This Week In Art/Culture/Entertainment
By John Swartz
Friday night the annual Christmas tree lighting at the Opera House happens. I don’t think it’s going to make network news this time. The timing of when the lights go on has been mentioned in a few places at 7 p.m. However. There is also a candlelight parade beforehand.
Most of the information I have does not mention the parade, but Downtown Orillia does say there is a parade, but there is no mention of times or where the parade begins. Their website is the only place I have seen mention of the parade.
Last year the parade started at Front and Mississaga Streets at 7 p.m. with the tree lighting at 7:30. Every mention I have seen, including Mayor Don McIsaac’s Facebook page refers to the lighting (and not the parade) at 7 p.m. Last week I said the lighting is at 7:15 p.m. I’m not sure where I got that from, but I’m only mentioning so you don’t hang your underwear on it.
Are you confused yet? Play it safe, assume the lighting is at 7 and parade at 6:30 p.m.
There is an Orillia Farmers’ Market Christmas edition happening Friday from 3 to 7 p.m. at the Orillia Public Library as well.
The chamber of commerce’s Santa Claus Parade is Saturday at 5 p.m. It will start at Colborne and West Streets, loop around in front of Soldiers’’ to Mississaga Street and head all the way down to Front Street. It will then take Front to Queen Street where it ends.
If you are a bus rider take note the buses will not run between 6:45 and 8:15 pm. on Friday. They will also not run between 4:45 and 7:15 p.m. on Saturday, but they will be free to ride Beginning at 3:15 to 8:45 p.m.
Have fun.
Other Christmas Stuff
I did miss one event, or maybe it wasn’t announced at the time I published last week’s column, and there is additional info about the Orillia Concert Band Christmas Prelude.
There is an afternoon concert by the Orillia Concert Band for kids December 6 at St. Paul’s Centre at 3 pm. The Orillia Community Children’s Choir is their guest and you can get tickets online.
Later the same day the annual Christmas Prelude happens at 7:30 p.m. Their guest performers are the Orillia Wind Ensemble. You can get tickets online.
The Orillia Silver Band has their concert December 14 at the Opera House – and they are playing Russian Christmas Music. Being Russian aside, it was written by an American using old Russian folk themes. It is a magnificent piece of work and is something I listen to it year-round (I’m listening to it now) for 50 years, it’s spectacular. You can get tickets online.
Part of the Silver Band will be playing with the Barrie choral group Bravado in a Christmas concert November 28 and 29 at the Collier Street United Church.. You can get tickets online.
The Orillia Vocal Ensemble has their Christmas concert December 14 at 4 p.m. at St. Paul’s Centre. They will be joined by the Orillia Community Children’s Choir. Admission is by donation.
The Cellar Singers are doing two pieces, Fantasia on Christmas by Ralph Vaughn Williams and Messe de Minuit pour Noel by Marc-Antoine Charpentier at St. James’ Anglican Church December 20. You can get tickets online.
Green Haven Shelter For Women’s annual reading of A Christmas Carol is happening December 18 at the Opera House. The performers are Aurora Browne, Christy Bruce, Tereesa Pavlinek, Naomi Snieckus, and Jane van de Graff, with Bruce Pirrie directing. Get tickets online.
Arts Orillia has a concert at the Opera House December 3 with Brassworks and student musicians from all three Orillia high schools, and special guests Kempenfelt Bay School. Get tickets online.
Review
The Orillia Youth Centre had a concert a week ago at Creative Nomad Studios. Three bands, Brat Stepson, Guilhem and the Bamboo Bones and Sleepy Jan played.
Brat is as punk as it gets, loud, loose, and distorted. I found the last half of their set the most engaging. They could have benefitted from a more powerful PA for the vocals. Or maybe it was powerful enough and the instrument amps were turned up to high. Either way, they have energy and play to the genre.
Guilhem and the Bamboo Bones was next. Guilhem backed by Pascale on bass and Vinny on drums (I’m an idiot, I didn’t ask their last names). Played a tight set. I was especially impressed by Pascale’s playing and the smile on her face that she kept from beginning to end. You have to love the music a musician is making who can’t stop smiling.
Jet Lips closed the show. They kind of felt like a jam band rooted in 70s psychedelia. The thing about that is everyone has to have a very good creative streak to keep things interesting. My interest was on Nate Robertson, who played drums. There were moments I was reminded of Keith Moon. Nate used all his drums all the time, and in some interesting ways. There is no way to predict what he will do in the next bar of music. The best way I can describe his playing is he plays riffs not drum beats or patterns. Well, he does those too, but even those tend to be riffs.
The big announcement the youth center’s director, Kevin Gangloff, had last week (the day after the column ran) is that Serena Ryder and Lydia Persaud have a concert at Creative Nomad Studios December 21. You can get tickets online. The concert with Grate Northern December 5 is sold out.
And The Award Goes To
The North Simcoe Art and Culture Awards happens Wednesday Nov. 26 at Creative Nomad Studios. The doors open at 6 p.m. So two things; North Simcoe Arts is the successor to the Orillia District Arts Council, and has expanded their footprint to include Midland and Tiny and Tay Townships. The awards were started by ODAC, then OMAH joined the fun and now the NSA are the stewards of the awards.
With the expansion of the area of influence, some of the nominees are new names to the Orillia culture and some of the award categories have a different focus than in the past. Those nominated are:
Youth Voice Award – Marshmellow (Raune-lea Marshall, Deby Melillo), Lucy Goodman and Kamdyn Caputo.
Equity and Inclusion Award – Champagne Top’Her; Call to Action #83 Art Project; Aaron Sheedy for the film ScapeGOAT; Amy-Rae Miller; Alasoba Kelsy-Braide; and Kate Hilliard.
Creative Experience Award – Lightfoot Days Festival; the Gordon Lightfoot Exhibit at the Orillia Museum of Art and History; Starry Night; Orillia Scottish Festival; and the Indigenous Art & Culture Awareness Week (Midland).
Community Impact Award – Whitney Newton; Sabrina Dodgson-Sturrup; Lesley Truemner; Jessica Allen; Sukhi Kaur; Carolyn Boyd; Streets Alive Artists; and Peter Fyfe and John Notten.
Qennefer Browne Achievement Award – John French; Xavier Fernandes; Dave Walker; Lucia McGarvey; Jan Novak; and Vangi Patton.
Admission is free.
The Shorts
- MAT’s Film Night at the Galaxy has Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight playing Dec. 3.
- The auction of one of Gord’s guitars is ends November 28. You can see the details for Lightfoot’s 1946 Gibson J-45 sunburst acoustic guitar here. As far as I’m concerned this is a steal. This is the same auctioneer that sold many items from Gord’s estate months ago (and where OMAH”s memorabilia came from) at prices I consider to be woefully undervalued. The current bid to beat is $3,100.
- The Orillia Concert Association has season tickets on sale (still only $90) and their lineup is: Terry Lim And Friends Feb. 22, Daniel Vnukowski March 22 and The Brooks, Ronai, Teske Trio May 3. All concerts are at 2:30 p.m. You can get the season tickets online.
- At OMAH has the annual Carmichael landscape show, Tradition Transformed, up to see (it’s great), they also have John Gould: Travels Of The Mind And Body, Gordon Lightfoot: Turning Back The Pages, and Tracing Places: Advertising In Orillia… Peter Street Fine Arts guest artist is Rick Barrett; the annual 6×6 Show will be up all of December and now is the time for artists to pick up their board ($20)… Steph Dunn has a show/sale at the Rugby Hall) on the Old Barrie Road) Nov. 22 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. … Raune-lea Marshall, Deby Melillo, Mike Bailey, Linda Gidora And Norman Robert Catchpole are opening Red Dot Gallery at Orillia Square mall Dec. 2 at 3 p.m. and stay open for the month.
- Quayle’s Brewery has Andrew Walker playing Nov. 21; Sydney Riley is in Nov. 22; Mark Gunn Nov. 23; Jojo Nov. 27; Ron Whitman Nov. 28 … the Hog ‘N Penny has Floral Park playing Nov. 21; the Kempencelts are in Nov. 22; and an afternoon jam session every Sunday with Sean Patrick and others… the ANAF club has Teresa and the Foundation playing Nov. 22
(Photos by Swartz – SUNonline/Orillia and Images Supplied)
