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Artscene 39 | Thursday, October 23, 2014 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | www.insideHALTON.com "Connected to your Community" Lynne Hanson to launch new album at Moonshine Canadian singer/songwriter Lynne Hanson is launching her new album River of Sand at The Moonshine Café in Oakville Saturday (Oct. 25). "The story behind the album is really strong. It's the first album Lynne has written sober after a lifelong battle with alcohol... so it contains a lot of reflections on her past life and the pain that drives people to drink," stated a press release. "Long-praised for her raw, confessional songwriting, award-winning Americana artist Lynne Hanson displays a whole new level of artistic courage on River of Sand... released almost three years to the day she traded in her hard-living ways." Working for the first time Lynne Hanson will be at The Moonwith producer Lynn Miles, shine Café Sautrday (Oct. 25). Hanson reflects on "the | photo by Marc Labreque chaos of life" prior to Sept. 1, 2011, the day she gave up drinking, and on "the pain that can drive a person to seek relief any way they know how," stated the release. Hanson's band is rounded out by: Keith Glass on slide guitar; Anders Drerup (Claytones) on pedal steel; bassist Marie-Josée Dandeneau; Lyndell Montgomery on fiddle; and Rebecca Campbell on backing vocals. "(They) provided the sense of safety Hanson needed to be uncommonly vulnerable on record, while engineer Philip Shaw Bova provided the comfortable studio space for the project to unfold in," stated the release. Hanson's music has earned her a Colleen Peterson Songwriting Award and a Songs from the Heart Award from the Ontario Council of Folk Festivals, as well as propelled her to the finals of the Kerrville New Folk competition in Texas. In 2009, she was nominated for Emerging Artist of the Year at the Canadian Folk Music Awards. She's built a following in Canada, the U.K., Europe and Australia and played at iconic venues, such as the Bluebird Café in Nashville, Tenn., and 100 Club in London, England. The Moonshine Café is located at 137 Kerr St. and tickets to the 9 p.m. launch cost $10. For more information, visit www.themoonshinecafe.com. Iseler Singers open 24th season of COTA The Elmer Iseler Singers will open St. Jude's Celebration of the Arts' (COTA) 24th season of concerts Saturday (Oct. 25). "Since its first concert 24 years ago, choral music has been at the heart of St. Jude's Celebration of the Arts," stated a press release. The event began with the St. Jude's Choir and then brought on other choral groups, such as: the Elora Festival Singers; Vancouver's musica intima; Toronto's Nathaniel Dett Chorale; Hamilton's John Laing Singers; and the Oakville Children's Choir. "The only surprise is that the lineup has not included the Elmer Iseler Singers, until now," stated the release. "Canada's oldest professional choir is celebrating its 35th anniversary season under that name, after morphing from its illustrious predecessor, The Festival Singers of Canada." At 8 p.m., the Iseler Singers will perform Choral Splendour, an eclectic program of music by Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, Felix Mendelssohn, Healey Willan and Eric Whitacre, as well as arrangements of Canadian folk songs and African spirituals. "We are very much aware of the long choral tradition at St. Jude's Oakville, and our program has been designed to appeal to choral enthusiasts of all periods, from the Renaissance music of Giovanni Palestrina, through our beloved Healey Willan to the young American sensation, Eric Whitacre. A subtitle for the concert could be `Choral Music for All'," said Iseler music director Lydia Adams. "It's hard to believe that the Iseler Singers haven't performed for COTA before this, so it will be a great pleasure to have them open our new season with Choral Splendour." · · · On Saturday, Feb. 7, 2015, Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra will present its Baroque Masters concert. Tafelmusik, Canada's award-winning orchestra on period instruments, has become an internationally recognized ensemble lauded by Gramophone Magazine as "one of the world's top baroque orchestras." It was founded in 1979 by Kenneth Solway and Susan Graves and has been under the leadership of music director Jeanne Lamon since 1981 for 33 seasons -- she stepped down as full-time music director earlier this year. The orchestra's appearance at COTA will be under the direction of Mira Glodeanu, who will come on the eve of a monthlong tour of Australia and New Zealand. · · · The Spring Serenade on Saturday, April 25, 2015, will feature violinist Jacques Israelievitch, the former concertmaster of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra (TSO), and organist Charles Demuynck, music director of Masterworks of Oakville and the Oakville Chamber Orchestra. · · · Tickets for each concert cost $30 and are available by calling 905-844-3972 or online at www.oakvilleconcerts.com. St. Jude's Church is located at 160 Williams St. The Elmer Iseler Singers open St. Jude's Celebration of the Arts' 24th season of concerts Saturday (Oct. 25) | photo by Peter Hobbs Meet an advisor today There's simply no reason to wait. Underwritten by RBC Life Insurance Company. RBC Simplified Life Insurance. ® At Prince Michael Dr. off Dundas St. E. 905-257-8200 At the Olde Oakville Marketplace 905-815-8121 At Appleby Line near Dundas St. 905-332-2551 TM ® / TM Trademark(s) of Royal Bank of Canada. Used under licence. *No purchase necessary. Offer ends November 28, 2014 or while quantities last. Redemption must be completed by December 5, 2014. A link will be provided at time of quote to request choice of gift card. Please allow 6-8 weeks for delivery. Cannot be combined with any other offer. One card per household.