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PAGE 8, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6,1977, WHITBY FREE PRESS Big reunion April 16 Gala conce]rt May 14 County- Town Singers celebrate i Oth anniversary By BRIAN WINTER Staff Writer When Joe and Joyce Wain- wright started a sniaii choir as a Centennial project in 1967, they had no idea that within 10 years that chair would develop an international reputation and haiýe its rnusic played an radio stations in Europe and the United States. This year the choir, the County Town Singers, is hold- ing a 1 Oth anniversdry reunion dinner at the GenoshaHaotelin Off ices C.J. 171 King Street East, Oshawa 22 Wltonn Street. Port HoDe Oshawa on April i 16, to which ail past and present nernbers, spouses and, associates have been îinvited. In addition, as a special lOth anniversary celebration, the County Town Singers will hold a gala concert ini Iroquois Park Arena May 1 4, featuring the sangs that were highlights af the past 10 years. Nhenever there is an anni- versary it is interesting ta look back on the achievements af such _ru as the Countv Town Singers, and recaîl the i contributions they have madce ta the Town ai Whitby. The following is a year-by-ycar record ai the County Town Singe rs: 16 It aIl started when 'lac Wainwrighit, a Whitby residen t, received a barbership singing record as a father's day present, and in August i1967, he decided ta f'orm a choir as a Centennial project. The County Town Singers started with about a doien members, with Joy Bain as director, but because af other coinmitmnents,she wvas succeed- cd by Jirn Ashley in October. Mr. Ashley's spirited directing of the chair hiad delighted audiences ever since.' The chair's first public appearance xvas at a United Appeal show in the fal ai 1967. They were 50 welI likcd, that the audience called for in encore, but the choir could not give anc. It had already sung the anly sangs it knew, Edelwcis and The Happy Wanderer. 1968 la its second y'ear. the County Town Singers were called upon ta perforrn at haone a nd schiool meetiîngs wvhere the chair outnumbered the audience, but it wvas not until October ai thiat yea.r. that thie Singers madle their first appeairance autside \'1itl)\'. aLii concert for crippled chiildrcn it Lîstdalc Coîlegiate in Oshaw%ýa. Thlis veair Nlarg Weblier hecamne ite choir's ful-time accarupanist, andl likc Mr. A-shicy, is still l'illingo the charte red accountants TeIep hones 579-5531 885-2335 zz valLul ltir-gt. &o Nutrito's Hop, with Marc Listen to CKLB 1350 Saturday Mornings 9:30 perfrmed with the Oshawa Çivic B3and, and continued ta hold benefit concerts for variaus organizations. The chair also had its first of many diffrent uniforms. The highilight aofI1970 was the recording af the Whitby Sang and the popular tune, Aquaris, on a 45 rpm record. Five hundred copies were sold at $1 each, and the record was introduced at an opern-air concert in Centennial Park. 1971 In 1971, Jim Ashîey became director of the General Motors Choir in addition ta his work for the Cou nty Town 1Singers, and held this position kfor mare than a year. In Septeniber, the Count'., 'Town Si'ngers performed for 3the first time at Ontario Place, before a crowd of àbout 3,000 people. Also, Bill Schatzmanri business manager for the 9Singers, began making arrange- ments with his brother Pepi in . Atr--tranexcravg TowyngSier,,**hein Fo Pewple". Forthe irst tioe theteFredha foti the Couy nt TwnCaia l arad te ta prornote the record. For the second time they heid an open-air concert in Centennial Park, and when they sang "Raindrops Keep Falîing on My Head", that's exactly what happened. In May, the choir placed first in the senior choir corn- petition at the Oshawa - Kiwanis Music Festival, and Jim Ashley produced an arrangement of "Jesus Christ Superstar" which was une of the Singers' m-ost successful performances. By now the choir had raised more than $î0,000 for Scharitable projects, and was performing in Port Perry, Columbus, Port Hope, Peter- borough and other Ontario communities. An auxiliary ta assist the choir in its work Singers. The year I1969 saw the first af the Couinty Town Sitigers' annual spring con- certs. The first was caîled "Century Plus One" and e-ach year the numnber was chianged. Century Plus One was a benefit concert for the St. Anldrew's Church building fuind. A forerunner of the "Counity Town Christinas" concerts was hieîd with the stuidents af Denis O'Connor High School this year. 1969 In 1969 the County Town Singers performed for the first timne for the Lions Club Charter anniversarY Night, an event which has becorne an annual tradition. A close association developed in the coming ycars withi area Lions Clubs. The Singers also participat- cd iin their first officiai Town af Xhitby function, singing 4eLa Ronde" for the firsi twinning cerenianies witli Longueuil, Quebec. This year also saw the first ai the "County Town Christmas" shows, which are anc ai the niost popular traditions the choir lias established. 1970 ln 1970 the Coutnty Toiwî Sîngers sang at the inaugura' chairs with the City afInl 1973, Ian Forbes, the Feldkirch. This was ta current president ai the ceveîop into1 a fuil-scale County Town Singers took twinning ai Whitby and Office, 'and the association Feldkirch by 1975. with Lions Club reaily 1972 deveioped. I1972 the County Town The Singers performed at liir bcm icrortd thc Part Perry Lions Club's Sngersecamedteincorprtedong 5th anniversary dinner, the and ecodcdthei fist ongBelleville Lions Club's district convention, and the Peter- boroughi Lions Club. The highlight ai the ya ipy GaraSfliflg was a trip ta Miami Florda !o sing at the 53rd Lions international Convention. 1'invitation was offered because a Canadian svas being installed as international president that year. tion ai Father John Newton, the first priest ta be ordained in Whitby in 1 00 years. This was Homnecamning Year in Whitby,afld the Singe ns performed in the first Whitby Town Showcase variety concert at Henry Street High Schooi Cont'd Next Week BuiId Now- Pay Later There's no need to wait for that hlouse you waîît. Get the imoney you need in a ilo rtgrage 1'oni Victoria and Grey Trust. You ean pay your loan back ini easy aloLuts while you enjoy your new hoile. Cail in today at Victoria and Grey. j~ M.mber Canada Depoit Insuvance Corporation WiCWJ&4and 6imY TRUST COMPANY SINCE 1889 KEITH- LAWES 398 Dun"u st. W. /Roberts, c.a. C.W Mau.lowe, c.a. 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