Some wonderful and surprising performances are coming up in the first week of August – evidence, I believe, of how far Flin Flon/Creighton/Denare Beach have come in support of the arts and culture in the past few years.
Even in the dog days of summer with the plethora of lakes and beaches to choose from, we will come out to marvel at the wonderful performers who make the trek northward to entertain us.
On Tuesday, August 1, we will host The Dream Catchers, a Canada 150 Signature project produced by the Confederation Centre for the Arts in Charlottetown, PEI.
They are touring Canada until September to “create opportunities for Canadians to come together and explore where we have come from and where we are going as individuals and as a nation. Using the dreams and voices of young Canadians to guide us we will explore the importance of inclusion, reconciliation, the environment and dreaming for our future.”
Their website says, “Take hip hop, spoken word and folk. Blend it with contemporary and Indigenous dance, choose 26 of the most diverse and exciting young actors from across the country and experience The Dream Catchers. The show is a vibrant music and dance filled spectacle that explores the dreams of young Canadians.”
This amazing-sounding show is presented by a partnership of the City of Flin Flon, the Flin Flon Aboriginals Friendship Centre and the Flin Flon Arts Council at Rotary Park at 2 pm.
That’s very different from the usual timeframe for shows, but it will be worthwhile to see the performance outdoors. Admis-sion is free (!), so bring a picnic and a blanket (or maybe a camp chair) and prepare to be astonished.
On Thursday, August 3,Métis fiddler and singer-songwriter Sierra Noble returns to Flin Flon and to Johnny’s Social Club for a special concert to “baptize” her new violin, made for her with love and dedication by our own Alistair Calligari.
Last year Sierra played two sold-out shows at Johnny’s with the Home Routes concert series, so she knows how knowledgeable and receptive our northern audiences are.
Her fiddle playing is pretty darned impressive; so much so that Alastair invited her (with her mom and her dog) to visit his workshop and try out some of the violins her has been making.
Sierra was enthralled by the sounds and the tone she made and heard, so a deal was struck – Alastair would construct a violin especially for Sierra, but Sierra would have to give another concert in Flin Flon to collect.
This is not the first time Alastair has created a violin for someone in particular. Back when the Flin Flon Community Choir gave us their production of Les Misérables, a young violinist and recent graduate of the Brandon University School of Music came to play in the pit band. Her name was Maria Cheriwick and she was billeted with Alastair and his wife, Lois.
Maria was the first in line for a violin from the Calligari workshop and came all the way back from her first real job with the Newfoundland Symphony to play a Johnny’s show as the “price” for the instrument.
Alastair also makes violas and has constructed one for local talent Janeve Masson. He is currently working on one for 2016 Canadian Grand Master Fiddler, Daniel Gervais, who hails from Edmonton.
When Daniel was here in the spring, he said he is often invited to “try out” amateur violin makers’ products, and he always hesitates because sometimes they don’t sound like they should.
Not so with Alastair’s fiddles. Daniel loved the sound so much he “borrowed” Alastair’s own viola to use until Alastair had the chance to make one for him.
When he comes back to pick it up, the Flin Flon area will get another treat, courtesy of Alastair’s Fiddles.
