Community News

Wendy Brook Music Festival is Back to Normal

Wendy Brook Music Festival Association - Submitted

After a few challenging years of having to make accommodations for COVID, this year’s

Wendy Brook Music Festival will be back to normal! It’s coming up on March 6 to March 13, with the final concert on March 22. Everything will be in-person, at the Vegreville United Church, the Vegreville Alliance Church and A.L. Horton School. The public is welcome to attend.

The piano adjudicator is Wendy Nieuwenhuis. She is an organist, teacher and collaborative musician based in Edmonton. She currently serves as the music director at Highlands United Church, in addition to her private teaching in both organ and piano.

Wendy has performed recitals through- out Alberta and Saskatchewan and frequently collaborates with instrumentalists and churches as both a collaborative and solo artist. She holds a Masters of Music in Organ Performance from the University of Alberta as well as a Bachelor of Music and Church Music Diploma from The King’s University. Her teachers have included Dr. Marnie Giesbrecht, Dr. Joachim Segger and Dr. Jacobus Kloppers. She has also studied abroad with Canadian organist Craig Humber in Vienna, Austria.

The speech arts adjudicator is Ellen Chorley. She is an Edmonton-based playwright, producer and arts educator. She is the Festival Director of the Nextfest Arts Company, the organization which produces Edmonton’s annual multi-disciplinary emerging arts festival Nextfest. Ellen also teaches playwriting and acting at the Foote Theatre School at the Citadel

Theatre. Ellen was named one of Edmonton’s Top 40 Under 40 in 2013, and this past June, Ellen was awarded the Alberta Literary Award for Drama for her play “Everybody Loves Robbie”.

The vocal adjudicator is Mame Helise Goehner. She is a lyrical soprano who has been performing and studying music since the age of six. Studying under the expertise of Opera Nuova’s founder Kim Mattice Wanat and Canada’s top baritone Peter Barcza, she has won several major scholarships and festivals throughout Canada and Europe.

Mame is currently the conductor of the Victoria Children’s Choir, Past President of Choir

Alberta and owns and runs two thriving music schools in Victoria, BC and Calgary, AB. She is highly sought after to do workshops, masterclasses and adjudicating across Alberta and British Columbia. Not only was Mame ranked Alberta’s top Musical Theatre performer in 2001, her students are also ranked at the top receiving Provincial Festival placements and Gold Awards for the Royal Conservatory of Music.

Mame Goehner was a prominent figure on many stages in Alberta until she made her move to Vancouver, where studying at the University of British Columbia. She completed her BMus and MMus under the tutelage of Bruce Pullan and Nancy Hermiston. Mame was the lead soprano at West Point Grey United Church, and a lead member of the UBC Opera Ensemble. Mame has toured throughout Europe, personally sang for the Queen of England and has showcased many private recitals and performances in Canada. Mame has produced and directed multiple productions across Alberta and British Columbia, including several productions for Victoria’s Saltwater Theatre Company. Mame is experienced in lieder, opera, 20th Century art song, musical theatre, pop and jazz. Her ability to combine these genres in her performances and teaching technique is extremely unique and sought after. When not singing and teaching, she can be found camping and surfing with her husband and two children.

The Wendy Brook Music Festival is excited to welcome these talented adjudicators to our community.

Vegreville United Church 22nd Annual Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper

Rosanne Fortier - News Correspondent

Vegreville United Church offered their 22nd Annual Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper on Feb. 21.

Coordinator Holly Cependa gave a recap of the event where she said, “After a two years absence, we were excited to have this as an in-person event. It was a great night; we had amazing donors, promoters, volunteers and of course our guests! We fed over 60 people and together we raised just under $700 which will go into our general church fund.”

L-R: Greta and Claire Hovland with their grandmother Ruby Wilson.

(Rosanne Fortier/Photo)

Rev. Stephen Milton from Lawrence Park Community Church in Toronto posted about the history of Shrove Tuesday on Vegreville United Church’s Facebook page. He said, “Pancake Tuesday” is where church people get together to eat pancakes before Ash Wednesday. The tradition dates back to the Middle Ages when people gave up eating eggs, fat and milk during Lent. For cooks, it meant something had to be done with the milk and eggs in the pantry before Lent began, so they were put to good use by making pancakes.

L-R: Audrey and Gordon Miller.

(Rosanne Fortier/Photo)

L-R: Rev. Pamela Milton with her husband Sidney Milton.

(Rosanne Fortier/Photo)

So, if you went to church to eat some pancakes on February 21, 2023, know that you were partaking in a long held Christian tradition. One made all the sweeter for celebrating it in your community.”

(Rosanne Fortier/Photo)