Chris Kettlewell, an accomplished double bass player and Humber Jazz College alumni who has performed with jazz ensembles such as The Rachelle Courtney Quartet and The Cam Britton Collective and has toured extensively in Canada, Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
There are two dinner shows, one at 6:45 and the second at 9 pm. Reservations are recommended.
Down the street at the harbour, well-known Simcoe county musician and educator Louis Lefaive performs at Maiolos, starting at 7:30 pm. In addition to gigs with his family band performing Celtic and French folk music, Louis has performed in a Beatles cover band and a band that features original French music. An accomplished composer, arranger, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, he has numerous albums to his credit and has his own recording studio.
Also starting at 7:30 on Friday, The Mike Grace Quintet will be performing in the small hall at the Beaver Valley Community Centre. In addition to being a director at Southampton’s Summer Music Camp, Mike has played around the world, from Texas road houses to world tours and has played with many jazz greats, including Dave Brubeck, Dizzy Gillespie, Peter Appleyard and Randy Brecker. He is also a highly respected educator, recipient of the University of Michigan Musical Society’s Educator Of The Year. The quintet will be performing classic jazz standards, including tunes to dance to.
Things really get swinging on Saturday with a pair of big bands playing at the Beaver Valley Community Centre.
In the afternoon, starting at two, it’s the Georgian Sound Big Band. This is the band that started it all in Thornbury, way back in 1998 when it was formed by the late Bob Cringan.
“Bob Cringan was an incredible music educator,” says Tony Bauer, “He moved up from Toronto to Meaford and we started the Georgian Sound Big Band.
“He did so much for music. He put on concerts, and Bob had the idea to start a Big Band festival and we ran it for twenty years and it was very successful. We brought five big bands up here. I was very much involved with it and when he died we still ran it.
“We added Jazzmania. In the heyday we had three day festivals, with bands in the restaurants in Thornbury. We had two shows on Saturday and we had a big jazz brunch on Sunday”
The band, currently under the leadership of trumpeter Don Doner and conducted by trombonist Brad Crawford, covers numbers from the swing era to the present and includes a wide variety of danceable music including waltz, tango, and Latin rhythms using many of Bob’s original arrangements.
After a dinner break, head back to the Community Centre for another big band treat. The Skyliners Big Band, formed in 1993, performs the big band era favourites by Miller, Shaw, Herman, Basie, Ellington, Kenton as well as more contemporary hits. The band features the inspired vocals of Maria Branje.
There’s still more jazz in store if you head over to Meaford on Sunday where Christ Church Anglican is presenting the first in a series of monthly concerts. This concert features the Patricia Wheeler Quartet with jazz interpretations of both standards and popular songs form catalogues as diverse as Henry Mancini, Simon and Garfunkel and The Beatles.
The concert is something of a homecoming for Patricia, who got her start in music attending Grade 7 at Meaford Elementary School. The music teacher at Georgian Bay Secondary School, Charlie Strimas, is now the musical director at the church and it was at his request that she agreed to come to Meaford for this special concert.
The Patricia Wheeler concert runs from 3 to 5 on Sunday afternoon, with wine and cheese served at intermission.
