Volunteers: the muscle and passion of the arts festival, here and internationally

(The following Trumpeter column originally appeared in The Huntsville Forester on Oct. 31, 2007.)

By Pam Smyth

It began as a vision of Attila Glatz, a Hidden Valley cottager, who with co-founder Susan Alberghini persuaded local arts supporters that a festival would give both visitors and residents a way to connect, meet and develop cultural exchanges and celebrations.

Glatz asked for volunteers from the community to bring their ideas and muscle. Some of the questions asked included: ‘What is the financial risk?” and “Would audiences pay more than $5 to see a show?”

The first season in 1992 featured singer Maureen Forrester, the National School of Ballet, and Kerry Stratton conducting the Festival Symphony Orchestra, and the answer to those questions was a resounding ‘yes.’ The audiences would pay and the patrons would cover the financial deficit.

More than financial risk, it was the determination of both local patrons and volunteers to give their immeasurable talents and willingness to learn, and friendly hospitality that established the festival’s reputation for delivering excellence in the arts. Artists and audiences alike comment on how well they are taken care of and how they look forward to coming back to this festival.

However, accused of being “classical and cultural elitists,” the festival soon realized that contemporary artists of folk, rock, jazz, blues, country and world music would be welcomed by our audiences’ diverse taste.

This past season demonstrated that diversity is healthy, both artistically and financially, with performers such as Hawksley Workman and Bruce Cockburn, Stina Nyquist’s play The Lost Chord, Music at Noon with Marion Haggart, Last Night at the Proms with conductor Kerry Stratton and the fringe Poetry Café.

The Huntsville Festival of the Arts has come a long way in 15 years, explains Pam Smyth, a long-time member of the Huntsville Festival of the Arts board of directors.

Artistic diversity and inclusion are not unique to this festival. In Ireland, a nation of saints and scholars and a festival every month of the year, there are not only Irish poets, plays and Celtic music, but also an incredible variety of international music, dance and theatre is staged. It is exciting and encouraging to see that our festival is in step with the Irish scene.

Olive Braiden of the Irish Arts Council said at Clifden Arts Week (Ireland): “I am here to thank the volunteers who make this festival work. They bring program ideas, children’s participation, they take risks, they are the eyes and ears of the community that keep festivals current, accessible and support the development of cultural expression.”

One could not agree more. Volunteers are the muscle and passion who deliver our arts festival. You can be a part of the production scene by calling Karin Terziano at the Algonquin Theatre, 789-1751 ext. 2244 or festival general manager Rob Saunders at 789-1935.

Festival of the Arts has best year ever

(The following article originally appeared in The Huntsville Forester on Oct. 17, 2007.)

By Gillian Brunette

After losing money last year, the Huntsville Festival of the Arts is in a healthy financial position, due for the most part to increased ticket sales this past season.

While expenses, such as artists’ fees, were up, ticket sales brought in $87,000 more than last year, an increase of 36 per cent, and the May Marché fundraiser netted $42,000. It was enjoyed by 530 patrons, up by 150 from the previous year.

The final balance sheet reflects a surplus of $62,420, of which $7,500 has been placed in a reserve for education expenditures. The remainder will act as a cushion in case of losses in future years.

The festival had 43 bookings at the Algonquin Theatre in the past year. From Sept. 6, 2006 to June 2007 there were 11 concerts and a three-performance play. During the July core season there were 16 mainstage concerts over the 19 days, including double-bill shows for Jim Cuddy, Bruce Cockburn and Hawksley Workman. Nine of the shows sold out, which was a record. In July, there were also 10 Music at Noon concerts presented at Trinity United Church. They too garnered record attendance.

There were three performances of Stina Nyquist’s play The Lost Chord and the first jazz festival in August, with four evening concerts followed by three concerts and a play that ran three nights. The jazz festival will return in 2008 and will be expanded to incorporate the new River Mill Park and other outdoor venues.

“We had a great year,” said president Kareen Burns at Saturday’s annual general meeting (AGM).

“It was my first year as president, which was a learning curve for me, but it was fun more than anything. Everyone worked together as a team, which was a great start for me.”

Looking back over the past year, Burns reflected on some of the festival highlights.

Education: “Kalaedoscope brought the creme de la creme of Muskoka artists to Pine Glen School. The theme was Reach for the Sky and how each class reached that goal was incredible. We hope to do another one this year,” she said.

Other education initiatives included a slam poetry event, which brought in four performance poets to lead a poetry workshop for Huntsville High School (HHS) students, and the Children’s Canadian Dance Theatre for 13 to 19-year-olds.

“Next year, we are going to focus more on educational programs. Greg Sutherland (HHS teacher) has been a huge help and will be working with the education committee this year, so we hope to do more,” said Burns.

Fringe Mosaic: “The fringe program included a successful Arts Splash, thanks in part to the involvement of Tawingo College counsellors, and the Poetry Café, which for the first time was held at the Algonquin Theatre and featured guest poet Pier Giorgio Di Cicco, a very interesting gentleman,” Burns said.

Fringe events also included the second year of the Arts Walk at Avery Beach Park, and another sold-out Jazz in the Garden at Spencer’s Tall Trees restaurant.

The festival also acted as an umbrella for two events: the Muskoka Novel Marathon, which raised funds for the Muskoka Literacy Council, and a three-part children’s series presented by the Huntsville Public Library library at the Royal Canadian Legion.

Mainstage: “I was blown away by Bruce Cockburn and it was a magic second show when Hawksley (Workman) joined him. Lighthouse is as good if not better than before and the Leonard Cohen night with Perla Battala was very special.” Burns went on to say that The Lost Chord was her favourite of Nyquist’s plays and noted that Gregg Evans, who played Joseph Tapley had his work cut out for him. “He had a lot of words, the most he’s ever had to learn for a play,” she said.

In 2006-2007 the Huntsville Festival of the Arts also gave out five scholarships totalling $2,500, donated $2,000 to the Huntsville BIA to go toward the community mural, and provided $2,000 to the Algonquin Theatre for a sound board. It underwrote the rental of the theatre for the HHS Christmas concert; presented Cadence, a singing group, for a workshop at HHS; rented the theatre to allow the Battle of the Books to hold their final event for school students; presented a concert to a full house of public school students, featuring talented students from HHS; and supported the first annual Artsfest showcasing HHS students in the visual and media arts.

(Photo by Jon Snelson)
NEW BOARD: the 2007-2008 Huntsville Festival of the Arts board stands outside the Algonquin Theatre following its annual general meeting and election of officers on Oct. 13. From left to right are board members for the upcoming year: (seated) Pam Smyth, secretary Carol Gibson, president Kareen Burns, Tia Pearse; (standing) Jon Snelson, Gillian Brunette, Ron Baker, June Salmon, Susan Lowe, Suzanne Riverin, Helena Renwick, Ross Kirwin, past president Mike Malone, Jenny Cressman, Sharon Stock-Feren, vice-president/administration Bruce Gowan and general manager Rob Saunders.

The AGM concluded with the adoption of the new board for the 2007-2008 year. The executive committee is made up of president Kareen Burns, past president Mike Malone, VP of administration Bruce Gowan, plus two additional directors, Jenny Cressman and Ross Kirwin, who will serve a one-year term. Two new directors were elected to the board: Helena Renwick and Ron Baker.

A cappella group Cadence returning Oct. 19

(The following article originally appeared in The Huntsville Forester on Oct. 10, 2007.)

By Gillian Brunette

Four men, four microphones, no instruments and a playlist that covers jazz, popular music, doo-wop, even classical.

This winning formula has earned Cadence international recognition as one of the finest quartets to make an appearance on the a cappella scene.

The four guys, Aaron Jensen, Kurt Sampson, Ross Lynde and Carl Berger, just can’t help but have fun. The result is a show that has something for everyone: instrumental imitation, sophisticated harmonies, and engaging audience interaction.

HFA once again brings Cadence back to the Algonquin Theatre on Friday, Oct. 19, at 7:30 p.m. In the afternoon, Cadence will conduct a workshop at the theatre.

“The group will perform for 200 public school and 200 high school students for 30 minutes and then hold a one-hour workshop for the same audience,” said festival general manager Rob Saunders.

HIGH ENERGY: Cadence, an a cappella quartet, brings its formidable blend of tight harmonies and instrumental imitation to the Algonquin Theatre on Oct. 19.

In the journey from four guys jamming in the living room to an international touring band, Cadence has performed for many of the greatest names in vocal music including Quincy Jones and Manhattan Transfer. Cadence has also had the honour of singing with vocal maestro Bobby McFerrin in 2003 at the Montreal Jazz Festival, and in 2005 at Roy Thomson Hall. Cadence has performed across the world, delighting audiences across North America, Asia and Europe. Wherever they go, the members of Cadence deliver their mandate: to explore and demonstrate that the voice has no limits. Their CD Twenty For One (2005) is a balance of hip jazz, cool pop, and clever and thoughtful original songs. Twenty For One was nominated for a 2005 Juno award and won three contemporary a cappella recording awards.

Cadence is described as a younger and more dynamic version of the internationally known Nylons, said Saunders.

Tickets for Cadence are $22 plus GST for adults and $15 plus GST for youth. They are available from the Algonquin Theatre box office, 789-4975, or online at www.algonquintheatre.ca.

Annual general meeting

The Huntsville Festival of the Arts hosts its annual general meeting in Partners Hall at the Algonquin Theatre this Saturday, Oct.13, at 10:30 a.m.

Everyone is invited to review the financial and artistic results from the 2007 festival season

Light refreshments will be served.

Winding up a successful summer season

(The following Trumpeter column originally appeared in The Huntsville Forester on Sept. 26, 2007.)

By Gillian Brunette

The Huntsville Festival of the Arts 2007 15th celebratory season will be remembered as being a very successful year.

Thanks to the highest recorded ticket sales to date, a warm, cosy and inviting Algonquin Theatre, and a good mix of artistic performances, the festival ended the core season with some money in the bank.

“We had a good year. It was great. It was fun and the shows were good,” reported HFA president Kareen Burns at a board wrap-up meeting last week.

The festival also presented more shows this year with the introduction of a mini-jazz festival in August. It was very well received, thus ensuring a jazz weekend will now become an annual event.

There were several sold-out shows this past season but a couple of others that, surprisingly, were not well attended. Perla Batalla and her tribute to Leonard Cohen, for instance, was an awesome experience, but even the great Montreal poet’s name failed to draw the masses.

While the festival's core season is over for another year, there will be a few HFA sponsored performances still to come this fall. Tickets are selling well for Friday’s Freddie Vette and the Flames concert, Colin James plays to an already sold-out show on Oct. 5, the a capella group Cadence returns on Oct. 19 and comedian Lorne Elliott also makes a return visit on Nov. 17.

Meanwhile, the festival board is preparing for its annual general meeting which takes place on Oct. 13 in the Algonquin Theatre’s Partners Hall. This meeting is open to the public and is also a time when the board solicits new members to its advisory committee for the coming year.

Festival board members each undertake certain roles within the organization geared to their own area of expertise and passion. Committees focus on sponsorship, promotions and marketing, fringe mosaic, administration and the May Marché, the biggest HFA fundraiser of the year.

Anyone interested in obtaining more information about the meeting and/or becoming involved in the Huntsville Festival of the Arts can contact festival general manager Rob Saunders at 789-1935.

The Huntsville Festival of the Arts is not just about presenting live shows at the Algonquin Theatre, however. Every year the group has added new fringe events, such as the Arts Splash, Arts Walk, Jazz in the Garden, Muskoka Novel Marathon, Monday Night at the Movies and the Poetry Café, to its list of activities. Next year, perhaps, we will introduce a writers’ club, featuring readings from visiting authors. The festival is forever evolving.

At the beginning of the year, Kareen, in her new role as president, outlined her vision for the festival. This included facilitating strong alliances with other art groups in Huntsville; the development of new ‘avant garde’ fringe events, and nurturing young local talent through the festival’s education outreach committee.

With some extra funds now made available, thanks to our patrons, the festival will be working closely with Huntsville High School’s Greg Sutherland to determine how we can further help the school bring the arts to its students.

Other programs the festival helped to sponsor financially this year included the inter-active Kaleidoscope for elementary school students and the Group of Seven Outdoor Mural Festival.

Other new initiatives include this column, the Trumpeter, a monthly forum through which festival board members can keep readers informed of the festival’s various activities.

And, we introduced a blog, www.trumpeterhfa.blogspot.com, as just one other way to reach out to our patrons. If you haven’t yet checked it out, please do, and while there, why not send us your comments as to what shows you would like to see next year?

Rock to great ’50s and ’60s sounds

(The following article originally appeared in The Huntsville Forester on Sept. 19, 2007.)

Join Freddy Vette and the Flames for a rock 'n' roll revival on Sept. 28 in Huntsville

By Gillian Brunette

Back by popular demand next week are Freddy Vette and the Flames, who appear at the Algonquin Theatre on Friday, Sept. 28 beginning at 8 p.m.

It will be almost to the day a year ago that the ghosts of Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry, Carl Perkins, Bill Haley and others came alive in Huntsville as Vette and his musical entourage kicked back to the 1950s.

The dynamic costumes and creative choreography allows the audience to relive this classic era with their favourite juke box hits.

GREAT BALLS OF FIRE: Freddy Vette returns to the Algonquin Theatre on Sept. 28 with his group the Flames in what has been termed as the ultimate ’50s rock ’n' roll show. The 8 p.m. concert is a Huntsville Festival of the Arts presentation.

“After the show our audience members left still singing and asking us to bring them back,” said Huntsville Festival of the Arts general manager Rob Saunders. “Freddy is wonderful with the audience. Everyone loved the performance. It was a really great night.”

So how does a guy born in 1972 end up as the real-deal front man for a ’50s rock ’n' roll show? That seems to be the most asked question when it comes to Vette.

“Good music is good music no matter what kind it is or when it was made. You don’t have to be from the 1700s to play Mozart, you don’t have to be from the ’30s or ’40s to play jazz, and you sure don’t have to be from the ’50s to play rock ’n' roll,” Vette said in reply.

It also didn’t hurt that Vette came from a musical family. His mother and father had a country music band, so there were instruments around the house. The first thing Vette tackled was the drums, then guitar, and piano along the way.

At 14, Vette played with his parents on the road and that was the beginning of his performing career. He appeared in various bands playing various kinds of music, until the music of his childhood – rock ’n' roll – came back to him.

Over the next few years, Vette joined several rock ’n' roll bands and during that time he re-acquainted himself with the piano, an instrument he had played as a child but gave up for guitar.

“Piano rock ’n' roll is such a big part of this music and I knew I had to learn that style of playing. As I started learning from those old recordings, it gave me a new love for the piano. Now, it’s my favourite instrument to play.”

In 2002 Vette formed his own band featuring drums, upright bass, sax, guitar, three female singers and himself on guitar and piano.

The show is a musical journey through the beginnings of rock ’n' roll, not only featuring the biggest hits from the biggest artists but telling the story of the music along the way.

The three ladies who share the stage with Vette perform all the great ‘girl’ hits from the rock ’n' roll era including songs from Leslie Gore, the Shirelles, the Shangri-Las and Patsy Cline. Four outstanding musicians round out this high-energy, exciting eight-piece act.

“The audience has been the lifeblood of Freddy Vette and the Flames. There’s such a huge audience out there who are hungry for this music and aren’t able to see it performed live. We continue to discover them, and they continue to discover us. It’s a great relationship that keeps rock ’n roll alive,” said Vette.

Tickets for Freddy Vette and the Flames are $25 for adults and $15 for youth under 18, plus GST. They are available at the Algonquin Theatre box office on Main Street, by dialling 789-4975, or online at www.algonquintheatre.ca.