“Pipes Plaid and Pageantry” Parade – Call For Entries

Everyone loves a parade-here is your chance to be part of one!

Promote your business, organization, event or festival by considering an entry in “Pipes Plaid and Pageantry” this coming Thursday August 11, 2011 at 7:30pm. [entry form]

Join the parade or enjoy the fun!

“Pipes Plaid and Pageantry” Parade

Bring a lawn chair pull up “a piece of the curb” and enjoy the second annual community parade.

Remember,

Following the bands enjoy a “Sneak MacPeek” of the Festival’s fine entertainment everywhere downtown!

Free Open Air Movie “the Waterhorse”

Open Air Movie at Stone Gable Hall free for everyone (181 st Andrew st. East)

Feature film “the Waterhorse” family fun fit for all ages!

Agnus is a young and lonely boy in Scotland, his father who he was very close with has just gone off into WWII to fight. His home has just been taken over by English soldiers to fight off the German’s. His family has lost something too, life and laughter. But when Agnus comes across what looks like a strange rock, is actually an egg left by a Water Horse, the rarest of all creatures, there can only be one in the world at a time. But he takes care of the baby who is water bound, while protecting him from his mom and the soldiers. But when the water horse, he named Crusoe, has grown too big, he and a family friend put him in the Lochness Lake. And so the story goes…
More about this movie on the IMDb website.

Thursday Night Entertainment:

• Fergus Legion-the Rogues, 8:30-10PM
• D’s Sports Bar and Grill- Liam MacGlashon and the Kitchen Party
• Goofie Newfie-The Rum Devils
• Breadalbane-Ed Miller and Friends,
• O’Brien’s-David Leask and James McKie
• The Brewhouse-the Shenanigans

Extra Special Events Downtown:

• “Scottish International Night” featuring Scottish fare, live music and much more at Van Gali’s in Fergus,6-9pm
• Celtic Celidh Concert at the Fergus Grand Theatre, Saturday August 13, 8PM enjoy Tom Leadbeater, Ian Bruce, Janice Howey, Nick Gush and Ed Miller and Friends.

For more info on “painting the town Tartan-visit www.fergusscottishfestival.com or call 519-787-0099.

Videos From The 2010 Fergus Scottish Festival Opening Ceremonies

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Or check out our own FergusPages page on the Fergus Scottish Festival and Highland Games.

Check out the events, and have a good time!

Events include the firefighters’ breakfast, soap box derby, free hotdog and beverage (Bisell Park), Rotary Club duck race (Elora) and fireworks (Fergus).

Oh, Canada…

Noel Edison is well established as one of the most versatile and charismatic conductors in the world today. As conductor and artistic director of two world-class Canadian ensembles, the large-scale Toronto Mendelssohn Choir and the chamber-sized Elora Festival Singers, Noel is widely recognized and appreciated for his skillful interpretive blending of rigorous musical purity together with warm emotional content. In addition to full seasons with the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir and the Elora Festival Singers, he is in demand for guest engagements with such orchestras as the Winnipeg Symphony and Toronto Symphony. In 2002, the University of Guelph conferred upon Noel Edison the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Music and in 2009 he was appointed to the Order of Ontario, the province’s highest honour. Edison has put together a stellar cast of performers for this performance.

The Elora Festival Singers (EFS), a professional chamber choir, was founded in 1980 by Noel Edison as the principal choral ensemble of the Elora Festival. Since 1997 the choir has been the professional core of the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir and the Toronto Mendelssohn Singers, and is the choral ensemble-in-residence of the Elora Festival for four weeks each summer. Through regular concert series, recordings, broadcasts, and touring, the Elora Festival Singers has established a reputation as one of the finest chamber choirs in Canada and beyond, contributing to the musical life, not only of the community, but on an international stage, with twelve releases on the Naxos label. The choir is renowned for its diverse styles, from early music to spirituals to contemporary, for its commitment to Canadian repertoire, and for its collaborations with other Canadian artists. The Elora Festival Singers and conductor Noel Edison were nominated for a 2011 Grammy in the category of “Best Small Ensemble Performance” for their Naxos CD “Eric Whitacre: Choral Music”.

Internationally renowned Acadian soprano Suzie LeBlanc has established an extraordinary career specializing in baroque and classical repertoire. She has worked with many of the world’s leading early music ensembles in concert and opera performances as well as on film and on disc. Concerts have taken her to festivals all over the world as well as to the Concertgebouw (Amsterdam), the Wigmore Hall, and the Konzerthaus in Vienna. On the opera stage, she has performed for De Nederlandse Opera, Festival de Beaune, Opéra de Montréal, the Boston Early Music Festival, Tanglewood, Festival Vancouver, and Early Music Vancouver. In recent seasons, she recorded Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte (Pamina) with La Petite Bande and Mozart lieder with Yannick Nézet-Seguin, and returned to the Brooklyn Academy of Music for Bach’s St. Matthew’s Passion as staged by Jonathan Miller. Other recent recordings include Thésée’s Lully, Gluck’s Orphée, Buxtehude motets with Emma Kirkby, Peter Harvey and the Purcell Symphony, and Handel – Portrait.

Suzie is artistic director of Le Nouvel Opéra (www.lenouvelopera.com) which is ensemble-in-residence at the Montreal Conservatory and co-artistic director of the Elizabeth Bishop Centenary Festival in Nova Scotia (www.elizabethbishopcentenary.blogspot.com). … continued on page 2

Canadian counter-tenor David Trudgen was recently called “the next generation’s answer to David Daniels,” according to the Chicago Tribune. This high praise was from his recent appearance as Medoro in Chicago Opera Theater’s production of Handel’s Orlando, under the direction of Raymond Leppard. A tall, commanding figure on the stage, David sang the title role of Cesare in the University of Oklahoma’s production of Giulio Cesare. He also appeared at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., where he sang scenes from L’incoronazione di Poppea by Monteverdi for the Kennedy Center Conservatory Project.

Canadian tenor Isaiah Bell’s opera roles include Tamino (Die Zauberflöte), Almaviva (Il barbiere di Siviglia), Albert (Britten’s Albert Herring), The Madwoman (Britten’s Curlew River), Bénédict (Berlioz’s Béatrice et Bénédict), and Martin (Copland’s The Tender Land), as well as principal roles in numerous Canadian pieces such as Elijah’s Kite by James Rolfe and Isis and the Seven Scorpions by Dean Burry. Isaiah currently sings with the Atelier lyrique de l’Opéra de Montréal, having previously apprenticed with the emerging artist ensembles of Calgary Opera and Pacific Opera Victoria. He was also recently awarded first place in voice at the National Music Festival of Canada. He has studied with Canadian soprano Wendy Nielsen, and continues to train under Canadian tenor Benjamin Butterfield and voice instructor Gerald Martin Moore.

Also active as a composer and librettist, Isaiah was recently commissioned by Edmonton’s Opera NUOVA to create his fourth original opera, set to premiere during their 2011 season.

A graduate of The Glenn Gould School artist diploma program, Matthew Cassils performed frequently during the course of his studies and as a soloist in Beethoven‘s Symphony No. 9 with The Royal Conservatory Orchestra directed by Peter Oundjian and as a finalist in the RCO Concerto Competition with Mahler’s Songs of a Wayfarer. The 2009/2010 season marked Mr. Cassils‘ debut with Calgary Opera as l’Hôtelier in Manon, and as an impromptu stand-in for Le Comte des Grieux. He then performed as Claudio in Béatrice et Bénédict with the Calgary Opera Emerging Artist Ensemble and understudied the roles of John Brooke and Gideon in the Calgary Opera production of Little Women. Some highlights of the 2010/11 season include Weill’s Seven Deadly Sins at the Young Centre in Toronto, an opera gala of the Jeunes Ambassadeurs Lyriques in Montreal in November, and he will reprise the role of Count Almaviva in Saskatoon Opera’s The Marriage of Figaro in spring 2011. Mr. Cassils has appeared on CBC/Radio-Canada and Bravo Television and performed as the Second Artisan in the Opus Award-winning production of Berg’s Wozzeck directed by Lorraine Pintal and Yannick Nézet-Séguin.

“This great spiritual work deserves a great spiritual space to really let it come alive.” says Dr. Edison. “The combination of this monumental work in this monumental space will be truly magical.”

The Elora Festival Singers 2010 -2011 Season will conclude on Sunday, May 8th at St John’s

Church, Elora with “Oh! Canada”, a tribute to Canadian composers.

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For additional media information contact: Julie Denneny, Marketing Manager (519) 846-0331 julie@elorafestival.com

Bach’s Mass in B Minor
Sunday April 3, 2011, 3:00 pm,
Church of Our Lady Immaculate, 28 Norfolk Street, Guelph
Tickets: $40.00 eyeGO: $5.00
Elora Festival Singers
Suzie Leblanc, soprano
David Trudgen, countertenor
Isaiah Bell, tenor
Matthew Cassils, bass
Elora Festival Orchestra
Noel Edison, conductor

Elora Festival and Singers – Grammy Nominee

We are thrilled to announce the Grammy nomination of The Elora Festival Singers and Noel Edison for their nomination in “Best Small Ensemble Performance” category, for their music of Eric Whitacre CD recording.

“It’s an overwhelming vote of confidence that the singers have done well and an honour to be in such prestigious company with the others that have been nominated. Regardless of the outcome, I am looking forward to attending the awards in February.”
Noel Edison

Praises are coming in from all over the globe…

“Eric Whitacre’s choral works have been generously surveyed on disc, but only a handful of choirs have yet devoted an entire recording to his music. He couldn’t have more luminous or illuminating interpreters than the Elora Festival Singers, a choir that I’ve heartily praised in the past and that deserves the same recognition here…”
Classics Today

“None of this is easy to sing, but the Elora Festival Singers shine here from start to finish. Along the way, they deliver whatever Whitacre calls for: from hushed, crystalline vocal transparency to shrieking power. Excellent recorded sound reveals their every note and nuance…” Lindsay Koob
American Record Guide

“These works are existential choral moments, beautifully crafted, and harmonized to express a compressed moment in time. Such sublime sonorities transcend descriptions such as ‘warm’, ‘glistening’ or ‘shimmering’…” singers.com

This past weekend, the Elora Festival and Singers presented Handel’s Messiah at Knox Church in Elora to a capacity audience. Noel is currently in Halifax conducting Symphony Nova Scotia in two performances of Messiah and the Elora Festival Singers are performing in Toronto at Roy Thompson Hall in their role as professional core for Toronto Mendelssohn Choir, conducted by Sir Andrew Davis. Next week’s three Festival of Carols performances in Elora are now completely sold out.

For more information please contact:

Elora Festival Singers
33 Henderson St. Elora (Monday to Friday 9am to 4pm)
By phone: 519.846.0331
Online at: www.elorafestival.com

For additional media information contact:
Julie Denneny, Marketing Manager (519) 846-0331 julie@elorafestival.com

Check out the nominated Eric Whitacre: Choral Music CD (with the Elora Festival Singers) on Amazon.ca or Amazon.com.

They have been nominated in the “Best Small Ensemble Performance” category for the Eric Whitacre Choral CD.

You can order from this page!

Amazon.ca

Amazon.com

Congratulations, Elora festival Singers – and hope your bring home the gold!

Community Tree Planting Days – We need your help! Planters, mulchers, waterers, and a truck driver with truck would greatly aid the process.

If you would like to lend a hand please contact Mark at the Elora Environment Centre, 519 846 0841.

And mark these days in your Calendar if you want to partcicipate, or support this initiatiev with your presence:

• Tuesday October 19th, 9:30am -12:00pm. Fergus Auto Recyclers, 6252 Country Rd 29
• Tuesday November 2nd, 12:00-1:00pm. High School Apple Tree Plant, CWDHS 905 Scotland St. Fergus

Through the support of the Grand River Agricultural Society a winter home has been secured for the Elora Farmers’ Market. Our market will be situated indoors between the paddocks and the Lighthouse Restaurant at the Grand River Raceway, located on Wellington Road 21. This location holds a number of advantages that have not been available to us elsewhere. Still in Elora, this warm space is large enough to accommodate our growing market and offers ample parking.

The Elora Farmers’ Market’s belief in sustainable agriculture and the promotion of local growers and producers remains strong. The extension of the market to this winter location further demonstrates our commitment.
Plan to visit the Elora Farmers’ Market indoor winter setting, a great place to see your friends and neighbours. We look forward to seeing you there!

Opening Date:
Sat, October 16, 2010 Time: Every Saturday, 9–1pm.
Location:
Grand River Raceway, 7445 Wellington Rd 21

View Larger Map

www.youtube.com/qtv Country singer and aspiring star Ryan Laird laid down his life savings for a billboard across from country singing sensation Taylor Swift’s recording studio in Nashville Tennessee asking her to produce his album. The Fergus Ontario native was in Studio Q to give us an update and to perform one of his songs. This is ‘That’s Just Me’.

2009 Fergus Fall Fair Truck Pull Video SMFWD

Fergus – The Most Haunted Town in Canada

A Brief tour of some of the many haunted sites in Fergus, Ontario, The MOST HAUNTED TOWN IN CANADA. Music ‘Brandish’ by Moby, courtesy of MobyGratis