The Sechelt Summer Music Series will be presenting concerts every Saturday all summer on the Library Lawn Stage, at noon and 1 p.m. This week, July 8, Bits of String are playing. Kaia Nielsen and Mark Lebbell like to call their music Canadicana, drawing inspiration from non-traditional cover tunes and originals. Their repertoire is full of trains, trucks and love lost and found. The Midds are a Canadian Sunshine Coast original rock band: Ray McNally, vocals, guitar; Jeff Lucas, lead guitar; John Geoffrion, bass; Jim McEwan, drums.
Coffee House
This Friday, July 7 the Pender Harbour Coffee House at the School of Music is on at a new time, 8 p.m., doors at 7:30 p.m. Performances are by Shelley and Allan Neinhuis, vocal duo; Nikayla Kozlof, youth singer and ukulele; Joan and Ted, duo, vocals with guitar; and Mark Brezer, vocals and guitar. Suggested donation is $10 at the door. Coffee and goodies will be sold.
Classical guitar
The Coast Guitar Group presents an afternoon classical guitar recital performing music from Piazzolla, Debussy and Lennon/McCartney on Sunday, July 9 at 2 p.m. at Living Faith Lutheran Church in Davis Bay. The Grohovac-Ibison Duo, Janet Grohovac and Chad Ibison, have been performing together since 2010 and are based in Austin, Texas. Both musicians pursued their Doctorate of Musical Arts degrees specializing in guitar performance at the University of Texas at Austin where Grohovac graduated in 2014 and Ibison most recently in May 2016. Tickets at the door are $20.
Halfmoon Bay dance
Next up for the classic rock band Playback is a gig at the 51st annual Halfmoon Bay Country Fair this weekend. They will be playing at a Saturday, July 8 dinner and dance in Coopers Green. Tickets are $30 (dinner and dance) or $15 (dance only) at Halfmoon Bay General Store, Welcome Woods Market and Pastimes in Sechelt.
Slow Sundays
This coming Sunday, July 9, Slow Sundays in the Creek is pleased to feature the talented local singer-songwriter (and world downhill skateboard finalist) Charlie Daigneault, who returns to the Coast for a musical visit. She brings her unique, powerful songs to Slow Sundays in downtown Roberts Creek on July 9 at 2 p.m. Ken Dalgleish and friends are also performing between 3 and 4 p.m. All are invited. Martini Madness is unable to perform on July 9 and has been rescheduled for a Sunday in August.
Summer ballet
Summer ballet continues from July 10 to 14 with a workshop on July 15, and with a twist this summer. After an intense week of classes, stretches and variations, there is now an extra day in which Kathleen Holmes will be joined by Eric Burrough and Graham McMonagle, who have been coming to the Coast for the past two seasons to perform with Coasting Along Theatre Society’s The Nutcracker. They have coached, taught classes and mentored the dancers. The introduction to pas de deux classes will be exceptionally fun. Each female dancer should bring a male body for the class – father, brother, friend – anyone who wants to learn the proper way to pick up girls! In past workshops, the fathers, in particular, enjoyed learning the physicality of the art form, and grew to appreciate the dedication of their daughters. The boys and men will stay to learn more (at no charge) as the women continue with individual coaching. Classes are at the Coast Academy of Dance facility, 5645 Wharf Ave, Sechelt. To register: [email protected] or phone 604-740-7005.
Basque music
The Gumboot Café in Roberts Creek presents Korrontzi, folk music from the Basque region of Spain, on July 13. This is an outreach concert from the Vancouver Folk Festival. Doors open at 7 p.m. Tickets are at the door for $15. For more info, call Ann Law at 604-886-4768.
Children’s art workshop
Keeping it Wild in Your Backyard is the title of this year’s fifth annual children’s art workshop collaboration between the Sunshine Coast Arts Council and the Sunshine Coast Conservation Association (SCCA), sponsored by the Rotary Club of the Sunshine Coast - Sechelt. The three-day art and environmental workshop runs from Wednesday to Friday, July 12 to 14 at the Sunshine Coast Arts Centre in Sechelt. The finished collaborative artwork is on display at the Arts Centre until Monday, July 17. The theme of this year’s workshop is pollinators and their importance to our native plants. Artist Bruce Edwards returns to instruct students (aged nine to 12) on painting their own pairing of native plants and pollinator. The SCCA will be inviting local environmentalists to speak to the children on the importance of pollinators. The workshop is $75 and the application form can be downloaded from the Arts Council’s website at sunshinecoastartscouncil.com. For further information, call 604-885-5412.
Salish Sea
This Living Salish Sea, a film by Gibsons artist Sarama, filled two houses last week in its world premiere at the Heritage Playhouse. If you missed it this time, you can see it on Saturday, Sept. 16 at 2 p.m. at the Raven’s Cry Theatre in Sechelt, presented by the Green Film Series. Admission will be by donation, to help the filmmaker who wrote, filmed, edited and produced the film out of his own pocket. His astounding underwater footage tells of the rich biodiversity of the waters around us and his interviews with environmentalists, scientists and First Nations reveal the evolving story of our Salish Sea.
Keep me posted
Please continue to send me your arts announcements, but note that they will run in the newspaper one day to one week ahead only. My deadline is Tuesday at noon for next Friday’s paper. Email [email protected] or phone 604-886-4692.
