submitted by Marion Trimble

Fifteen Oliverites made the trek to our neighbour south of the border and sister city, Lake Chelan, a  beautiful area west of Highway 97 and just 2 hours south of the border.  It sits at the end of 55 mile long, Lake Chelan, the longest lake of the lower 49 states.  An area very similar to Oliver with apple orchards, vineyards, sunshine and sagebrush. Like Oliver it too is a hidden gem.

This was the first time a group other than the town’s council members have officially met with citizens of that area.  The get together was intended to exchange a mutual sharing of ideas, a love of creativity and having fun while getting to know our neighbour.  It was a quick meet and greet organized by members of the Oliver Community Arts Council and the Oliver Sagebrushers Art Club.  A short trip, but a huge success.  The group was hosted by the Chelan Arts Council and local artists, members of the “Artists Alliance”.  A busy day with a luncheon at a riverside home ;  A guided walk through downtown to view murals and sculptures, a visit to an artists studio and a few local stores.  It ended with an evening potluck dinner in the nearby town of Manson.

Members of both groups agreed, we want to meet again.  Hopefully in late summer, or fall, Chelan visitors will come to our beautiful town and share the many gifts we have here.  An invitation is extended  to everyone in Oliver, not just artists, to greet our American neighbours with the desire to expand our knowledge and develop a deeper friendship with our sister city.  This is just the beginning of a great friendship.

Above is a photo of the Oliverites at the Lake Chelan Peace Poles.  The Oliver visitors were asked to bring with them rocks of special significance to lay at the foot of the poles.

Showcase of Talent had a musical (and colourful) cast of young performers on Friday May 9th onstage at Park Drive Church. All photos by Leza Macdonald.

Here is what one happy member of the audience had to say: “Wow!  Tonight was wonderful!  The children amaze us!  I thought it was great how they went above and beyond when singing their musical numbers and included their co-stars and acted as well.  This was all their own idea. “Thank you for all that you do to encourage youth to be involved in their music and art.  I know that my children have greatly benefitted by having the opportunities to perform at these events.  It gives them confidence in their talents and it never hurts to perform in front of people whenever they can.  They can never have too much encouragement.  We are so lucky to have people like you and the others in your circle who care about encouraging these children.  They are forever affected positively by your efforts.”

In SOAP’s upcoming comedy Lend Me a Tenor, Italian opera star Tito Merelli (played by Nathan Linders), otherwise known as Il Stupendo, is set to debut at the Cleveland Opera. That is, until he is discovered prostrate and unresponsive in his hotel suite. Believing him dead, Saunders (Ted Osborne, above), general manager of opera house. works out his frustration on the “corpse”.

Saunders: Are you satisfied Tito? Huh? Are you proud of yourself? AAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!

Only nervous stage manager Max (John Guiliano), a wanna-be tenor, is willing to step into the spotlight disguised as Tito. And only after his boss Saunders does a little grovelling.  Will anyone notice the difference? And what about the body in the bed? Frantic costume changes, mistaken identities, slamming doors, bedroom romps and romance ensue in this 1930s style screwball comedy.Definitely NOT the opera! Friday May 23 and Saturday May 24 at OSS Theatre, ,  5800 115th St., Osoyoos. Friday May 30 and Saturday May 31 at Venables Theatre, 6050 Gala St, Oliver. Curtain: 8 p.m.  Tickets $18 Adult and $15 Senior/Student. Tickets available at Your Dollar Store with More (Osoyoos), Sundance Video (Oliver) or at the door.

For lots more photos and details, check out SOAP’s website at www.soplayers.ca/lend-me-a-tenor.html

Another Friday ‘ Live Music’ night is here!. We open doors at 7 and close when you’ve had enough. Join MC Marcel Morneau, some great invited talent from around the valley and our open mic performers. Will you perform a bit? Bring your instrument, bring the music inside you and come be part of the night’s sounds. We are hoping that some of the talented artists from SOSS will come and sing. We are licensed. We have beer, wine, coffees with a kick and our usual great appie platters and sweet treats. Friday May 16th. Doors open at 7:00 PM. 522 Fairview Road. 250-498-2228. No cover.

Another Friday ‘ Live Music’ night is here!. We open doors at 7 and close when you’ve had enough. Join MC Marcel Morneau, some great invited talent from around the valley and our open mic performers. Will you perform a bit? Bring your instrument, bring the music inside you and come be part of the night’s sounds. We are hoping that some of the talented artists from SOSS will come and sing. We are licensed. We have beer, wine, coffees with a kick and our usual great appie platters and sweet treats. Friday May 16th. Doors open at 7:00 PM. 522 Fairview Road. 250-498-2228. No cover.

The Firehall Brewery’s Back Alley Concert Series kicks off summer early with acoustic rock-and-roll band Fighting Orange on May 31st at 7:00 p.m.  A new feature this year is pairing each concert with an artist on site. First up is the talented painter Luba Chpak,  twice a prize winner at the Fall Art Show and Sale, with an energetic and colourful style. You gotta try a brew (Holy Smoke Stout, Ember Ale…)  but if wine is more your thing, Rustico will also be on site. Pick up your tickets now! Picnics welcome. 

A dozen artists and arts-lovers from Oliver are heading south to sister-city Lake Chelan for a friendly cultural exchange on May 16 – 17. There they will meet up with members of the Lake Chelan Artist Alliance for an art walk, studio tours, and socializing, including a potluck dinner hosted by the LCAA.

More Oliver participants are welcome. Group rate accommodation at Campbell’s Resort may be filling quickly, but there are many other alternatives such as RVing. Please confirm registration with Marion first using the information on the poster, or email OliverCAC @ gmail.com.

An itinerary for Friday May 16 follows. There is ample room for your own activities as well.

9:00 a.m.: Leave Oliver to be at Campbell’s Resort in Chelan by 11:45 a.m.

11:45 a.m.  –   Meet Anne Clausen,  president of the  Lake Chelan Artist Alliance in Campbell’s Resort Lobby

12:00 noon:  Lunch  Art walk on the way to lunch with a local art collector. Optional: drive to lunch.

1:30 p.m. – on:   Downtown walking tour of sculptures and murals. Visit “The Anonymous Show” (pictured) and the Main Street Gallery.

6:00 to 6:30 pm   –   Potluck Dinner, downstairs at the Manson Grange.

Saturday May 17^th  itinerary is to be announced.

* Please note *  If you are an artist in any medium, bring along a sample or portfolio of your work. Small items, such as art cards, which can be given as gifts would be a nice touch.

“In The Beginning, a creation cantata”, recently composed by Brian Mapplebeck of Oliver BC, will be performed at the spring concert by Musaic Vocal Ensemble to be held Saturday May 24 at the Oliver Alliance Church. This choral work, written in traditional style, includes biblical lyrics that reflect joyful celebration of the beginnings in creation. Musaic’s spring season is the perfect time to showcase this new oeuvre.  Their choral concert, titled “Mountain, Sea and Sky” will include many other musical tributes to nature.

Mr. Mapplebeck sings tenor as a member of Musaic, conducts Vintage Voices (a men’s choir in the Oliver area), and plays clarinet in the Penticton Concert Band. With two years of formal piano training, four years studying music and art, and learning musical theory through reading, he is interested in things that have sound, rhythm and emotion. When asked why he created “In the beginning” Mapplebeck stated that he had dabbled in composing over the years and that he was moved to try something substantial and a little more challenging. He has several more musical projects in mind.

The concert promises more than one BC composer! The choir will perform Mountain Sea and Sky, a tribute to the natural beauty of the Howe Sound area by Squamish native Joanna Schwarz.  Other nature-themed works in the repertoire include: an arrangement of The Seal Lullaby (Whitacre / Kipling), Mozart’s lyrical Laudate Dominum, folk-songs such as Down by the Sally Garden and Un Canadien Errant, an arrangement of R.L. Stevenson’s poem When the Sun Comes after Rain, and two familiar choruses by Wagner: the Bridal Chorus and the Pilgrims’ Chorus.  Six other pieces will round out a varied program. Musaic Vocal Ensemble has steadily been developing a reputation as a classical choir of considerable merit.

Many of the pieces in the choir’s spring repertoire are being polished for the choir competition, Kathaumiwx, in Powell River July 1-5 . Choirs are selected to attend this bi-annual international choral festival through an audition process. Participating choirs this year represent  Canada. US., New Zealand, Uganda,Russia, Slovenia, the Czech Republic,and Taiwan. More than 1200 people will gather to share music culture and friendship. The festival features artists in residence, renowned soloists,orchestras and a distinguished international jury. This is the first time Musaic Vocal Ensemble has been invited to participate in an event of this calibre and the choir is excited. Proceeds from their spring concerts will help defray the high costs of travel and accommodation at this prestigious choral event.

The Oliver concert will take place in Oliver Alliance Church, Saturday May 24th at 7:30 p.m.  Tickets are  $15 for Adults, $5 for students  and are available  from Sundance Video, 6278 Main St. Oliver, Imperial Office Pro, 8512 Main St. Osoyoos or at the door.

The Oliver and District Heritage Society is planning a museum work bee on Saturday, May 10th between 10:00am and 12:00pm. at the Oliver Museum, corner of School Avenue and Kootenay Street.  Planned spring cleaning includes tidying the exterior display space behind the museum to make it a place a pride once more, as well as attacking a few clean up jobs around the Museum and on the yard. Besides readying the museum for summer tourism, the event will also engender pride in our heritage sites!

Some of the proposed activities are garbage runs, weeding, garden clean up, scrubbing, small repairs. A full list will be ready on the day. Wear sturdy shoes, long trousers, work gloves or cleaning gloves, knee pads, a sun hat, and  sunglasses, Don’t forget some bottled water and sunscreen. Bring what tools you have that you might need, especially your favourite gardening tools or a shovel.

Please RSVP if you have a truck! Let us know at info @ oliverheritage.ca  or 250-498-4027 

Refreshments will be provided and goodies to eat as we work away. Please encourage any younger members of your families or friends to join you. Many hands make light work and we’ve got a long list of projects we’d like to tackle is a pretty short amount of time!

Saunders (Ted Osborne, left, into phone): I`m sorry Julia, we have a bellhop on our hands who is not only rude but brainless.

Bellhop (David Badger, right, receiving small tip): That`s pathetic!

Julia (Louise Szalay, left): Now aren`t you ashamed of yourself, Tito…. Everyone downstairs at the opera reception is simply dying to meet you!

Tito (Nathan Linders, right): Who are you ….

Max (John Guiliano, discovering Tito the tenor is missing): Oh. My. GOD!!!

Maggie (Tracey Granger):  Tito, before we go any further, I want you to know I`ve never done anything like this before. I want it to be everything I`ve ever dreamed of!

Tito (signing his autograph for Maggie): For me it is a pleasure, A privilege. And I`m a gonna make it a-very …  e-speciale. Just-a for-a you … uh …  Moggie. 

Diana (Robin Stille, left, Tito`s operatic co-star): I`m sure it`s hard to make any lasting judgements, having done it with me only once. But would you say I was ….special … tonight. I can take it Tito, I`m a professional.

Tito: A pro … Oh my God… a professional!

Tito: Maria! Please! Take-a me home! Just get a-me outta here!

Maria (Carrie Lyle): Maria, she takes-a care. Carissimo.

SOAP presents

Ken Ludwig`s

Lend Me a Tenor

May 23 – 24  at OSS Theatre , Osoyoos

May 30 – 31 at Venables Theatre, Oliver

8 p.m. all performances

$18 Adult  $15 Seniors and Students

Tickets at Your Dollar Store with More (Osoyoos) and Sundance Video (Oliver). 

Photo Credit: Penelope Johnson