Four women are bound get to know each other quite well, meeting regularly for eighteen holes of golf over a period of many years.  As it turns out, they could also have missed the chance to discover a whole lot more. That’s about to change as “The Ladies Foursome” tees off and the audiences is invited along for a round of golf mixed with revelations of all sorts.

Youth can be found accomplishing remarkable things, often through school programs, right across Elgin County. Of course, that shouldn’t be a surprise, but it’s sometimes easy to forget what the agile minds and exuberance of the young can accomplish with a little nurturing and encouragement. One of the most delightful ways to encounter their talents is during live music or theatre performances.

The board of the Elgin Theatre Guild has recently launched a campaign to rebuild the balcony of the Princess Ave Playhouse in St. Thomas. Fans of local live theatre and Canadian music (which has been well represented on the Playhouse stage in recent years) will applaud their decision to go ahead with the repair.

A tree sparkling with decorations; cards signed, sealed and posted; a bounteous holiday feast centred around a golden turkey; festive crackers ‘snapping’; joyful carol singing – these are all commonly practised Christmas traditions whose origins or, at least, popularity can be attributed to Victorian England.

Read the entire article below or in Relish Elgin Holiday 2015

By James Callowhill

Life as an adult is filled with challenges like raising children, keeping on top of household chores, working full time, fitting in social gatherings, family bonding, keeping our body and mind sharp, and somewhere in there, fitting in something for ourselves.  As I’m sure you know, this balancing act is a tough one.  The good news is, music provides a way of checking off a few of these items simultaneously.

Black Tie & Pearls, being held on November 21st 2015, will be the St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital Foundation’s third annual fundraising gala. Guests will take a roaring trip back to the 1920s (with gaming for prizes, gourmet food stations, entertainment and a special guest appearance by Chef Michael Smith) to support OUR Hospital into the future. As the STEGH Foundation  takes 300 or so gala attendees to visit the 1920s, it’s interesting to take a look back at what was happening with St. Thomas’s Hospital of the 20s.

Read the entire article in the Relish Elgin Fall 2015 Edition

Fred Eaglesmith rolled into the CASO station in St. Thomas on Thursday for what has become an annual warm-up for his Charity Picnic & Music Festival at Springwater.  Tif Ginn and Fred’s band warmed up an appreciative capacity audience - then it was time for Fred.

 “The Drawer Boy” by Michael Healey is the story of Miles, an enthusiastic theatre student from the city who invites himself onto the farm and into the home of two bachelor farmers (Morgan and Angus) in order to do research for a collaborative “Farm Show”. The unfolding mix of drama and humour presented on the stage of the Port Stanley Festival Theatre is captivating, from Miles arrival at the farmhouse doorstep right through to the final scene.

Anyone who has heard the line, “Always listen to your mother!” or any of its variations (and that would be just about anybody) is likely to appreciate the humour of “Old Wives’ Tales”. This tribute to mothers and daughters portrays the interactions of one mother and daughter in vignettes spread out over several years and moving though a far-ranging gamut of emotions.

At age nine Guy Miskelly told his parents he would like to learn guitar. They approached a friend who played and lived on the same street in Aylmer and though he was not an instructor he agreed to give Guy some lessons.  It was the start of his life-long passion for music and led to a career in which he has shared his talents with countless students and at hundreds of events as a versatile freelance musician.

Read the entire article in the Relish Elgin Summer 2015 Edition