Hub Staff

A Concert of Concertos and Arias will showcase the talents of local and world renowned musicians in celebration of 70 years of hospital care provided by Saugeen Memorial Hospital at the October 14 at the Port Elgin United Church.

Organized by local music legend Jeanette Steeves and her husband Graham the one time gala fundraiser in support of the Saugeen Memorial Hospital Foundation will feature beloved concertos and follow the players’ virtuoso from the classics through to the romantic and contemporary periods.

Musicians included in the night of entertainment include: John De Jager, Meghan De Jager, Christina Edwards, Meryl Gillmore, Kim Lake, Adrian Little, Kelda Mikalson, Erin Milley-Patey, Sebastian Ostertag, Rob Tite, Heather Whaling and the A Cappella Chamber Choir. The evening will also include special guest concert organist Ian Sadler.

“A Concerto is a composition which is written for a soloist on an instrument to be accompanied by orchestra. So we’re not having an orchestra but Ian [Sadler] is going to play all the orchestral arrangements reduced for keyboard and he will play them on the pipe organ at the church,” said Steeves, adding that all the notes will be there but under ten fingers instead of 20 orchestral players.

The former conductor of the A Capella Chamber Choir and recent Municipal Heritage Conservation Award winner raved about Sadler’s ability and said he has played alongside many musicians and soloists in Saugeen Shores. Steeves recalled a conversation with Sadler where he stated that Saugeen Shores featured “so many talented instrumentalists and singers” and suggested to Steeves that they should organize a concertos concert. “I thought, ‘Oh, that would be wonderful’ and I thought this year was the year to do it,” said Steeves.

During the intermission pianist Christina Edwards will play Mozart’s Concerto No. 21 Andante, known as “Elvira Madigan”, and the A Cappella Chamber Choir will finish the evening with songs from Les Misérables. “It’s going to be very, very exciting, it’s a unique concert,” said Steeves, adding that in her 40 years in Saugeen Shores she “hasn’t heard of a performance like this one.”

The event will get underway at 7:30 p.m. and tickets, $20 each, are available at Vincent Jewellers, Cathy’s Flowers ’N Treasures and at the door. The A Cappella Chamber Choir will also have a recording available by donation with proceeds going towards the Saugeen Memorial Hospital Foundation.