For over 30 years now, singers from the choirs of Trinity United Church in Verona, St. Paul's United in Harrowsmith and St. Paul's Anglican Church in Sydenham, along with singers from the surrounding local communities have been joining together in song to celebrate the Christmas season.

The free concert, which will take place at Trinity United Church in Verona on Friday, December 4 at 7:30pm, was originally conceived as a gift to the community and it continues to be one of the musical highlights of Christmas in the local communities. This year's concert will no doubt be another enjoyable, moving and festive celebration and it is Trinity United's way of kicking off the holiday season.

The 28-member choir has been practicing steadily for the past seven weeks under the direction of Annabelle Twiddy and will be performing a diverse and eclectic repertoire.

Not wanting to give too much away, the choir will sing “For Unto Us a Child is Born”, a selection from Handel's Messiah, as well as a fabulous rendition of “Silent Night”. The audience will have a chance to join in song with these talented singers in the carol known as “Star of the East” and will be invited to sing a number of other holiday favorites with the choir.

A group of young singers will also take to the stage for a virtual school bus ride to Bethlehem and will sing “How Far is it to Bethlehem.”

As always, the one-hour concert will be followed by a further gift of light refreshments when performers and the audience will have a chance to nibble on some treats and visit together. Annabelle Twiddy will be sharing her baton with guest conductors John McDougall, and Brad Barbeau, who will also be playing the organ. Marg Smith will also be accompanying the singers. The concert, always a seasonal highlight, is a great way for music lovers to kick off the 2015 holiday season. The performers hope to see a full sanctuary at Trinity United on Friday and they look forward to having the community join them in song and celebration.

Trevor McKinven, who hails from North Hatley, Quebec, admits that one of the reasons he has been putting on his one-man show titled “They Came From Away”, for the last four years is because he is “a bit crazy”. “You definitely have to be a wee bit crazy to do this kind of thing because it is a lot of work and it takes a lot of energy. But I keep doing it because people continue to request it and as result, my tours have been getting longer and longer since I started performing the play four years ago.”

The show, which was created by and stars Mckinven, focuses on the events of September 11, 2001 and more specifically, on the crisis created by the closing of US air space following the attacks in New York and Washington.

One of the results of the crisis was that no fewer than 42 planes containing 6500 people from all over the world were forced to land in Gander, Newfoundland that day. Newfoundlanders unhesitatingly rose to the occasion and opened their homes to these thousands of unexpected guests, the “Plane People”, displaying outstanding generosity and hospitality.

In the show, McKinven, who said he has a penchant for doing accents, has a field day playing characters from Italy, the southern United States, Brooklyn and more. He opens the show as Johnnie McDermott, an older Newfoundlander who tells of the event and his own unique history and take on the world. He speaks of the huge Gander airport, which was built for WW2 service but which following the war disappeared from the limelight like “meatloaf forgotten in the back of the freezer”. That changed when 911 happened.

With a perfect accent McKinven also plays an Italian from Florence named Giovanni Marino, who pokes fun at the differences between Italian and Newfoundland food while also mentioning Canada's famed music stars.

McKinven then transforms into Sherry, a “Hi Y'all”, southern belle from Georgia who talks her take on the event and later he takes the perspective of a Brooklyn firefighter, Frankie.

There are no sets, but McKinven more than makes up for that in his energy and enthusiasm for each persona he plays, with off-the-cuff one liners and his perfectly executed accents, which he has down spades.

McKinven did not experience the Gander events first hand, but rather had just landed in Scotland when 911 occurred. He said it was not until he returned to Canada two years later after traveling through Europe that he saw an opportunity. “I realized then that if I had been a fly on the wall in Gander, I could really do something with the situation. The fact that so many people from all over the world were gathered in this one place seemed absolutely amazing to me and so full of potential.”

He then set about writing 25 different monologues from the perspectives of various passengers, studying what their different takes might have been on the Newfoundland people, the place and their customs.

A few years later McKinven put on his first two showings of “They Came from Away” at the Piggery Theatre in North Hatley, Quebec to sold out audiences and was asked to extend the show for 10 more days. The rest, as they say, is history.

To date he has played in Sherbrooke and Montreal, Quebec, all over the Maritimes, and at various venues in the United States. After talking to a producer in New York he said he hopes to be heading there for a tour. Asked why the play appeals especially to audiences in smaller towns, McKinven said smaller communities tend to relate easily to the Gander situation. “The fact that thousands of people landed in a strange place, one they had never been to before and found it similar but also different from their own homes is what I think people find so interesting about the play. That and the fact that the Newfoundland people were so hospitable is what really hits people most.”

“They Came from Away” is a light-hearted look at a terrible tragedy, which like some tragedies, also included its own special silver lining, which shone so brightly in Gander, Newfoundland on that day.

Quilt lovers got more than their fair share of eye candy at the Trinity Quilters' Heritage Quilt show celebrating the 150th Anniversary of Frontenac County. On October 17 the Trinity United Church in Verona was lined wall to wall and pew to pew with hundreds of quilts, offering guests a close look at a number of heritage quilts from some impressive personal collections.

Front and centre at the show and displayed on the sanctuary's front dais were a number of exquisite pieces from the personal collection of Dr. Peter Bell, the lead family physician who heads up the Sharbot Lake Family Health Team. Bell spoke of the older heritage quilts that he collects, some made of cotton, but most made of wool. He said the latter attract him most because of their deep, muted and rich colours and heavier materials. “I tend to gravitate to these older wool quilts not only because of how they look and feel but also because they were made to be compatible to the life style at that time of early rustic homes, which were cold and where the inhabitants were looking for heavier, warm coloured quilts to keep them warm.”

One spectacular piece in Bell's display was a large sunburst patterned quilt, an old wool quilt from Toronto that dates back to 1886. Bell believes that it was likely made in Toronto but unlike many older crazy quilts, which were made from old worn clothes and/or bed covers, this Toronto quilt, in Bell's words, was “well planned out and was likely created from newly purchased material and used for special occasions”.

A second quilt done in the style of “Dresden Plate” has a number of disk shapes in two rows, with the disks made up of different coloured pie-shaped wedges.

A third piece, one of Bell's oldest quilts, is dated around 1840 and has a central medallion pattern with a central basket that boasts a floral arrangement. Also on display were a number of crazy quilts, many of which at that time were used to demonstrate the various stitch work patterns that could be used to stitch the pieces of the quilt together. One gorgeous log cabin style quilt is especially unique in that the primary pattern is prominent when viewed with the naked eye but when photographed, the image shows the secondary pattern moving to the fore.

One crazy quilt in Bell's collection has roots in Central Frontenac. It comes from the Cronk family of Long Lake Road near Parham and is stitch inscribed with the words “presant from mother to George, 24 Jen, 1912”. It is a unique piece, spelling mistakes and all.

Those who attended the show also had a chance to win three gorgeous quilts created by members of the Trinity Quilters group.

It was dark day for humanity. But shining through the darkness of September 11, 2001 was a light that came from the kindness and hospitality of the people of Gander, Newfoundland.

On the fateful day, that community embraced and absorbed over 6,500 stranded passengers. Theater lovers won’t want to miss Trevor McKinven's portrayal of four of the “Plane People."

How did a young man from North Hatley, Quebec, make a name for himself by writing a one-man play and performing as a Newfoundlander? When all air traffic was ordered to land on "The Rock" the locals went into action. They had the airport facilities to accommodate the influx but not the hotels/restaurants. So, the townsfolk took the displaced into their homes, giving them a place to rest their weary heads, have a good home-cooked meal, and a dose of old-fashioned Nfld hospitality. Of the “come-from-aways” who became part of the Gander family during that memorable week, many left as life-long friends of their host families.

Join four of these “plane people” as they reunite and reflect on that week-long international slumber/kitchen party. McKinven imagines their reunion as they remember their forced, and extended stay in a place they’d never heard of. With heart-warming humour, the one-man play takes a close look at the bonds formed in the midst of tragic circumstances.

During one interview, McKinven stated that the intimate atmosphere of a church auditorium lends itself perfectly to his play. The setting is meant to be a relaxed kitchen party, and that’s just what the audience experiences!

Since 2011, McKinven has performed his show more than 100 times. The venues have ranged in size from packed theatres in Montreal to church basements in the Maritimes.

See you there, Saturday, October 30, 7:30pm. Tickets $12 at the door. Light refreshments will be served.

The Trinity Quilters will be celebrating the county's 150th anniversary with a special heritage quilt show featuring over 100 quilts and other items that will be displayed in the sanctuary of Trinity United Church in Verona on Saturday Oct. 17.

The show will feature numerous heritage and antique quilts from the collections of the group's members, and members of the local community, as well as a wide selection of heritage quilts from the collection of Dr. Peter Bell. Quilt historian, Bethany Garner, will be on hand talking about her own unique display of quilts and Eric Simkins will be displaying his collection of antique sewing machines.

Members will also be showing off some of their newer quilts and various quilted items, including table runners, wall hangings, pillows, and wearable art. Three gorgeous quilts will be raffled off at the event. The first is a queen-size, hand cross-stitched, floral patterned quilt, machine quilted by Nancy Holden; the second, a Frontenac Star quilt, pieced together by group member Jean Claire and hand quilted by the Trinity members, and featuring blocks of stars with a triangular flying geese border design. The third quilt is a colorful children's pinwheel quilt, machine quilted by Doreen Morey, with blocks made by the Trinity group. It features a playful cowboy patterned design.

An on-site boutique will be offering various smaller quilted items for sale including pin cushions, scissor holders, small wall hangings, Christmas decorations and more. Wilton Creek Fabrics of Harrowsmith and Hamilton Fabrics will be selling a wide range of their related wares and Sharon Sole will be offering up her quilt photo greeting cards.

Lunch can be purchased for $6 and will be served between 11am and 2pm. Coffee and muffins will also be available for early guests. A number of door prizes will be given out to visitors throughout the day. Admission is $5 and proceeds from the quilt raffle will be donated to the church and will also help support Southern Frontenac Community Services' Day Away Program.

Don't miss this rare event on October 17, when Trinity United Church will be ablaze in colour to the delight of quilters and quilt enthusiasts alike. Trinity United Church is located at 6689 Road 38 in Verona. For more information contact Ann McDougall at 613-374-2516.

Organizers of an Olde Tyme Canadian Dinner fundraiser that took place at Trinity United Church in Verona on June 12 covered all the bases in celebrating 150 years in Frontenac County, as well as the church’s own 129th anniversary and the upcoming Canada Day celebrations.

Over 100 diners turned out for a sumptuous dinner that included an extensive menu put together by Diane Buchanan and Jane Mackay with the help of members of the congregation. They used recipes taken from classic United Church cookbooks, two in particular titled “Let Us Break Bread Together” and “Lunches and Suppers on the Go”.

The lavish meal included a fish chowder from Nova Scotia; cheese buns from Newfoundland; a cranberry raspberry molded salad from British Colombia; beef bourguignon from Cornwall, Ont.; and a wild rice casserole from Cut Knife, Saskatchewan. Desserts were rhubarb delight from Peace River, Alberta, and French Canadian sugar and maple syrup pie.

To get diners into the mood, bagpiper Ian Mackay piped the diners into the community hall, and again following the meal as they made their way to the church’s sanctuary for an evening of olde-tyme entertainment with a definite Canadian flavour.

Hope Andrews and Megan Peters played a scene from Anne of Green Gables and various choral ensembles from the church’s choir and congregation performed a number of rousing and highly comedic pieces, which included the Trinity ladies singing a rousing version of “I'se the B'ye” and the men of Trinity in appropriate bug attire, wielding flyswatters and singing a very funny rendition of “Black Flies of Ontario”.

Linda Brown read from famed Canadian novelist W.O. Mitchell's “Jake and the Kid” and Denny Buchanan read from Robert Service's famed poem “The Shooting of Dan McGrew”. Connie Shibley also performed a gorgeous version of the French Canadian song “The Wandering Canadian”. The evening ended with a sing along to “Something to Sing About”.

Without a doubt the diners left with fuller bellies and hearts and a better appreciation for Canada's rich history in the arts. For those not in the know, the members of the Trinity United sure know how to party Canadian-style and the evening proved that this lively and talented congregation definitely know how to put a Canadian stamp on anniversary celebrations.

Two talented musical groups will be joining forces for the first time at a special one time concert that will take place Friday, February 20 at the Kingston Christian Fellowship Church. The concert will feature performances by the 19-member Trinity United Church choir of Verona/Harrowsmith under the direction of Annabelle Twiddy and the 40-member Kingston Community String Orchestra under the direction of Wayne Tindale.

The concert is the brain child of Rennie Hutzler, a member of the orchestra who has been a long-time loyal fan of the Trinity choir. Last summer Hutzler initiated a meeting between the groups' two conductors, who decided to put on the one-time concert.

Sing 'N Strings begins at 7:30pm and will offer up a 1 hour, 10 minute repertoire that will include offerings by both groups individually as well as a number of combined offerings, which will include the ancient chant of eucharistic devotion, “Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence” and a moving and melodic spiritual set to the tune of Dvorak's New World Symphony. The finale will definitely be a show stopper and I will not give away here; suffice to say that is sure to be especially moving and memorable. I will only hint that it is a favorite pop classic that listeners will remember from decades ago and that should leave them with a warming of their hearts and souls on what will likely be another cold February day.

Live music remains one of the more humane, friendly and universal mediums, and though it has been noted that listening to accomplished musicians will not make one's wallet bigger nor slake one's thirst or hunger, still, it has the ability to leave one with a sense of wonder and enchantment, and the feelings of hope and comfort that only accomplished singers and players coming together can bring. The concert is free of charge and listeners are invited to make a free will offering at the door.

The Kingston Christian Fellowship church is located at 2621 Road 38 just south of Harrowsmith. The church is 100% wheelchair accessible and there is plenty of parking available.  

For about 40 years, Trinity United Church in Verona has been giving a choral Advent concert as a “gift to the community” and this year’s concert proved yet again to be a delightful and memorable gift. The choir was made up of the combined choirs of St. Paul's/Trinity United in Verona, St. Paul's Anglican church in Sydenham and singers from the local community.

As listeners filled the beautiful church sanctuary, they were treated to music by the flute quartet Toute Ensemble, who set the mood for the evening.

The choir opened with a processional, singing “O Come O Come Emmanuel”, then invited the audience to join in “O Come All Ye Faithful”.

The choir was led by their long time conductor, Annabelle Twiddy with members of the choir also directing on a number of selections.

The program included a delightful dramatization of the festive carol “Good King Wenceslas”, featuring Ralph McInnes as the king and the talented young singer Ava Ludlow as the page, joined on stage by a young cast of characters.

The audience was invited to join in for a number of traditional carols including “Hark the Herald Angels Sing”, “Once in Royal David’s City”, “Silent Night” and others. Brad Barbeau, organist at St. Paul's Anglican Church in Sydenham, accompanied the choir for one dramatic selection and choir member Tom Mawhinney conducted “One Day”, a song that he composed especially for the concert. The repertoire included songs from a number of musical genres and time periods, including an upbeat version of “Beautiful Star of Bethlehem”, the dramatic Laudate Dominum by Honegger, the gorgeous Coventry Carol from the early 1500s, the Irish traditional Wexford Carol and the French folk song “Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence”.

As usual the soprano/alto/tenor bass choir dramatically expressed through song the diverse emotions that the festive season brings. The addition of a number of new singers to this year’s community choir also brought an added dimension to the sound. One of the most moving selections came at the concert’s finale when the singers lined the aisles of the sanctuary and performed a moving version of J. Purifoy's Christmas Blessing, enveloping the listeners in their sound and bringing the audience to their feet in a heart felt standing ovation. Following the concert the audience was invited to share in refreshments, and many congratulated the singers, accompanists and their fearless leader Annabelle for what has become one of most beloved concerts of the festive season.