August 14, 2012
Simcoe – Arcady is pleased to announce the permanent establishment of its new Youth Chorus, thanks to a three-year, $65,000 grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF). MPP for Haldimand-Norfolk, Toby Barrett congratulated Arcady Director Ron Beckett at the organization’s Simcoe office. Over the next three years, this grant aims to increase training, performance and mentorship opportunities for local youth with an interest in choral music. Funding will be used to establish a youth choir in Brantford which will perform under the direction of a local composer and be mentored by young adults embarking on their professional music careers.
“Not only do we have an abundance of talent in our area, but we are blessed with many volunteers willing to donate their time and energy to mentor budding artists,” MPP Barrett said. “Our young musicians will be able to learn and cultivate their talent through the guidance offered by Arcady.”
“Arcady has been incorporating youth as an adjunct to its Brant and Norfolk performances for some time now,” Ron Beckett, Director and Resident Composer of Arcady. “There has been a tremendous community response on each of these occasions and the need for an established youth chorus was amply demonstrated. In so doing, we’ll be extending the principle of mentorship upon which Arcady is based to a younger age group. We are very grateful to OTF for making all of this possible.”
Arcady is a professional musical organization, based in Brant and Norfolk Counties, that performs 25-30 programs in south western each year. These performances range from full scale choral-orchestral performances to small recitals. The organization consists of both singers and instrumentalists and operates by a system of mentorship. It specializes in the music of its director, Ronald Beckett, but performs everything from Baroque to show music.
A leading grant maker in Canada, the Ontario Trillium Foundation strengthens the capacity of the voluntary sector through investments in community-based initiatives. An agency of the Government of Ontario, OTF builds healthy and vibrant communities.
LEARN MORE
* For more information on Arcady, visit www.arcady.ca.
* For more information about the Ontario Trillium Foundation, visit www.otf.ca
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CONTACT
Ron Beckett, Director/Composer of Arcady, 519-428-3185. info@arcady.ca