The Royal School of Church Music Eastern Ontario Branch Spring Newsletter May, 2004

Dear Members,

We had a very busy Fall with many events.  However, there were just two in the Spring, a Reluctant Organist/Reluctant Choir workshop and a Hymn Festival in Brockville.

Reluctant Organist/Choir Director workshop - Trinity St. Andrews United Church, Renfrew, April 24 (Saturday), 2004

At this workshop we were small in number( only 6) but mighty.  It was good to renew aquaintance with one of the registrants who had attended the RSCM Summer School in Brockville in 2002.

The facilities at Trinity St. Andrews were marvelous. After the workshops, the registrants were invited to listen to the Ottawa Valley Festival Chorus along with their professional Valley Festival orchestra, practising for their concert, Mozart's "Grand Mass" in C Minor, which was being performed the next day in this church.

Brockville Hymn Festival - St. John's United Church, Brockville, May 2, 2004

A very successful Ecumenical Hymn Festival, sponsored by the Royal School of Church Music, Eastern Ontario Branch, was held at St. John's United Church, Brockville on Sunday evening, May 2nd, with a massed choir of approximately 110 choristers from various churches taking part.  It was a very exhilarating and uplifting experience for both the choristers and the congregation who packed the church almost to its capacity.

The church was filled with the glorious singing of "The Great Hymns of Easter".  The choirs were provided with a hymn booklet compiled by Peter Shepherd, containing "public domain" music and also three descants composed by Peter Shepherd.

Conductor for the evening was Michael Goodwin from Kingston area and the Organist was Peter Shepherd, Organist at St. Francis Xavier Roman Catholic Church, Brockville.

Contingents from the following choirs participated:

St. John's Anglican Church, Prescott

St. Paul's United Church, Prescott

Athens United Church

St. Francis Xavier Roman Catholic Church, Brockville

Lakeshore Road United Church, Morrisburg

Lansdowne United Church

Mallorytown United Church

Merrickville United Church

Bethel Christian Reformed Church, Brockville

Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Brockville

St. John's United Church, Brockville

Delta United Church

Portland United Church

St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church, Williamstown

and individual choristers

Clergy Readers:

The Rev. Nick Cornelisse - Bethel Christian Reformed Church, Brockville

The Rev. Myra Garvin - St. John's United Church, Brockville

The Rev. Timothy Kuhlmann - Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Brockville

The Rev. Brian Price - St. Francis Xavier Roman Catholic Church, Brockville

The Rev. Michael Read - St. Peter's Anglican Church, Brockville

The Rev. Dr. Helen Wilson - Wesleyan Methodist Church, Brockville

Capt. Alfred Wilson - The Salvation Army, Brockville

Refreshments were served following the service.

On Friday, May 7, 2004, a meeting of the executive of the RSCM Eastern Ontario Branch was held at Mino's Restaurant in Kingston.  We welcomed a new member to our branch, Peter George from Holy Trinity Anglican Church in Frankford.  Our membership for 2004 stands at 17 so far.  

RSCM material is to be displayed at the Bay of Quinte and the Ottawa/Montreal United Church Conferences in May.

"Faith is the bird that feels the light

and sings when the dawn is still dark"

Rabindranath Tagore

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