Music Gala Invitation

MCC Saskatchewan is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, with a Music Gala planned for Friday evening, October 31st, to precede this year's MCCS Annual General Meeting on November 1, 2014.

The October 31st event will be a program of music with an international flavour to honour all of the diverse ministries of MCC in Saskatchewan and world-wide. MCCS will have people from across their constituency, children, youth and older people, women and men, individually and in groups, playing instruments and singing in several languages, in various styles, from different cultural threads in their fabric. The public is invited and can expect to hear everything from classical to folk, and country gospel to Asian songs, and some spirited audience singing. It will be a time of commemoration and thanksgiving, a joyful celebration of God's love shared through the work by MCC.

Claire Ewert Fisher, MCCS Director, and just back from the Ukraine, and Bosnia-Herzegovina, will be master of ceremonies, giving a short report on the needs she found there.

Musicians and musical groups on the program are:

Sonrisa

Sonrisa is a choir of diverse young women who gather in community to sing together. They compose their lives in commitment to service and peace. Their music comes out of the community they sustain between each other and the world around them. They are led by Lynne Driedger Enns.

Darrell Bueckert, Marimba Soloist

Darrell is a graduate of the University of Manitoba (B.A.) and the University of Saskatchewan (B.Mus. Mus.Ed. and M.Ed. in instrumental music). He has performed with many professional organizations including both the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra and the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra where he is currently Principal Timpanist. His performances with other ensembles have taken him to Europe, the USA, and many parts of Canada including a series of performances in Inuvik and Aklavik, North West Territories. Darrell’s performances, compositions and arrangements have also been recorded by CBC radio, and featured on CBC radio Saskatchewan.

F. G. Men of Song

Led by Walter Toews, this men's chorus consists of a pianist and 21 men, mainly from Forest Grove Community Church, and a few who have joined them from other churches. Their music repertoire consists mainly of praise, worship, gospel hymns, and anthems. They serve mostly elderly audiences in churches, retirement homes, and special care homes. They sing for their own enjoyment and to encourage the elderly with familiar songs of the past; and to glorify our Lord with the gifted voices with which He has blessed them.

Karen Newcomer Children

These Karen children are from the Karen State of Myanmar, now living in the Rosthern area, led by Marian Hooge

Emily Hooge, Violin Soloist

Emily Hooge will play "Meditation" from Massenet's Opera Thai.

Emily Hooge started violin lessons at the age of five through the Suzuki Strings Program. She has performed at numerous events since then including weddings, banquets, fundraisers and church events. Although Emily primarily plays classical music, she also enjoys playing chamber and fiddle music with others. She attends Nutana Park Mennonite Church and is very excited to be a part of raising money for Mennonite Central Committee. Emily is accompanied by her father, Peter Hooge.

The Peters Sisters

The Peters sisters; Betty Froese, Tina Peters, Eva Wilberger, Gertie Peters, and Frieda Wiebe, grew up in the village of Rheinland. They attended the Old Colony Church with their parents and now belong to the Bergthaler and other churches. Strong supporters of MCC, they help with Thrift Shops and the Canadian Foodgrains Bank. The sisters have been singing together since they were old enough to talk. They love country gospel music and usually sing in English and German, occasionally also in Low German, their mother tongue, most often in worship services, music festivals, care homes, weddings, and funerals, with joy in their hearts to the Lord.

Sine Nomine, a Men's Quartet

Robert Dick, Duff Warkentin, Peter Hooge, John Elias - are Sine Nomine ('without a name'), a men's quartet from Nutana Park Mennonite Church. Robert Dick, first tenor, is a farmer and singer who often performs as a soloist in opera and oratorio. Peter Hooge, second tenor, is an engineer, pianist, and all-round musician. Duff Warkentin, lyric baritone, is a musician and choral conductor with extensive experience leading chamber, oratorio, and community choirs. John Elias, bass, is an organizational psychologist and singer with years of ensemble and choral experience. They enjoy singing at worship services, musical celebrations, fund-raising events, and concerts.

Out to Pastor

'Out to Pastor' - is the new name chosen by BiC Country Gospel Singers, led by Carlin Fehr.

Barry Wall, Bryan Greer and Carlin Fehr have been singing on and off as life and opportunity bring them together. With a calling to share their faith in Jesus Christ and share hope through their life stories and down to earth gospel music, they have sung in their churches and encouraged each other through many ups and downs. As MCC Saskatchewan celebrates 50 years, May hope in Jesus lead us to many more years and opportunities to serve together in His name.

There will also be audience singing, led by Duff Warkentin, a well-known conductor from Rosthern.

Knox United Church has excellent acoustics for musical performance. That will make this a rich experience for the audience as well as these musicians. This is in keeping with the MCC way, doing wonderful things with excellence, all with the donations of the ordinary people who admire or feel a part of MCC. There will be an opportunity to give to MCCS through a free-will offering – however, no admission charge.

There are twelve commemorative events, one each month in 2014, each celebrating a ministry of MCC, e.g., the International Volunteer Exchange Program, refugee assistance, aboriginal neighbours, Canadian Foodgrains Bank, Thrift Shops, Ten Thousand Villages, etc., are just some that have already taken place.

Incidentally, the Saskatchewan government has declared November 19, MCC Day.

Articles, reports and photos can be seen online if you explore links from this MCCsk index mhss.sk.ca/MCCsk/ You may also download, print on a legal length sheet this Music Gala poster to to put up where you have access and permission.

Thank you for that favour!

[last updated - Dec/16/2021]

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Mennonite Historical Society of Saskatchewan
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