A new season of local live entertainment featuring seven concerts in seven months presented by the Lakes District Arts Council (LDAC) is scheduled to begin in the fall; and according to arts council president Sandy Barth the lineup this year is a very good one. “The season is based on a mixed program so that we have some pop and folk programming as well as classical and a mix of dance, music, and song,” she explained.” The one thing that every one of these programs have in common is that it is a top quality performance. These are professional musicians and performers and they are the best that we can get within our budget.”
And the budget is quite substantial thanks, Barth explained, to a variety of government grants including national, provincial, regional and municipal components plus corporate sponsorship from about 40 local businesses and fees from the 220 people who subscribe to the program.
“So we have a very balanced budget and I think that it reflects the fact that we have a very balanced program, and that whatever we bring in is going to be a very good performance,” she said.” “It may not be something you know, or maybe your preferred choice, but you can appreciate the level of skill and talent that’s demonstrated by the performers will be very good.”
Aside from the budget, Barth said, hundreds of volunteer man hours are required to put the program together each year and include such things as developing the program, dealing with contracts and contacting agents, securing venues, attending meetings, grant writing, and accounting. One of the reasons that ticket prices are so inexpensive pointed out Barth, is that the LDAC has no paid staff and no facility [building] to maintain, allowing locals to see shows for $9 that would cost $25-$30 in the city.
The season will kick off with the ‘The Sojourners’ to start the ball rolling on Saturday, Oct 13. at 7:30 p.m. at the Lakes District Secondary School (LDSS) multi-purpose room. The hometown gospel sung by this trio originates in Texas, Detroit, and Chicago, and is described as having an authentic edge and seriously soulful sounds.
David Myles follows on Nov. 6 with an exploration of African and Brazilian music. His warm performance style, humorous anecdotes, and the musical artistry of himself and his two accompanists are a real crowd pleaser and fill out the bill.
Next up on Dec. 3 at the First Mennonite Church, and Dec. 4 at Grassy Plains hall is a performance by the British Columbia Boys Choir, with Artistic Director Tony Araujo. This wonderful choir has performed all over the world and entertained locally in Burns Lake and Grassy Plains in 1998. The choir will open the holiday season with a performance of Christmas music.
The concerts continue on Jan. 21 with The Golden Violin, featuring violinist Calvin Dyck and piano accompanist Betty Suderman. The show is described as a multi-dimension show with a fascinating story, colorful costumes, imaginative backdrops and stirring music. The venue is the First Mennonite Church.
On Feb. 12 the Ballet Jorgen Canada presents a fully staged version of Tchaikovsky’s popular ballet, Swan Lake, at the LDSS multi-purpose room. Described as an inspiring evening of music and dance, it is the most ambitious production in seven seasons.
Cadence appears on March 3, 2013. This four man vocal group performs with microphones but no instruments, and have been entertaining audiences for over a decade with innovative jazz arrangements, genre-hopping covers and eclectic originals.
The season’s final concert will be the four member woman’s group, Red Chamber. Taking its inspiration from the traditional Chinese “Plucked String” repertoire the group creates a unique sound that spans centuries from transcriptions of the Tang Dynasty to modern compositions and other plucked string genres like Bluegrass, Jazz, and Folk. Red Chamber will appear on the afternoon of April 14, 2013.
Season tickets are expected to be going on sale around Aug. 30 at Process 4 Gallery, across the street from Rexall Drugs on Hwy. 16. in downtown Burns Lake.
The LDAC is looking for volunteers to billet members of the British Columbia Boys Choir for a couple of nights in December.
