Arts Scene

BY WENDY ELLIOTT

The Advertiser

NovaNewsNow.com

Don’t miss it

Over the past weekend, The Odyssey at Ross Creek finished its fabulous outdoor run. Shirley Valentine ends its popular stretch at the Atlantic Theatre Festival tomorrow.

I caught Niki Lipman a second time in her superb role and was equally impressed. There was a decent audience for that matinee and most of the patrons were from away, which has got to be good for local business.

Unfortunately, I hear The Drawer Boy is not selling as well. This is a great piece of Canadian theatre, but not one that our audiences are familiar with.

There are coupons available at Wolfville retail outlets that offer a $5 discount to The Drawer Boy. Take advantage of this dramatic opportunity.

Of course, when A Midsummer Night’s Dream opens later this month it won’t have recognition problems. Everybody should know that romantic comedy by Master Will Shakespeare.

Shape Note Tradition

On Sunday, Aug. 26, at 4 p.m. in the Covenanter Church, Grand-Pre, the Expanded Elastic Millennium Choir will perform an hour-long concert as part of the Musique Royale Summer Festival of Music featuring historic music in historic venues around Nova Scotia.

The concert program includes music from the Elastic Millennium Choir's recent CD, A Joyful Noise, along with some other selections with a variety of sacred music arrangements from the 16th to the 18th centuries. The special feature will be several tunes from the Shape Note Tradition; a musical tradition popular in Nova Scotia in the 1700s when many communities hosted Community Singing Schools taught by itinerant music masters.

Local organizer Maggie Keppie says the Shape Note approach involves printing music with variously shaped notes, such as squares, diamonds, circles and triangles, which help the unskilled reader to know what to sing.

Shape Note arrangements, she says, have a distinctive sound, often vigorous and robust, sometimes slow and haunting. They often feature the melody in the tenor line, which also gives the music a distinctive sound.

“Shape Note Singing was brought to Nova Scotia by the New England Planters and Loyalists, and it’s still popular in parts of the USA.”

All proceeds from the concert, Keppie adds, will go to support ongoing maintenance work at the church, which is both a national and provincial heritage site. Because there is no regular congregation, all monies for the church have to be raised locally. Support for this concert will be greatly appreciated by all, she says, “as it helps to preserve a wonderful part of our heritage.”

Tickets for the hour-long concert will be available at the door, at $15 for seniors/adults, and $5 for students.



Ontario band

Ontario’s Protest the Hero (PTH) will play Tuesday, Aug. 14 at Coldbrook Lions Hall. This show is part of an extensive Maritime tour.

Joining the band that night will be: I Hate Sally, The Holly Springs Disaster, Machete Avenue, and The Real Deal. Tickets for the show are $13 advance/$15 at the door and are now on sale at CD Plus New Minas/online at www.ticketpro.ca or by phone at 1-888-311-9090. The show starts at 6:30 p.m.

Protest The Hero was created when five school friends were just 14 years old and realized their mutual passion for music. “We started this band because we love music: writing it, recording it, playing it, performing it, and improving on it, “ comments lead singer Rody Walker.

Over the next five years the band forfeited weekends and summer vacations to develop their craft and to make a name for themselves on the road.

PTH have released two records on Canadian punk rock label Underground Operations.

Theatre camp

This month, CentreStage Theatre in Kentville is providing once again a stimulating outlet for children ages 10–14 years at its one-week summer theatre camp.

Offering an opportunity to act, create, produce and star in their own production, the camp will not only introduce children to community theatre fundamentals, but will also build confidence, teamwork and social interaction skills.

The theatre camp will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Aug. 20–24 at the theatre, which is located at 61 River St. The week will conclude with the participants presenting a show on Friday, Aug. 24 at 7 p.m.

The cost of enrolment is $100. There are only a few spaces left. For information and registration, call Trina Long at 542-2177 or Brian Stoddard at 365-2451.

In Berwick

On Aug. 18, the well-known Morgan Davis rolls into Berwick. Davis plays and sings the blues with a soulful touch that is without equal. The show starts at 9 p.m and tickets are $12.

Erika Kulnys-Brain and special guest Andrea Curry will perform at the Wick Thursday, Aug. 23 at 8 p.m. Special guests at the Kitchen Party Friday, Aug. 24 are Alexia Melnychuk and Lara Yule Singh.

The following evening, Saturday, Aug. 25, the Eddie Ellis Band, featuring members of the Tidal Funk Orchestra, perform at 9 p.m.

www.unionstreetcafe.ca

At the market

On Saturday, Aug. 18, the Mud Creek Boys will be on the outdoor stage. This popular local band includes: J.P Huang (guitar/mandolin/autoharp), Ian Spooner (banjo/guitar) and Peter Williams (bass/guitar).

On Aug. 25, Gayle Lahey is set to perform with St. F.X. music graduate Todd Marsh.

Summer exhibit

“The Perfect Hat: A History of Local Headwear” continues until Sept. 15. This exhibit displays some outstanding examples of men's and women's hats. Try on some hats and find out your hat size.

For more information call 542-9775 or wolfvillehs@ednet.ns.ca. Randall House Museum, 259 Main Street, Wolfville.

In performance

Canadian pianist Terence Dawson will perform a benefit recital to support the Hall's Harbour Scholarship Fund Wednesday, Aug. 15 at 8 p.m. in Denton Hall, Wolfville.

Admission is $15 per adult, $12 for seniors and students and $35 for families up to four. All proceeds will support deserving Hall's Harbour area students in furthering post secondary studies.

At the Verge

Upcoming at this busy Wolfville venue is Matt Minglewood (solo) (blues/rock/country) Aug. 19.

In Windsor

At the Mermaid Theatre Loft, 112 Gerrish St., Windsor Aug. 17–18, actors Matthew Stephenson and Kate Lavender are touring a true drama of two PEI teenagers in 1887.

It will be performed at 8 p.m. both evenings and a Saturday matinee is planned for 2 p.m. in the Mermaid loft.

Call 798-5841 ext. 7 for info and reservations.

Quote

Fiddling master David Greenberg told his audience at St. John’s Anglican Church at the Musique Royale concert that week that foot-stomping was not only allowed, but “rowdiness is part of God’s plan.”



Sing Mozart

Singer Charlotte Embree from Port Williams has joined the Halifax Summer Opera Workshop production of The Magic Flute.

The performances take place in Halifax at the Sir James Dunn Theatre in the Dalhousie Arts Centre.

The Magic Flute runs Aug. 14, 17 and 19. All shows are 7:30 p.m., except for Aug. 19, which is at 2 p.m.

Coming up

Until Aug. 15

Shirley Valentine, ATF, Festival Theatre, Wolfville,

Until Aug. 18

Waiting for the Parade, CentreStage Theatre, Kentville, 678-8040

Until Sept. 2

Sara Hartland-Rowe exhibition, Ross Creek Centre for the Arts, near Canning

Until Sept. 9

The Drawer Boy, ATF, Festival Theatre, Wolfville

Send arts items to welliott@kentvilleadvertiser.ca