MANITOULIN – The 4Elements Living Arts Elemental Festival taking place September 26-29 features a tremendous lineup of musicians, both Manitoulin-based and off-Island performers.
A new group on Manitoulin Island, Voices North, will make their official debut at the festival.
“We have been working together for about a year,” said Alex Baran, one of the members of the new Voices North, this past Sunday. “We had played a couple of songs at the Island Singers Christmas concert last December. But the 4Elements Festival is providing us the opportunity to include some of our jazzy, pop music. ”
“We are made up of 10 people, four men and six woman and we sing mostly unaccompanied although some of our songs will include keyboard accompaniment,” said Mr. Baran.
Members of Voices North include Mr. Baran, Mary-Jo Gordon, Chris and Heather Theijsmeijer, Arik Theijsmeijer, Jane and Paul Best, Judith Jones, Michelle Cooper and Annalee Cooper. The group represents a cross-section of Manitoulin, including members from Providence Bay, Kagawong, Mindemoya, Gore Bay and Little Current, who have been rehearsing for the past year at Mr. Baran’s place in Providence Bay.
Mr. Baran pointed out that young, “singer Ellie Maxwell (of Evansville) will be joining us for a few songs. She is a rising star, having been a performer at the CNE (Canadian National Exhibition) Rising Star competition. She was among 150 performers and reached the finals in this highly competitive event.”
“Jane Best is a composer and has a piece that she wrote and composed that she will be world premiering at the Elemental Festival,” said Mr. Baran. “We will be performing a lot of jazz and pop numbers at the concert.”
Voices North will be playing at the Church on the Hill in Kagawong as part of the Elemental Festival, on Sunday September 29 at 3 pm.
