A Summertime Message from Lydia Adams and musical gift from the Elmer Iseler Singers
Dear Friends of the Elmer Iseler Singers,
It’s the end of July, and the summer heat, thunderstorms and evening breezes are here reminding us that the world is continuing its regular cycle, no matter what else is happening on this planet.
Friday, July 31st, we would have been with our long-time friends and colleagues at the Festival of the Sound, making music in the friendly surroundings of the Charles W. Stockey Centre for the Arts in Parry Sound, Ontario, watching the many boats cruising in the largest freshwater archipelago in the world.
The Elmer Iseler Singers have been guests of the Festival of the Sound since its inception, and we share our anniversary with the Festival – 41 years!
What a great partnership this continues to be, and we want to celebrate the Festival of the Sound, on Sabbatical this year, and Artistic Director James Campbell, to say:
“We miss you, too!“
We look forward to singing with you next summer and we have July 16th, 2021 marked in our calendar for your Gala Opening!
To celebrate today, we are offering you, our wonderful supporters, a musical gift commissioned by the Festival of the Sound and written especially for the Elmer Iseler Singers. Paradise: A Song of Georgian Bay by Parry Sound composer Eleanor Daley on a text by Parry Sound poet Eleanor Hunter, describes the heart and soul of the ancient and iconic Canadian Shield amidst the intense beauty of Georgian Bay. The music is accompanied by the stunning photography of Mark Rash, photographer for the Festival of the Sound; singers of the Elmer Iseler Singers, and one special photograph by Dr. Dan Daley.
We wish for you all, wherever you are, good health and peace.
Lydia Adams
Artistic Director
Elmer Iseler Singers
Summer festival musical gift from the Elmer Iseler Singers
Paradise: A Song of Georgian Bay by Eleanor Daley. The Elmer Iseler Singers, Lydia Adams, conductor and Shawn Grenke, piano. From the album: Elmer Iseler Singers Greatest Hits, Vol. 1.
Paradise: A Song of Georgian Bay by Eleanor Hunter (adapted Eleanor Daley)
A song is born in Georgian Bay,
where the rolling breakers roar
on the reefs that were laid in an ancient day,
and the song begins to soar,
when the tune is tossed to the waiting breeze
that flings it to the skies,
then down to the island’s pine trees
to add to their lullabies.
Paradise, this our paradise.
The waters give to the rocky shore,
and the shore gives to the land,
in the crashing surf that evermore
carves its beach of curving sand,
and each of them offers their sound to the song
as on to us it flies,
the lone loons call,
and the seagulls scream their wild and haunting calls.
Paradise, this our paradise.
