Liberal crowd at barbecue event

 It was a champagne (or at least bubbly punch!) send off for the artists from friends and fans at the St. Lawrence Acoustic Stage on Saturday, May 12. Local musicians Stephanie Coleman, Jeanne Ward and Sandra Whitworth each launched their new CDs at a special concert on the stage. 

“So much work and time went into these CDs,” said Bill Carriere, a member of the St. Lawrence Acoustic Stage Board, “that it was wonderful to see all these people come out to support our amazing singers.”

Stephanie Coleman, who first performed at the stage over three years ago, led off the evening. 

Appearing very confident on stage, Coleman’s strong clear voice is a beautiful instrument. Accompanied only by a violinist, she relied on her guitar and her lyrics to convey her themes and ideas. 

I would describe her style as a vibrant mixture of country and folk. Her songs reflect her interest in the challenges one must face in any relationship. “This road is hard/We’ll walk it together…Best foot forward/There’s better times ahead.”

She joked that she had to use on stage notes (“I really did write all these songs!”), as she shared her amazing musical talent with an appreciative audience. I found Coleman’s very lovely “Every Road” the perfect ending to her set.

Jeanne Ward, a seasoned performer, who worked with Easy Pickins, and is now striking out as a solo artist, starred in the next set. 

Backed up by bass, guitar, drums and sax, with vocal support from musicians Marc Muir and Barb Ward, Ward opened with what she laughingly described as “my one and only rock song,” an upbeat number called “The Way Out.”

A singer with a broad vocal range,  blessed with a mellow, easy soprano, Ward’s musical style is fairly unique. She swings from rock to thoughtful folk, each approach chosen to best reflect her themes. 

Ward performed one of her older, popular compositions, “Painting Walls” then segued into a joyful, optimistic  love song (with Marc Muir) about how “Love will come to you if you call it in. And it might just save your life.” 

At ease on stage and with the audience, Ward was a delight to hear.

Sandra Whitworth closed out the concert with a set that was versatile, unexpected and fun.

She was a little bit country in “I Live on a Country Road,”  a little bit bluesy in “Hound Dog Home” and a little bit (my description) Brazilian beat in “What Kind of Fight Do You Have in You.”

Whitworth’s voice is equally versatile, more into the alto range, and well suited to numbers like “Hound Dog Home”. Marc Muir of Cornwall, and a group of talented musicians backed her up during her set. Although she confided before the concert that she was nervous, there was little sign of that as she delivered great music in “Kite on a Line” or (with Jeanne Ward singing accompaniment) charmed the audience with “To Be More.”

In one of her songs, Whitworth sang “It takes a lot of courage/ To say what you mean..” 

Those words seem to sum up the honest, the sincere, the often beautiful words and voices of these three new artists.

Look for the new CDs by Sandra Whitworth, Stephanie Coleman and Jeanne Ward. 

It’s worth the search.  

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Plans are going ahead to build an addition on the North Williamsburg Recreation Building at J.C. Whitteker Park in Williamsburg to house a Williamsburg library branch. 

The Friends of the Williamsburg Library and South Dundas staff have agreed, in consultation with the North Williamsburg Recreation Group, that closing in the covered 31’ x 18’ cement slab, and sharing common space with the recreation group will provide a compatible space for the branch. 

Along with the construction, upgrades to the heating system and washroom facilities will also be required as part of the project.

Rather than guess at the cost of such a project, South Dundas chief administrative officer Steve McDonald asked council to authorize staff to retain architectural/engineering services to prepare preliminary plans for the project, on which they will be able to base a proper budget estimate. 

Council approved the request.

While staff did not want to mention any costs without proper drawings, the deputy mayor did want to talk about the cost of such a project.

“If we use our own equipment, this project can be done for $50,000 or less,” said South Dundas deputy mayor Jim Locke. 

“Some say it can’t be done for that, but I say it can, and I can show you how,” he added. 

Staff will come back to council  with a full cost report for this project once the design work is complete. 

“I’d like to see this move forward as soon as possible,” said councillor Archie Mellan

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