History
Originally formed in
1994 as a fund raising effort for St. Alban's church, we
have evolved into an independent not-for-profit
organization who's focus is the presentation of quality
music in the wonderful settings that Amherst Island
provides.
The original WaterSide Summer Festival committee:
Jan Sneep (President and Ticket Master)
Diane Hieatt (Musical Director)
Dave Hieatt (Secretary / Treasurer)
Caroline Yull (Marketing)
These people managed to pull off an amazing first season
of five incredibly well attended concerts.
Over the years many others joined us for various seasons
to offer what assistance they could Lyn Fleming, Dick
and Ardis Shurtleff, Dorothy McGinn, Bobbi and Michael
Shaw, Janet Grace, Andrea Cross and Bruce Burnett, Andy
and Lisa Chisholm, John Schutzbach and Inka Brockhausen,
Kirsten Bennick, Bernice Gould and Neil Johnston.
Even Hans and Erica Krauklis were active in passing out
flyers in the early days. As you can tell we have
had the help of many wonderful people throughout the
years.
For the 2000 season Inka Brockhausen, who was the lead
performer in our very first concert (Wassermusik), took
on the role of President and Music Director from Diane
Hieatt whose fledgling Real Estate career started to
provide additional time constraints in her life.
While there obviously was a strong association with St
Alban's during the first season, in order to pursue
different sources of funding and broaden our appeal to
other groups of volunteers and sponsors we started to
operate more and more at arms length starting with
our second season and by the 2001 season we became a
fully independent organization. In 2005, Beverley
Harris became Music Director. The Waterside Summer
Series receives administrative support as part of the
Recreation program of Loyalist Township.
Our past performances:
2009
-
The New Zealand
String Quartet with James
Campbell, clarinet, Canada's pre-eminent
clarinetist and wind soloist.
-
The Barrett Brothers
with Peter Tiefenbach Hailing
from Corner Brook NL, these brothers are
taking the world of opera and concert by
storm!
-
Janina Fialkowska,
returning following her hugely
successful debut in Japan.
-
Elizabeth Beeler with Fred Love and Derek
Bate return
to perform songs from Broadway and the West End.
-
Michael Kaeshammer
and his
trio returning
with his unique piano styled "boogie and
blues"
2008
-
Mark Haines fiddle, guitar and voice with Tom Leighton playing accordion, piano and bodran.
with their jigs and reels and down east infectious humour.
- Cellist
Denise Djokic and award-winning
pianist David Jalbert.
-
Quartetto Gelato
returns with an
exciting new program.
Tenor Peter DeSotto also plays
violin, Alexander Sevastian accordion,
Carina Reeves cello and Shalom
Bard clarinet. -
The New Zealand String Quartet
travels twelve thousand
miles from their Island to ours.
Hailed as an
absolute perfect ensemble with outstanding technical
skills and passionate playing.
-
Richard Raymond
"If piano playing ever becomes
an Olympic sport, count on Richard Raymond to win a gold
medal ... a very romantic virtuoso ...electrifying
pianist..." Toronto Star
2007
-
Janina Fialkowska
piano, performs Mendelssohn’s Songs
without Words, Schubert’s
Sonata in G Major and Chopin’s
Barcarolles, Waltzes and Scherzos.
-
The
Canadian
Cabaret
with Ruth
Morawetz, piano & Gerald Isaac, actor,
singer, dancer,
with special guest, singer Glynis Ranney
from the Shaw Festival.On
Wings of Song
The
Gryphon
Trio.
Annalee Patipatanakoon
violin, Jamie Parker piano and Roman
Borys
cello.
They returned to Waterside by
popular demand.
- The Michael Kaeshammer Trio
“Boogie-woogie, ragtime. and romantic
ballads with jazz stylings seamlessly melding
into a unique piano sound”.
- Gordon Craig,
clarinet &
Michel Szczesniak piano,
entertain with classical pieces and
improvised stylings of popular
favourites.
2006
-
The Music Within
Mark DuBois
Elizabeth Beeler
Danny McErlain
Waterside patrons still talk about Mark’s concert in
2003. Mark returns this year in a performance of
Operetta, Broadway and Song partnered with soprano
Elizabeth Beeler and accompanied by pianist Danny
McErlain. Mark’s recent CD, Chansons d’Amour,
with Gloria Saarinen, was nominated for a Juno.
-
Studio Sparks on Amherst Island
Eric
Friesen
Amanda
Forsyth
Jean
Desmarais
“Music to stimulate and surprise, sooth and seduce, with
conversation to match”; that is how Eric Friesen
describes the spirit of his afternoon Studio Sparks
program on CBC Radio Two. For this special presentation
on Waterside he is hosting Juno Award-winning Amanda
Forsyth, considered one of North America’s most dynamic
cellists.
-
On
Wings of Song
Russell Braun
Norine
Burgess
Carolyn Maule
One of the most sought-after lyric baritones on the
international stage today, Russell Braun comes to
Waterside this summer from the Salzburg Festival. He is
joined by Canadian mezzo-soprano Norine Burgess, whose
compelling stage presence and beauty of tone promise an
ideal partnership with Russell and their accompanist,
Carolyn Maule. Russell’s latest CD, Winterreise,
is now available on the CBC label.
-
The
Celtic Spirit
Mark
Haines
Tom
Leighton
Mark and Tom share a not so secret passion; jigs and
reels and other forms of traditional music. Engaging
humour and personality have made them popular
performers, a “two man folk festival”. They received the
PEI Song of the Year Award 02 for the
title track from their CD, Hand To Hand.
The
Gryphon Trio
Annalee Patipatanakoon
Jamie
Parker
Roman Borys
“The secret of the Gryphon Trio is their sheer love of
musical experience, a love which they communicate to
their audiences with a blend of passion and ease”.
(Globe & Mail)
Touring internationally since 1993, the Gryphon Trio is
now recognized as one of North America’s premier chamber
ensembles.
2005
-
Humour in
Music
The
comic songwriters Nancy White and Roger James joined
forces in a cabaret show with delightful and
hilarious takes on many timeless issues.
-
Canadian
Jazz Quartet
Well-known on the Toronto Jazz scene, the C.J.Q.
play mainstream jazz with a graceful treatment of
standards and original material: Gary Benson,
guitar; Frank Wright, vibraphone; Duncan Hopkins,
bass; Don Vickery, percussion.
-
Quartetto
Gelato
This dazzling ensemble performed classical
masterworks, opera, tangos, gypsy and folk songs.
The concert included highlights from the CD
‘Quartetto Gelato Travels the Orient Express’ with
Cynthia Steljes, oboe and English horn, Peter
DeSotto, tenor, violin and mandolin, Alexander
Sevastian, accordion, piano and bandoneon, and
Kristina Reiko Cooper, cello.
-
Chantecleer
Thomas Davidson, piano, Tracy
Davidson, soprano, and Gordon Craig, clarinet,
performed in a delightful evening of classical and
lighter chamber music from Chopin and Schubert to
Gershwin.
-
Baroque and
Beyond
Donelda Gartshore, Sarah Gartshore,
Aurora Dokken, and John Edwards, played early and
baroque music on rare instruments (lute, theorbo,
baroque flute, harpsichord) with soprano voice in a
beautiful and educational performance.
2004
- Classics
in the Country
Violinist Arkady Yanivker and pianist Olga
Tcherniak have enjoyed successful careers as
musicians in Russia and Canada. They
performed romantic and virtuoso classical
music by Bach and Beethoven to Gershwin.
-
Romances
and Rhapsodies
Mark DuBois
is acclaimed for his outstanding lyric-tenor
voice, his artistry and versatility. New
Zealand –born pianist Gloria Saarinen
returned by popular demand for her brilliant
and intuitive playing.
-
Summer
Bells
The Japanese
Kobe YMCA Bell Choir offered a broad
repertoire of songs, hymns and classical
pieces performed on hand bells. This
impressive group is internationally known
for outstanding performances.
-
Bluegrass
and Gospel
The talented
Abrams Family and Clarendon Station, a group
of nine musicians, sang and played a
refreshing blend of Bluegrass and Gospel
music on fiddles, banjos, bass and
mandolins. An exceptional and exuberant
event!
-
Winds
among the Trees
The Alexi
Ensemble performed spirited chamber music on
piano and reed instruments, including oboes
and bassoons. This internationally acclaimed
ensemble was founded in New York in 1986.
2003
-
The
Romantic Piano
New Zealand born Gloria Saarinen lived for many
years in Calgary while gaining international
recognition for her “warm, lyrical and
imaginative playing” (London Times). She
presently lives in Burlington.
-
Romance
Italian Style
Baritone Bruce Kelly
returns this summer by popular demand. He has
performed with orchestras and opera companies in
Europe and throughout Canada. He is a member of
the Queen’s University School of Music. Dina
Namer teaches piano at Carleton University and
frequently performs with the National Arts
Centre Orchestra.
-
Marriage
in Music
CBC-TV featured Anton Kuerti & Kristine Bogyo in
their "Marriage in Music" documentary in January
2003.
-
Organ
Magic
St. Alban's
Ahlborn-Galanti organ is played by Deirdre
Piper, Associate Professor in the Music Faculty
at Carleton University in Ottawa and organist at
Ottawa's St. Matthias Anglican Church.
-
Celtic
Folk
“Night Sun is what
might happen if a bunch of Canadians played like
a Greek wedding band at a Bar Mitzvah in
Ireland.” This Eastern Ontario favourite fun
group features Chris Coleman, Ellen Hamilton
and others.
2002
2001
-
Bach
To 2000 and Beyond
The rich sound of the organ, with guitar and the
magnificent voices of David Cameron, Mark Schaub
and Gilda Di Cola.
-
Swing Jazz
An
evening of popular entertainment,
recreating music of the big band era,
featuring Kingston's Ron Gilbertson
Swing Quartet.
-
Wassermusik
Romantic and baroque music by waterside with the
chamber music group formed by Amherst Island
pianist Inka Brockhausen.
-
Nightsun
Kingston's well known group performs unique
Canadian folk music with heart, imagination and
rhythm.
-
Music and Fun
Roger James, interactive music performance and
comedy.
2000
-
Wassermusik
Romantic chamber music played by Toronto
musicians Pamela and Pierre Meulien, Clara and
Leonard Odynski and Amherst Island's Inka
Brockhausen.
-
Come
to the Music Hall
Songs and sing-alongs by Judith Vachon soprano,
Garth Hampson baritone and our own Inka
Brockhausen on piano.
-
Les
Barricades Misterieuses
A extra special performance in the old Victoria
Hall - 18th century music and dance performance
in period costumes.
-
The
Eagle Band
An evening of inspirational gospel music.
-
Queen's 2000
Romantic music played by Queen's faculty Wolf
Tormann cello and Cynthia Szabo piano.
-
Kingston Ceili Band
Back for an
unprecedented seventh season, our
annual traditional Celtic music and sing-along
concert.
1999
-
Wassermusik
A rich and rewarding evening of romantic chamber
music.
-
Classical Cabaret
Songs of Kurt Weill, Franz Lehar and many others
by Judith Vachon, soprano accompanied by Gloria
Fox, piano.
-
Ragtime to modern Jazz
George Thurgood, piano, plays and teaches Jazz
styles from ragtime to modern Jazz.
-
Fourgiven
A concert for all ages: Country music to gospel
and rock.
-
Kingston Ceili Band
A sixth season of the popular sing along and
ceili music.
1998
-
Erica Goodman and Donelda Gartshore
World-renowned harpist and flautist play chamber
music in our rural church.
-
"The
Country Church" Group
The Fiddle and Bango accompany these singers
from Sharbot Lake who sing gospel and blue grass
style.
-
Judith Vachon and Lisa Pecora
An evening of song - from Broadway to Opera via
Victorian Music Hall.
-
Kingston Baroque Ensemble
Music of the eighteenth century performed in a
tranquil setting - Harpsicord, Lute and Baroque
Flute.
-
Kingston Ceili Band
For the fifth straight season! Many Celtic tunes
for you to sing along with. Music both
contemporary and traditional. Played on fiddles,
hammered dulcimer, tin whistles, guitar and
banjo.
1997
-
Marcella Branagan
Renowned Pianist performing selections from
Bach, Hayden, Chopin, Debussy, Ravel and
Rachmaninov.
-
Classical Chamber Music
Donalda Gartshore (Flute), Wolf Tormann (Cello)
and Dina Namer (Piano) give us a selection from
Handel, Kuhlau, Ravel, Damasse, Dorna and
Burton.
-
Memory Lane
The Ted Reeves quartet (Guitar, Violin, Flute
and Bass) entertains us with easy listening
music from the 40's and 50's.
-
Dixie 6 + 1
Don McCallum & Company return with another
evening of outstanding Dixieland Jazz.
-
Kingston Ceili Band
They are back again with more toe tapping Celtic
favourites! Music both contemporary and
traditional. Played on fiddles, hammered
dulcimer, tin whistles, guitar and banjo.
1996
-
Musick's Pleasures & Quinte Consort
A Madrigal group and a Renaissance
ensemble
perform a repertoire of music dating from the
14th to 17th centuries. The glowing tapestry of
medieval costumes, together with music and dance
by candlelight recreate the performance ambiance
of older times.
-
George Thurgood - Jazz Piano
George is a composer, soloist and teacher of
Jazz and Classical piano at the Royal
Conservatory of Music in Toronto. An evening of
Jazz piano covering styles traditional to modern
of all the greats, along with some original
compositions.
-
Arkady Yanivker and Thomas Wiebe
Renowned Toronto Symphony performers give us an
magical evening of music which includes
selections from Bach, Handel-Kallvorcen and
Villa-Lobos.
-
Musical Evening and Singalong
Tim and Bev Hallman give us a musical evening
and singalong with songs in the style of Mitch
Miller, Vera Lynn, Patsy Cline and other popular
instrumental numbers.
-
The
Love Letters
Nick and Joy Hunter present A.J. Gurney's light,
modern, often amusing play about the evolution
of a relationship between a man and a woman.
Written in 1988 and performed at Stratford.
-
Kingston Ceili Band
Back by popular request. A wild and rousing
Celtic romp! Music both contemporary and
traditional. Played on fiddles, hammered
dulcimer, tin whistles, guitar and banjo.
-
Dixie 6 + 1
Clarinet, cornet, trombone, tenor sax, electric
piano, bass and drums perform predominantly
Dixieland music including; Mood Indigo,
Wolverine Blues and Milenberg Joys.
-
Special Children's Concert
Award-winning children's recording
artist/performer Jack Grunsky entertains with
his diverse repertoire of memorable songs and
unique instruments from such shows as TVO Kids
and Mr. Dressup.
1995
-
Musick's Pleasures & Quinte Consort
An evening of Ancient Tunes, Songs and Sprightly
Dances.
-
Piano and String Quartet
Internationally renowned performers Ronald
Turini (Piano), Arkady Yanivker (Violin), Thomas
Weibe (Cello) and Ronald Hurwitz (Viola) An
evening of chamber music including Brahms,
Mozart and Dvorak. This
concert was recorded by the CBC for a subsequent
national broadcast.
-
Valery Lloyd-Watts
From Heart to Heart - Music of the titans; Bach,
Mozart, Beethoven and Chopin along with some
enchanting themes from the great movies,
arranged especially for her by Clifford Crawley.
-
Wassermusik
Chamber music ensemble led by Inka Brockhausen.
Playing from Schubert, Bach and Mozart. The
musicians; Inka (Piano), Cathie Goldberg
(Violin), John Kruspe (Piano), Eric del Junco
(Cello) and Denis Lehotay (Viola).
-
History of Jazz
George Thurgood presents a recital demonstrating
various jazz piano styles from Ragtime to Modern
Jazz.
-
Comedy & Drama
Nick and Joy Hunter present the humour of
Dickens and C.S. Lewis's "The Great Divorce".
-
Gypsy Music
The renowned Arkady Yanivker returns to play the
violin accompanied by Inka Brockhausen on the
piano.
-
Kingston Ceili Band
Bring out the Irish in you! Celtic music both
contemporary and traditional. Played on fiddles,
hammered dulcimer, tin whistles, guitar and
banjo.
-
NordwestDuetsche Kammer Ensemble
A family quartet on tour from Germany who found
the appeal of Amherst Island irresistible.
1994
-
Wassermusik
Chamber music ensemble led by Inka Brockhausen.
Playing from Bach, Mozart and Handel.
-
Valery Lloyd-Watts
An evening of the World's best-loved Piano
Music. Playing from Chopin, Liszt and Grieg.
-
Shane David and the Textures
An eclectic mix of original music, soft rock,
blues, calypso, Australian folk and sing along.
-
Aaron Skitri
Baroque Lute and Theorboe music. Intimate music
from the 17th and 18th centuries.
-
Kingston Ceili Band
Music of the Celtic Countries as well as
Canadian Celtic music both contemporary and
traditional. Played on fiddles, hammered
dulcimer, tin whistles, guitar and banjo.
For further information about the
WaterSide Summer Series of music concerts please e-mail
bbharris@kos.net
For reservations or further ticket information please
call our direct line at (613) 384-2153
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