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May 20, 2008
Opera will come to the Valley on May 24
Local residents will have a rare opportunity to spend a night at the opera, without leaving town, next Saturday evening (May 24).
Nationally-known soprano Kathleen Radke, who also happens to be a Renfrew resident, has invited two fellow professional vocalists to join her in song at Trinity St. Andrew’s United Church for a concert to benefit the Renfrew Victoria Hospital’s CT scanner fund.
“It’s an opportunity to do something we love for a good cause,” she explains.
“It’s a good way to give back to a community that’s been really good to us,” adds the wife of Dr. Steven Radke.
She will be joined on stage by another soprano, Dayna Lamothe, and baritone Jean-Sébastien Kennedy. They will be accompanied by pianist Fréderic Lacroix. Also joining them for some specially-arranged numbers will be the Ottawa Valley’s Tiffany Trio with Kirsten Waymann on violin, Cheryl St-Elier on flute and Marion Arthur on cello.
“It’s going to be a fun night,” promises Radke.
She adds that no one should be intimidated by an evening of opera.
“We’ve chosen pieces that people will recognize, maybe because they ve heard bits of it in a movie score or commercial,” she explains. “This is music we love to do.”
The audience can also expect an active performance.
“Opera isn’t just someone standing in one spot and singing. It will be theatrical,” Radke says. “It’s a chance for us to talk about it and put a human face on the music.”
The concert will begin at 7:30 p.m., with a reception with the musicians to follow. Tickets are $20 for adults and $15 for students and seniors. They are available now at the Renfrew Victoria Hospital Foundation office, Aikenhead’s Drug Store, or from any Rotary Club member. They will also be sold at the door the night of the concert.
Proceeds will be donated to the Renfrew Victoria Hospital Foundation’s CT scanner fund. The hospital received provincial approval earlier this year to add CT scanning to the services it offers. However, no provincial funds are available for the project. All costs to purchase and accommodate the equipment, estimated to be approximately $3-million, must be raised locally.
Anyone interested in learning more about the RVH CT fund is invited to contact the RVH Foundation office at 613-432-4851, ext. 263.
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(For more information, contact Barb Desilets, RVH Foundation Director, 613-432-4851, ext. 263.)
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