Jan Schmitz
Seven extremely talented Ashcroft and Cache Creek residents (with one exception—more on that later) have been invited by Cayla Brooke to join her on stage to sing three songs during her “Eva Cassidy: How Can I Keep From Singing” show coming to Cache Creek in April.
Brooke—the star of this seven-member tribute to the late Eva Cassidy—routinely encourages local singers to perform a few songs with her when presenting her show. When she asked the Winding Rivers Arts & Performance Society if there were any people in our area with the vocal chops to do a few numbers with her, she was given an enthusiastic and definitive YES!
One need look no further than our own Sage Sound Singers Choir to find a veritable plethora of extraordinary ensemble-experienced singers. Choir member Theresa Takacs, a singing instructor and vocal coach in her own right, took on the challenge of recruiting, and rehearsing with, a group of six other singers in preparation for this event. All are from Ashcroft and Cache Creek and are members of the choir, and were all part of the chorus in the recent WRAPS Community Theatre production of My Fair Lady. Theresa, along with Sage Sound Singers musical director Michelle Reid, was instrumental in coaching and preparing all the singers for the challenges of performing in that play.
The exception to the “local” designation is Gerald Young, who hails from Kamloops, and whom local residents first met when he endeared himself to them with his fantastic performance and singing as Freddy Eynsford-Hill in My Fair Lady.
In addition to the seven members of the group joining Brooke to sing three songs, Takacs and Marina Papais will team up with her as a trio for one song. To add to the challenge, they are rehearsing these songs “on their own”—the only collaboration they are having with Brooke is by e-mail! They will not actually have a chance to rehearse with her “live” until just hours before the actual performance; but they are all excited and eager to take on this project, and no doubt will impress and make us all very proud (again!).
“Eva Cassidy: How Can I Keep From Singing” will be presented at the Crossroads Pentecostal Church on Stage Road, Cache Creek on April 5 at 7:00pm. For more information go to www.windingriversarts.ca.