Tag Archives: culture

Next week’s paper

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There is quite a gaggle of kids on the front page of the September 29th issue of the Unity Wilkie Press-Herald!

In next week’s paper, you will also find:

  • a preview of the upcoming fall fair and trade show (October 3 and 4);
  • who’s been elected to RM councils by acclamation and which seats are being contested;
  • a story about Unity residents meeting astronaut Chris Hadfield; and
  • predictions on winter weather.

Don’t forget to check the ads for upcoming events such as registration for this winter’s curling leagues, and for sale items such as antifreeze in one ad and bins in another!

Don’t forget to pick up a fall fair booklet and exhibitor number at Mitchell Agencies so you can enter your pickles, jams, jellies or a vast variety of other items in the October 3rd and 4th fall fair!

trade fair pickles

Unity Music Festival scholarship and award winners

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A number of scholarships and awards were handed out to students who played, sang and recited at the 88th annual music festival in Unity, Saskatchewan, the week of April 7 to 13. Participants were from Unity, Wilkie and Cut Knife.

PIANO

Primary, 8 and under, Cut Knife CWL, $50 – Molly Orobko; primary, 10 and under, Unity Ladies Legion Auxiliary, $75 – Abby Rutley; elementary, 12 and under, Delta Co-operative Association Ltd., $100 – Zenon Orobko; junior, 14 and under, Unity Baptist Church, $125 – Kyra Huber; intermediate and senior (15 and over), Unity Knights of Columbus, $150 – Katherine Ulrich.

Unity St. Peter’s CWL, first year of instruction, $50 – Hailey-Lynn Aldred; Unity Lutheran Church, promising student up to and including age 12, $50 – Susannah Ulrich; Barbara Surine, duet/trio, $100 – Kyra Huber and Jolene Gruber; North West Terminal Ltd., promising student 12 and under, $50 – Ainsley Orobko; Joyce T. Smith Memorial, promising student 13 and over, $50 – Kabri Rutley.

Unity SK Music FestivalWilkie CWL, recital class 12 and under, $50 – Zenon Orobko; H.N. Wismer Memorial, recital class 13 and over, $50 – Jacelyn Stabbler; Wilkie CWL – test piece 12 and under, $50 – Abby Rutley; Wilkie Kinsmen, contemporary pop, 13 and over, $50 – Jolene Gruber; Saskatchewan Culture Centennial Legacy Scholarship (Sask. composer), $50 – Isaiah Mamer; Dr. M. Ashing Memorial, Canadian Class (12 and under) Award – Zenon Orobko; Wilkie Kinsmen, Canadian Class (13 and over) $50 – Jolene Gruber.

Unity Music Festival Association, Bach/Baroque (12 and under) Award – Owen Keller; Unity Music Festival Association, Bach/Baroque (13 and over) Award – Kyra Huber; Unity Music Festival Association, Sonata/Sonatina (12 and under) Award – Sophia Ulrich; Unity Music Festival Association, Sonata/Sonatina (13 and over) Award – Katherine Ulrich.

Myrtle Cleall Memorial Cup and keeper award, both donated by Battlefords Registered Music Teachers Association, $50 – Tyrell Kuhn; Wilma DeBelser Memorial Scholarship to a promising piano student, $100 – Jolene Gruber; Kathleen Keesey Memorial Scholarship, $100 – Katherine Ulrich; Dr. Fred and Evelyn Weeks Trophy and keeper award – Anthony Witzaney.

VOCAL

Primary, 8 and under, Cut Knife Royal Canadian Legion, $50 – Kaybree Spendelow; primary, 10 and under, Unity Elks Lodge, $75 – Ainsley Orobko; elementary, 12 and under, Cut Knife Elks Lodge, $100 – Rheanne Hofmann; intermediate, 14 and under, Unity Royal Canadian Legion and Unity Ladies Legion Auxiliary, $125 – Kyra Huber; senior, 15 and over, Unity Lions Club, $150 – split between Alison Kuhn and Rachel Mamer.

North West Terminal Ltd., first year of instruction, $50 – Jorja Gumpinger; Butch and Judy Boskill, musical theatre, 12 and under, $50 – Megan Bazley; Unity Order of the Royal Purple, musical theatre, 13 and over, $50 – Alison Kuhn; Cut Knife Elks Lodge, duet/trio, 12 and under, $100 – Ainsley Orobko and Rheanne Hofmann; Barbara Surine, duet/trio, 13 and over, $100 – Alison Kuhn and Rachel Mamer; Unity United Church Choir, sacred solo, $50 – Brooklyn Gray.

Glassford’s Funeral Home, recital class $50, Rachel Mamer; Unity Queen Esther OES No. 31, Canadian, $50 – Iza Belle Lucenio; Saskatchewan Culture Centennial Legacy Scholarship (Sask. composer), $50 – Megan Bloder; Barry and Chris DeRoo-Davisson, promising student, $50 – Molly Orobko; Unity Music Festival Association, folk song/ballad (12 and under) Award – Jenifer Deuchar; Unity Kilwinning Lodge, folk song/ballad (13 and over) – Katherine Ulrich; Wilma DeBelser Memorial  Scholarship to a promising vocal student, $100 – Rachel Mamer.

SCHOOLS AND CHOIRS

Division I

Don and Marilyn Wildeman Award and Unity Order of the Royal Purple, $50 – Unity Public School Grade 2

Division II

Louis and Grace Sloboda Award and Unity Lutheran Church, $50 – Unity Public School Choir; North West Terminal Ltd., choral speech, $50 – Unity Composite High School Grade 7; Len and Audrey Boxell Memorial Trophy and Scholarship, best school chorus, $100 – St. Peter’s School Choir; Vivienne Cantelon Memorial, deserving children’s chorus, $100 – ‘In Harmony’ Choir; Joyce M. Demerchant Memorial Children’s Choir Award and North West Terminal Ltd., $50 – St. James Junior Choir.

BAND

Unity Lions Club, open, $50 – St. Peter’s School Band, Grades 5 and 6; Unity Arts Council, open, $50 – Tyrell Kuhn (trumpet).

OPEN SCHOLARSHIPS

Wilkie CWL, $50 –Kyle Parker, piano; Wilkie Knights of Columbus, $50 – Anthony Witzaney, piano; Cut Knife Royal Purple, $25 – Adam Stifter, piano; Cut Knife Royal Purple, $25 – Wesley Shanner, piano; Cut Knife CWL, $50 – Shevaun Feser, vocal; Unity St. Peter’s CWL, $50 – Madison Gilbert, vocal; Wilkie United Church, $25 – Rachel Cey, vocal; Unity Kilwinning Lodge, $25 – Danielle Irons, vocal; Unity Queen Ester OES No. 31, $25 – Owen Keller, piano; Unity Queen Esther OES No. 31, $25 – Sophia Ulrich, piano; Unity Eureka Rebekah Lodge No. 58, $25 – Kaybree Spendelow, piano.

Unity Music Festival Association, Most Outstanding Performer of Festival trophy and keeper – Alison Kuhn.

Unity Music Festival Volunteer of the Year – Irene Thiessen-Campbell

Unity Museum in trouble – willing hands desperately needed

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(From information submitted by museum board representative)

We have some serious concerns at the Unity and District Heritage Museum (UDHM). Over the past few years our membership numbers have dropped fast and no other people are coming forward to pick up the torch.

Our membership is down to 12-15 people and only a quarter of these show up for meetings. We had 36 members in 2013 and in 2014 we are down to 13 members. Can we survive?

Due to a lack of volunteers, no brunches were scheduled for the end of 2013. We started them Jan. 12, and plan to have them each Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. until the end of April, but we are still low on volunteer numbers.

Of our life members, the people who started the museum up, we only have seven left and only one of these still works at the museum. The other six have done their part and were hoping others would step forward and take over for them but so far this has not happened.

We have such interesting buildings and such special donations from local families. Everything we have, school books, Bibles, household items, clothing, dolls, military, etc., is a reflection of our town and surrounding area. Everyone has a bit of family history here, but for what if we let it die and rot away?

Unity, SK Museum

The sod house at the Unity and District Heritage Museum.

We have a wonderful museum. Visitors are impressed by how much we have for such a small town. When they hear all the items have been donated, not bought, they are even more impressed.

We need some new blood, younger generations who want to see these items cared for and cherished so others can enjoy them in the future. There is so much that could be done to make the museum the talk of Saskatchewan, but we need more members. You can’t depend on just four or five people to keep it going alone. They are getting tired and are feeling unappreciated.

We are asking for your help. Come and join our membership and give your voice and vote to what goes on at this museum. Please join us, and pay the dues — they will not break you: $2 for a year, $5 for three years. Attend the monthly meetings where programs, events and fundraisers can be discussed and planned. Let us keep this museum open for our future.

Our executive members – Bill Meek (president), Gorden McLean (vice-president) and Jim Sego (secretary) –  will answer any questions you have about UDHM.

We do appreciate all this town does do for us but we also see a grim future. We hope this knowledge of our situation will inspire some of you to help us by being museum members willing to become involved at UDHM.

P.S. If you are interested in a part-time summer job as a tour guide from 2-5 p.m., four to five days a week, please send us your resume to Box 852, Unity. The summer season is fast approaching.

From Red Deer to Serbia to Unity

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Music teachers from throughout Saskatchewan will be in Unity Oct. 18 and 19, when the Battleford branch of the Saskatchewan Registered Music Teachers’ Association (SMRTA) hosts this year’s annual general meeting, convention and workshops.

playing the piano

Along with the Friday evening Keys and Chorales concert open to the public, the Satruday workshops specifically designed for music teachers are open to non-SRMTA members. Registration forms for the workshops are available online at the SRMTA website or call Diane Neil at 306-228-3782 or 306-228-8517.

The concert

The concert starts at 7 p.m., Oct. 18, at the Unity Baptist Church.

The Kamala Youth Choir, the most senior of the Battlefords’ children’s choirs, will be performing. Kamala has been awarded first place in the choral competition of the Saskatchewan Provincial Music Festival numerous times. In 2005 they won the Saskatchewan Music Festival Association Centennial Scholarship for choral singing. They have sung at the Saskatchewan Legislature, the Olympic torch relay ceremony and various festivals in Canada and Europe.

Also performing will be the piano duo of Dianne Gryba and Bonnie Nicholson.

Gryba is co-director of the Kamala Youth Choir along with Joanne Kasper, as well as being a recognized musician in her own right. For more on Gryba, please scroll down to “The afternoon workshops”.

Nicholson holds a number of music degrees and is a pianist, teacher and chamber musician from Prince Albert. She has been an adjudicator for the national tour of the Canadian music competitions. In June last year, she fulfilled a lifelong dream, touring and teaching in China, visiting universities in five major Chinese cities.

The morning workshops

Dale Wheeler, of Red Deer, Alta., an internationally recognized recitalist, accompanist, adjudicator and workshop clinician, will teach the morning workshops, Do You Hear What I Hear (teaching students to listen), and Proactive or Reactive (what kind of teacher are you?).

As well as having worked throughout Canada and the United States, he recently made a presentation at the European Piano Teachers Association Conference in Serbia. He is a senior examiner and clinician for the Royal Conservatory of Music.

The afternoon workshops

Gryba will present the afternoon sessions on working with vocal students: Engaging the Technical Singer and Engaging the Expressive Singer – realizing vocal potential for soloists and choristers.

As well as conducting the Kamala Youth Choir, Dianne Gryba works with other groups in the Battlefords, including other children’s choirs and the Gallery Singers. She teaches a large studio of private voice and piano students, and adjudicates festivals and facilitates workshops.