On Wednesday evenings, about 35 singers from across the Coast have been coming together at St. Hilda's Anglican Church to work on the Fauré Requiem directed by Sara Douglas with David Millard at the piano.
The Sechelt Summer Choir project was initiated by Douglas, a talented singer and Coast teacher of music, drama and French.She teamed up with Millard, gifted pianist and composer, who is organist and choir director at St. Martin's Anglican Church in North Vancouver, to offer this summer choir project.
The project has brought choristers together from many different Coast communities and church choirs. As the culmination of working together over the past weeks, the Sechelt Summer Choir is presenting the Fauré Requiem in a concert at St. Hilda's Church, Sechelt, at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 30, with admission by donation.
Celebrate Life
Coast residents Sasha Belle and Kocassale Dioubate (originally from Guinea, West Africa), are putting together a fun family show at the Gibsons Heritage Playhouse tonight, Friday, Aug 26.They are bringing a group of amazing performers, originally from Zimbabwe, Guinea and Ivory Coast, to present Celebrate Life, an all-ages multicultural family show at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are at many outlets or at the door.
Harvest festival
This Saturday the Sunshine Coast Botanical Garden Society hosts itsHarvest Festival starting at 11:30 a.m. featuring family fun, great food and toe-tapping music.
It also includes exhibits, tasting in the vegetable garden, children's crafts, Bouncy Castle and Gerardo Avila, the magician/story-teller.
TheHarvest Contest invites you to bring your biggest, best, weirdest, most amazing fruit or vegetable grown in your own home garden. Heaviest zucchini? Weirdest carrot? Tallest sunflower?Suggested donation is $5 per person or $20 for family. The garden is at 5941 Mason Rd., gate three, or phone 604-740-3969. Tickets are at the gate.
Later that same day, the Botanical Garden hosts Byrnes on the Terrace at 4:30 p.m. Sip a glass of wine, nibble on Italian appetizers, enjoy paintings by Coast artist Jane Ford and listen to bluesman Jim Byrnes live at the Sparling Pavilion. Tickets are $50 from the Botanical Garden or at the Sechelt Visitor Centre.
Container art
Sunshine Coast glass artist Miyuki Shinkai has been selected to participate in the Container Art Exhibit at the 2011 Pacific National Exhibition.
The PNE Container Art Show is a unique, multi-disciplinary venue/gallery featuring artists' exhibits shown in shipping containers set up in the Spirit Plaza area; it runs until Sept. 5. The show partnered with Port Metro Vancouver to showcase the history and tradition of the Port, and Shinkai's exhibit, entitled The Luminous Vessels, reflects this connection.
She has created 80 hand-blown and cast glass vessels in light green, from recycled glass.The vessels are displayed on a table top with sand that represents where our ports have evolved. The container art will be up during the PNE and organizers estimate close toone million people will visit over the 17-day fair.
Bluewaters surprise
The folks at Bluewaters Books in Madeira Park are anticipating a surprise visit from a special well-known author -Scotland's Alexander McCall Smith, writer of the popular book about Botswana, The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency and his latest, Corduroy Mansions and The Dog Who Came in from the Cold. Contact the store at www.bluewaters.ca for more details.
Last music
The Music in the Landing's final weekend of live music at outdoor venues of Gibsons Landing begins tonight from 7 to 8 p.m. in the Gazebo at the end of the wharf. The Duttons group has been closing the Gazebo season since 2003 and continues to be a favourite. They are made up of 10-plus players of vocals, strings and things -a kitchen party in the Gazebo.
On Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Bad to the Bow, a young fiddle group with a hot rhythm section, performs at the Info Centre followed by more youth from 2 to 3:30 p.m. in Winegarden Park with the Youth Showcase.
On Saturday evening from 7 to 8:30 in Winegarden Park, see another perennial favourite, the internationally acclaimed Celso Machado who performs his multi-instrumental set as the sun goes down on the harbour, so bring your warm blankets and lawn chairs to enjoy.
On Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on the Sundial Stage next to the Gibsons Sunday Market, the last show of the season will be a cabaret on the sidewalk as the three gals from Mimosa, Anna Lumiere, keys, Rebecca Shoichet, vocals, and Karen Graves, vocals/sax/flute, perform. This group will take you on an unforgettable journey into time and sound, a perfect close to the ninth season of Music in the Landing.
Anagram jam
The musical duo of Anagram is hosting a monthly jazz jam at the Gumboot Café in Roberts Creek.Friday, Sept. 2 will be the third jam.The first set starts at 8 p.m. with the house band of Graham Ord on sax and flute, Anna Lumiere on keys, John Rule on drums and Boyd Norman on bass. The sign-up sheet circulates and the jam starts around 9 p.m. So far they've hosted jazz jammers, younger players, blues, Cal the harmonica player and also some duelling pianos with Lumiere and Ken Dalgleish.Though many musicians turn out, they need more audience members. All are welcome.
Correction
Coast Reporter regrets an error made last week during production. The photo caption for the Gibsons Landing Art Stroll was incorrect. The photo depicted Marje Umezuki about to set out on her Art Stroll with Gibsons Public Art Gallery volunteer Bonnie Martens. The Stroll was successful for several winners who entered their names in a draw after visiting each of the venues. The winners are: Marilyn Browning, Gibsons, who won the Dean Van't Schip framed photograph; Claire Wiebe, Abbotsford, with the Sa Boothroyd art work; Sue Prentice,Gibsons, a Leo's gift certificate and Roxanne deMeyer, N. Vancouver, with theSushi Bar Nagomi certificate.
Deadline Tuesday
Send items for Art Beat (include who, what, where, when, why and ticket info) to me via e-mail ([email protected]) or phone 604-886-4692 by Tuesday before 5 p.m. for Friday's newspaper. Art Beat covers events up to one week ahead only.
