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St Marys Storytelling presents an afternoon with acclaimed Storyteller, Musician, and ‘Contemporary Canwegian Skald’ Sarah Granskou on March 14th.
What happens when you mix a Canadian’s sense of innovation with the musical traditions and culture of Norway? You get storyteller and musician Sarah Granskou, a ‘Contemporary Canwegian Skald” (Nordic for bard) from Waterloo. Granskou will perform her set “Embers Remember the Spark” at the St. Marys United Church Hall on Sunday, March 14th as part of the 2010 Winter Performance Series produced by St. Marys Storytelling Inc.
Through narrative and song, accompanied by the fiddle, flute and jawharp, Granskou bridges the modern and ancient, the here and there. While she draws on ancient art forms, her moving and humourous works belong in a contemporary niche all her own. Sarah has sampled various cultures and dialects; accompanying the Sámi reindeer migration, working on Norwegian farms, playing for weddings at a Swedish church of ice, building 8-string fiddles and living amongst Canada’s Inuit. Through combining languages, Sarah creates a comprehensible multicultural dialect.
Granskou’s first profound musical experience in Norway was amongst the Sami reindeer herders of the North, where she played their wordless singing upon her fiddle. Then, with her great-grandfather’s fiddle in her backpack, she traveled extensively on ski, hut-to-hut in southern Norway. Upon exposure to the music of her ancestry, she responded through what she calls a “genetic memory”. Working on farms in Norway, she learned traditional singing and to play the 8-string Hardanger fiddle, becoming involved with the people on a personal level. Sarah has since studied Norwegian and Swedish folk music independently and with the support of the Canada Council for the Arts and the Ontario Arts Council.
“To be Canadian is a tradition of creating, of integrating, of relating – to me that is just as important as the music of my ancestors” says Granskou.
Sarah has presented her solo storytelling musical extensively throughout North America. Her evolving performances have reached hundreds of community and school audiences in 11 states and provinces. Sarah has performed original and traditional works at dozens of festivals including the Yukon International Storytelling Festival, the Edmonton Storytelling Festival, the Toronto Storytelling Festival, the Latitudes Storytelling Festival, Mill Race Folk Festival, Hillside Festival, the Jamestown Scandinavian Festival, Høstfest, Spotlight on the Arts, Harbourfront Swedish Festival and the Trondheim Literature Festival. Sarah’s works have been released on the album Midnight Sun, and aired repeatedly on the CBC and on national radio and television channels in Norway. In 2009, Sarah conducted dozens of school presentations sponsored by the Region of Waterloo Arts Fund.
Embers Remember the Spark is the third chapter of St. Marys Storytelling’s 2010 Winter Performance Series, an annual storytelling series geared to adults that runs January to April. More information about this show as well as the final chapter in April, and the upcoming June Festival can be found at www.stmarysstorytelling.org.
The performance begins at 2:00 pm on Sunday, March 14th at the St. Marys United Church Hall, 85 Church Street South, St Marys. Tickets are $15 (recommended for ages 15+, includes themed refreshments) and can be purchased at Van Galen Photo in St Marys, by calling Carol McLeod at 519-229-6468, or can be reserved via email at events@stmarysstorytelling.org.
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The St Marys Storytelling Festival Once Upon a Thames
Presents
THE FROG FESTIVAL
June 5 & 6, 2009
Make way for FROGS! The St. Marys Storytelling Festival, “Once Upon a Thames” is coming the first weekend in June. The festival has changed dates this year, moving from September, to June 5 & 6, but it’s still located in the same place, picturesque Milt Dunnell Field (the Flats) on the Thames River in St Marys.
The theme this year is Frogs. Frog stories appear in almost every culture in the world; there will be frog stories, frog songs, frog masks, frog games, frog folktales and hopefully some real frogs too! Visitors will also have an opportunity to hear two VERY different versions of the classic tale, The Frog Prince.
Friday from 7 to 8:30pm is the Family Concert in the big tent featuring froggy storytelling, and music by Erick Traplin.
First thing Saturday morning, two Tellers will be at the downtown Farmer’s Market; and from 2:00 to 4:30 at the Flats visitors can hear ongoing storytelling in the large tent, tell their own tales at a story swap, sign up for a session in the environmental tent to learn more about real frogs, make hop-a-long origami frogs and participate in frog crafts and games.
Saturday evening, from 8 to 10pm, the Frog Concert, featuring lots more froggy storytelling, and music by the Michael Earnie Taylor Orchestra, will be held in the big tent on the Flats.
Admission to the evening events and the “Frog Festival” on Saturday afternoon is by donation.
Please visit the website www.stmarysstorytelling.org or call Nancy Vermond at
519-284-2698 for more information
Plan to visit the St Marys Horticultural Society’s huge plant sale, Saturday morning at the Flats
Notice of Annual General Meeting
for St. Marys Storytelling Inc.
Monday, January 26th 2009 at 7pm
St. Marys Public Library
Meeting Room
RSVP to events@stmarysstorytelling.org
Here We Go! Storytelling Festival Begins
This Friday, September 5th
From left: Carol McLeod, Nancy Vermond, Tony VanderSchot, John Stevens, Monique VanderSchot. Absent from photo are Arlene Callender, Janis Fread, Christina Kerekes and Gail Fricker. (photo courtesy of Andrea Macko, Journal Argus)
As I write this, the tents are being set up on the Flats, the Logistics crew are hard at work making sure that everything is in order for the weekend, and storytellers have begun the journey to St. Marys for this weekend's festival.
Tomorrow morning, you may hear the sounds of St. Marys' bagpiper Mark Fletcher as he leads schoolchildren down to the Flats, for the beginning of our 5th Anniversary celebration. Approximately 800 school children from St. Marys and Stratford will be entertained by two very talented storytellers - Antonio Rocha and Adwoa Badoe.
I hope you will join us tomorrow night for the official Festival Opening at 7pm! See you this weekend!
Carol McLeod,
Festival Coordinator
Damen's Restaurant Contributes $1,000 to Storytelling Festival
July 2008: Festival Coordinator Carol McLeod and President of St. Marys Storytelling Inc. Monique VanderSchot (right) accept a cheque for $1,000 from Damen's Restaurant owner Burt Damen. (photo courtesy of Jeff Heuchert, St. Marys Journal Argus)
The Ontario Arts Council announces grant for the St. Marys Storytelling Festival
July 7, 2008
ST MARYS - The Ontario Arts Council recently announced a grant award in the amount of $5,000 as part of its Literary Festivals and Organizations program to St. Marys Storytelling Inc. for its annual storytelling festival.
St. Marys Storytelling Inc. is a non-profit organization devoted to the revival of storytelling both within our community and beyond. While there are workshops and a Winter Performance Series happening throughout the year, the main activity is the three day “Once Upon a Thames” Storytelling Festival for all ages held the weekend after Labour Day at Milt Dunnell Field on the Flats, a large park beside the Thames River near downtown St. Marys.
The Ontario Arts Council is an agency of the Government of Ontario. It was established in 1963 to foster the creation and production of art for the benefit of all Ontarians. Since 2007, the OAC has funded artists and organizations in 252 communities in Ontario for a total of $40 million.
“We are thrilled that the Ontario Arts Council has again chosen “Once Upon a Thames” to receive a Literary Festivals and Organizations project grant. The grant goes directly towards the expenses involved in holding this three day festival,” says Festival Coordinator Carol McLeod.
“We are also excited about celebrating our fifth anniversary with our “Many Voices – One World” theme with some tellers who have been with us since the beginning, and some that are coming to St. Marys for the first time. It's also very rewarding for all involved with the planning of this festival to see St. Marys put on the literary arts scene 'map' in Ontario.”
The art of storytelling has seen a revival in recent years, with festivals happening in major cities and towns all over the world. This September, the Stonetown will play host to tellers from countries like Brazil, Ghana, Japan, Argentina, Sicily, and Greece, who now call Canada home. All events at the Flats are again by donation. For more information on this year's festival, please visit www.stmarysstorytelling.org.
St Marys Storytelling Inc. receives Celebrate Ontario Grant
L-R : Front row: Board members Christina Kerekes and Arlene Callender. Back row Carol McLeod, Festival Coordinator; John Wilkinson MPP; Nancy Vermond, Storyteller (and former Artistic Director); Monique VanderSchot, President, St. Marys Storytelling Inc. and Jamie Hahn, Mayor of St. Marys with area children enjoying a storytelling event at the St. Marys Tourism office.
March 14th, 2008
The St. Marys Storytelling Festival. is receiving $11,912 from the McGuinty government to help enhance programming, attract more visitors and boost the local economy.
Celebrate Ontario provides St. Marys, and communities across Ontario, a chance to shine by supporting the growth of local events that draw more visitors and help our businesses prosper.
St. Marys Story Telling Festival is one of 90 festivals and events across the province that will receive funding through Celebrate Ontario 2008, launched in 2006 to support the growth of festivals and events.
