MUSICFEST 2018 at St. James Anglican church

The whole community is invited to join in the tenth anniversary celebration of MUSICFEST 2018, at St. James Anglican church.

Over the last 10 years every type of musician has performed at the event — known as the Fenelon Falls Grannies for Grannies – held at St. James Anglican church in Fenelon Falls.

Marg Chalmers, the director of the Grannies musical program, began the 10-year tradition as a venue for her young piano students.  Ten young girls, 5-10 years old, performed over two hours and raised $400 that first year.

Over the following nine years the audience have been entertained by everything from musical puppets in French, to a Newfoundland dory boat hauled up the centre aisle of the church, to a 50-voice male chorus, to a rocking African drummer accompanied by the whole audience beating out the time on the back of the church pews with swimming noodles.

Choirs, Celtic music, guitar, big band, original compositions and well loved folk songs have all been enjoyed.

To date over $30,000 has been raised with all proceeds donated to the Stephen Lewis Foundation and its Grandmothers Campaign. This money, with only 10 per cent subtracted for administrative costs, goes directly to grass roots, community organizations in Africa which help grandmothers who are raising their orphaned grandchildren while at the same time grieving their own children who have been lost to the AIDs pandemic.

Over the past 10 years those grandchildren have grown and those grannies have gotten older but the Grandmothers Campaign has been with them responding to their requests as their needs have changed.

The Musicathon was run on the same principle as the Terry Fox Run. It was an 8 hour continuous marathon of music. It was the musicians who did all the work, performed and brought in pledges.

This year the musicians are not asked to bring in pledges and instead the most faithful and popular musicians from years past are being invited and celebrated.

While the musicians worked hard and brought in pledges, audience and local merchants were generous supporters as well.  The whole community is invited to join in this tenth anniversary celebration, from Noon to 5:30 pm, April 14. Admission by donation.  Light refreshments.

St. James Anglican Church is located at 7 Bond St. E., Fenelon Falls.