The recent South Simcoe Talent Concert was a fundraiser to repair the old piano at the Tec-We-Gwill Women’s Institute Hall in Newton Robinson.
For at least two of the performers in the show, it was a cause that resonated.
“I can’t go by a piano without playing it,” said Lorne Derraugh, who sang a traditional Irish ballad. “I have always played the piano… To me, it’s a living entity.”
And for Anneke Te Bokkel, piano teacher and founder of Lessons in the Loft in-home piano school, a piano was obviously more than just a means of making a living, as she lovingly coaxed magic from the hall’s aging instrument.
The April 6 talent show featured singers, instrumentalists, storytellers, duos and choirs – all of them local, all of them highly talented. Performances may not have been flawless, but they were heartfelt, entertaining, and at times inspired the audience to sing along.
The event was sold out. It was a relief for the organizers Andrea Nolan and Mark Burchell, who had worried that a country music concert down the road in Bond Head on the same night could have led to empty seats.
Not only did the talent concert attract a capacity crowd, it raised approximately $800 for the piano repairs, through admission fees and a silent auction of works donated by local artisans.
At one point, the doors to the Newton Robinson hall were swung open, to help cool the hall – and the sound of the audience joining in a chorus of Sweet Caroline spilled out into the spring night.
The event was sponsored by the Tec-We-Gwill Women’s Institute and included a meet-the-artists reception.
