Ecumenical service, music in the park

Jul 05, 2017

It’s not often all the churches in the area get together for an event but that’s what happened Sunday in Verona. And to top it off, the day also featured a stunning concert featuring two local teenagers with extremely bright futures.

The Ecumenical Service was a Canada 150 event featuring seven area churches, said Rev. Patsy Henry of Trinity United Church, one of the organizers.

“It was wonderful, and the first time anything like this has occurred in my time here (six years)” Henry said. “We had five area pastors, and a mixed choir from a number of congregations.

“Everybody seemed very happy and I think this should be a yearly event.”

Henry said there were about 200 people in attendance “based on the number of chairs.”

Never one to miss out on an opportunity, the Verona Community Association’s Joyce Casement said the VCA figured this was a good day to have a Music in the Park event.

“They (the churches) planned the Ecumenical Service, so we tagged on to it,” she said.

Not only did the VCA bring in some top-notch music, they also sprung for a free lunch of hot dogs and cake, and paid for the grounds.

Now, about this edition of Music in the Park.

The VCA has been putting on some excellent Sunday concerts for a few years now usually three or four a summer. The event stared out at McMullen Park by the water but moved to the Lions Pavilion after experiencing a couple of rainouts.

And you could make a case for being the best Music in the Park installment yet, thanks to the remarkable talents of two teenage girls.

Mountain Grove’s Jessica Wedden led things off fiddling up a storm and backed by Inverary’s Jon McLurg (Turpin’s Trail, Crooked Wood). Wedden delighted the audience with classic fiddle tunes, step-dancing and trick fiddling. This kid never seems to miss a note and smiles from the time she hits the stage until she gets off (even then the smile seems to remain).

Wedden proved to be a very capable opening act for another area rising star — Abby Stewart (OK, she’s from Kingston but after her concert earlier this year at GREC and this outing, we’ll claim her too).

Backed by guitarist Shaun Weima, Stewart certainly didn’t disappoint, running through a mix of country and alternative in a polished style that’s all her own.

Just imagine if you got to see Natalie MacMaster opening for Shania Twain before they were ‘stars’ and you’ll kind of get the picture.

Ladies, it was a treat.