It was a near capacity audience that filled Westminster Memorial United Church on June 14 to hear the Kamsack Community Choir’s spring concert entitled Colour My World.
All of the songs have a colour in their names or their lyrics or are related to one or more colours in some way, said Scott Sears, the emcee. “This time of year our world is full of colour. And if it decides to rain again one of these days we might even see a rainbow.”
Sears said that the choir and guest performers were going to perform a rainbow, starting with the bottom and working up to the top of the rainbow, and introduced Susan Bear, the conductor, Marilyn Marsh, the pianist, and guest performers Darren Kitsch on percussion, Kyler Kitsch on trumpet, Kathleen Raabel on flute, Jeremy Ruten on piano and Ashley Hollett doing a recitation.
“We would like to thank them all for helping to make our concert extra special.”
Introducing the first song, Purple People Eater, Sears said that the song, written and performed by Sheb Wooley, reached number one on the Billboard pop charts in 1958.
Lavender’s Blue is an English folk song and nursery rhyme dating to the 17th century, he said as he introduced the second selection which was performed by a quartet of John Adamyk, Kathie Galye, Zennovia Duch and Susan Bear. Deep Purple was the biggest hit written by pianist Peter DeRose, he said of the next selection. In 1934, a year after it was published as a piano composition, Paul Whitman had it scored for his big band orchestra. It was so popular as sheet music that lyrics were added in 1938.
It was then recorded and became a hit for many other musicians. The British rock band, Deep Purple got its name from this song which was a favourite of the guitarist’s grandmother.
A piano version was performed by Marilyn Marsh and Jeremy Ruten.
A blue moon is an extra full moon that appears in thesubdivision of a year, either the third of four full moons in a season or the second full moon in a month, Sears explained. The song, Blue Moon was written by Richard Rogers and Lorenz Hart in 1934 and has become a standard ballad. In 1949 it was actually a hit twice for two different artists. The narrator of the song is relating a stroke of luck so unlikely that it must have taken place under a blue moon. Zennovia Duch, Susan Bear and Kathie Galye performed Blue Moon as arranged by Roger Emmerson.
Love Is Blue, which was sung by the choir, is a French song whose music was composed by Andre Popp and whose lyrics were written by Pierre Cour in 1967, he said. Brian Blackburn later wrote English lyrics for it. First performed in French by Greek singer Vicky Leandros as the Luxembourgian entry in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1967, it has since been recorded by many other musicians, most notably French orchestra leader Paul Mauriat, whose familiar instrumental version became the only number one hit by a French artist to top the Billboard Hot 100 in America.
Blue Bayou was written by Roy Orbison and Joe Melson and was originally recorded by Orbison but became Linda Ronstadt’s signature song. Kathie Galye, Susan Bear and Zennovia
Duch performed an arrangement, also done by Roger Emmerson. Alice Blue is a pale tint of azure that was favoured by Alice Roosevelt Longworth, daughter of Theodore Roosevelt, which sparked a fashion sensation in the United States.
This shade is also referred to as white-blue or ice blue. The hit song Alice Blue Gown, inspired by Longworth’s signature gown, premiered in Harry Tierney’s 1919 Broadway musical Irene.
The musical was made into a film in 1940 starring Anna Neagle and Ray Milland. Marilyn Marsh and Jeremy Ruten performed the tune as a the piano duet. Bein’ Green is a popular song written by Joe Raposo, originally performed by Jim Henson as Kermit the Frog on both Sesame Street and The Muppet Show. It was later covered by Frank Sinatra and other performers, he said, adding that the choir would be singing an arrangement by Paul Langford.
The emcee then slipped on a green Riders’ jersey as did all members of the choir.
The song And The Green Grass Grew was first published in 1912, with words by William Jerome and melody by Harry Von Tilzer, he said. Today it has become a popular children’s song. Susan Bear, Kathie Galye and Zennovia Duch sang a version as a madrigal that was arranged by Donald Moore. Yellow Bird, which was then sung by the choir, was first recorded in 1957 but
existed in other variations before that, Sears said. Yellow Submarine is a 1966 song by the Beatles which was written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney and with lead vocals by Ringo Starr, is the most successful Beatles song to feature Ringo as the lead vocalist. Although intended as a nonsense song for children, it has received various social and political interpretations. It was
sung by the trio of Zennovia Duch, Kathie Galye and Susan Bear.
Turning next to a song that is a little more modern, the choir sang Fields of Gold, a 1993 song by Sting which was a hit in many European countries as well as Canada and the US.
“This song is about feeling joyous, but knowing that the joy is going to end someday,” he said. “Sting wrote it after he bought a house near a barley field.
The sunset and the colours of the field were an inspiration for the lyrics, as was his wife.”
After the intermission, Sears said that Red River Valley is a folk song and cowboy music standard of controversial origins. One of the theories is that is was composed at the time of the Wolseley Expedition to the northern Red River Valley in Manitoba in 1870. It expresses the sorrow of a local woman (possibly Métis) as her soldier lover prepares to return to the east. It was performed by Zennovia Duch.
When The Red, Red Robin Comes Bob, Bob Bobbin’ Along is a popular song written in 1926 by Harry M. Woods. Al Jolson had the most success with this song although several others have recorded it.
An arrangement by Harry Simeone was performed by Zennovia Duch, Susan Bear and Kathie Galye. Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White is a popular song whose music was written by Louiguy and has lyrics written in both French and English. However, the most popular version was an instrumental one in 1955. The choir sang the English version with lyrics by Mack David.
I Gave My Love a Cherry is also known as the Riddle Song. It is an English folksong, apparently a lullaby, which was carried by settlers to the American Appalachians. It was performed by Zennovia
Duch, Kathie Galye and John Adamyk.
There are some colours that aren’t part of the rainbow, such as brown, Sears said. Little Brown Jug is a song written in 1869 by Joseph Winner. It was originallya drinking song. It
remained well-known as a folksong into the early 20th century. Like many songs which make reference to alcohol, it enjoyed new popularity during the prohibition era. In 1939, band leader
Glenn Miller recorded and broadcast his swing instrumental arrangement with great success, and the number became one of the best known orchestrations of the American big band era. It was performed by the choir.
“We have another brown song, Sweet Georgia Brown,” he said. It is a jazz standard and pop tune written in 1925 by Ben Bernie and Maceo Pinkard with lyrics by Kenneth Casey. Georgia Brown was the daughter of a long-time member of the State House of Representatives of Georgia and her father told the story to Ben Bernie of how, subsequent to her birth on August 11, 1911, the Georgia General Assembly issued a declaration that she was to be named Georgia after the state. An arrangement of the song by Jay Althouse was performed by Susan Bear, Zennovia Duch and
John Adamyk.
“And now we have the colour black. We all know the children’s rhyme Baa Baa Black Sheep. Tonight we have a different version of Black Sheep. This one is a folk lullaby from the Appalachians
and has been arranged by Robert F. Swift. It was sung by the choir.
That Old Black Magic is a popular 1942 song fi rst recorded and released as a single by Glen Miller and his orchestra. The music was written by Harold Arlen and lyrics by Joseph McArthy. It has been sung and recorded by many artists. An arrangement by Kirby Shaw was sung by Susan Bear.
Bye, Bye Blackbird is a song published in 1926 by the composer Ray Henderson and lyricist Mort Dixon. It is considered a popular standard and was first recorded by Gene Austin in 1926 and has since been recorded by many artists.
The choir sang a version which was arranged by Jay Althouse.
“Although this next song doesn’t have colour in its title, it is from the very popular musical, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. It was written by Andrew Lloyd Weber and Tim Rice in
1968 for the musical. We are delighted to have Ashley Hollett here to present Any Dream Will Do accompanied by Marilyn Marsh.
“Well, now that we have gone through all our colours how appropriate that the last song on our program is I’m Always Chasing Rainbows,” Sears said. It is a Vaudeville song credited to Harry Carroll, although the melody is actually adapted from a song by Frederic Chopin.
The lyrics were written by Joseph McCarthy and the song was published in 1917. It is a true standard and has been recorded by many artists over the years. The choir performed an arrangement by Hugo Frey.
On behalf of the choir, Nancy Welykholowa presented potted succulent arrangements to Marsh and Bear and then the choir performed Look for the Silver Lining.
“One colour we never covered was silver,” Sears said as he introduced the number. “You’ve heard that every cloud has a silver lining, and we want you to Look for the Silver
Lining in whatever circumstance you may find yourself.
