Greenwood News

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Greenwood News...
Greenwood Celebrates the Holiday Season!

Greenwood's "Old Fashioned Christmas" has long been a favourite with families of all ages. This year's events will be held on December 6th and 13th (1:30 p.m. & 3:30 p.m.).

Join us for an afternoon of storytelling and hot apple cider, as well as music from the Kitchen Ceilidh and other seasonal treats. Each year, Greenwood's exceptional volunteers out-do themselves in decorating the house with homemade ornaments, making this final event of the season one not to be missed.

Also this month, the Greenwood Singers will be presenting the second of their bi-annual concerts, "Carols for a Mid-Winter Night", on December 9th at 7:30 p.m. The performance will be held at St. Mary's Church, followed by a reception at the church hall.

Greenwood News...
StoryFest Grand Opening Oct. 6th
With Jane Urquhart

StoryFest 2009 will be launched on Tuesday afternoon, Oct. 6th at 3:00 pm. All pass holders will be invited to a special "Tea with Jane Urquhart" to be held at Greenwood.

So don't miss out- if you haven't picked up your Festival Pass yet, you can do so at A Temps Perdu in Hudson or by using the contact form on this site.

That evening, come and meet one of Canada's most loved authors, Jane Urquhart, at 7:30pm at the Village Theatre.

Jane Urquhart has published 3 books of poetry and 6 novels (The Whirlpool, Changing Heaven, Away, The Underpainter, The Stonecarvers and A Map of Glass) and a collection of short fiction (Storm Glass).

In 1992, her novel The Whirlpool was the first Canadian Book to win France'sBest Foreign Book Award.

Her third novel, Away, remained on the Globe and Mail National Book Seller's list for 132 weeks, the longest of any Canadian book, and won the 1994 Trillium Award.

In 1994, Urquhart also received the Marian Engel Award for an outstanding body of prose written by a Canadian Woman.

In 1997, The Underpainter won the Governor General's Award, and became a fixture on the national bestseller's list.

Her 5th novel, The Stonecarvers, was published in 2001 and shortlisted for the Giller Prize.

In the Globe and Mail's review of her most recent novel, they state "she has claimed an urgent place as one of our most interesting and accomplished writers."

Jane Urquhart was named an Officer in the Order of Canada in 2005.

We do hope you'll take this opportunity to meet such a notable Canadian in your own community!

Greenwood News...
2009 Storyfest

October and StoryFest are coming fast! We are thrilled to have a full monthof events planned for you. For a complete list of events and times, click on the STORYFEST button (on the left) and read all the details about each of our guests.

Have you heard about the big names in the literary world who are coming to our little town? We are excited, and hope you will be too.

The Festival Pass offers the best value: for $60, you can attend $100 worth of events. Pass holders are invited to a special private tea at Greenwood to meet Jane Urquhart on Tuesday, Oct. 6th at 3:00pm.

This year we're holding our first "Books and Breakfast"- Saturday, Oct. 17th at 9:00 AM at St. James Hall, with guest authors Robert Wright and Jeff Heinrich. A delicious cooked breakfast awaits you.

The new book "At Home with Maria Loggia", will be launched at our Community Centre event, along with more delicious food. Book your tickets early for Thursday, October 29th at 1:30 PM.

A Temps Perdu, 76 Cameron, is selling tickets and will be hosting a children's storytelling event and an open poetry reading.

Please pass this along to anyone you think may be interested.

We hope to see you there!

Greenwood News...
Treasures in the Attic is Drawing Close!

On Saturday, Sept. 19th, we are holding our annual Treasures in the Atticevent at St. James Church Hall. Part of this very successful fundraiser isan Auction, which we hold in two parts: a live Auction, and a silentAuction.

We do have some items for the auctions in our garage, but could really usemore. If you have any "treasures" from your attic or your garage that youcould part with, we would be delighted to receive them. We will be happy togive you a tax receipt for their value.

Thanks for your continued support of Greenwood. We hope to see you at "Treasures in the Attic" on the 19th.

Greenwood News...
Greenwood Book Launch a Great Success!

The official launch of "Portrait of Greenwood" was enjoyed by all in attendance. Shown above (left to right) are poet Louise Carson, Illustrator Allison Brown, Author/editor Grell Grant and poet Sandra Stephenson, all of whom contributed to the book.

The book is now on sale at Greenwood for the price of $15.

Greenwood News...
Greenwood Launches First Publication!

The Greenwood Centre for Living history is proud to announce the publication of our first book: "Portrait of Greenwood". The book features a collection of poems by Grell Grant entitled "Greenwood Suite". The second half of the book is made up of "Greenwood Voices", a compilation of works by some of the Greenwood Poets, as well former inhabitants of the house itself.

A celebration of the book's launch will held for the public on July 26th at 2p.m. at Greenwood. Author Grell Grant will on hand to sign books in addition to Greenwood's customary Sunday Home and Garden Tour.

Greenwood News...
Hudson Youth Group Visits Greenwood

The Hudson Youth Centre Pre-teens (Shown here with Greenwood interns Caroline Cawley and Katie Scotcher, in costume) paid a visit to Greenwood Thursday July 16th.

Greenwood News...
New Opening Hours!

Greenwood News...
MP Meili Faille Visits Greenwood

Greenwood welcomed Vaudreuil-Soulanges Member of Parliament Meili Faille (seen here with Greenwood Executive Director Audrey Wall) on June 30th

Greenwood News...
"Sunday at Greenwood: June 14th"

Featuring poetry readings by the Greenwood Poets and a photographic exhibit by Hudson’s own Helen Henshaw

Admission: $10 for adults, children free

Greenwood News...
"Miss Potter" and Karen Molson

Beatrix Potter is coming to town. And she's bringing author/ photo-documentary maker Karen Molson with her! And if that's not enough, just toss in flower gardens, England's Lake District and Peter Rabbit not to mention that brood of furred and feathered miscreants who, back in the days when we still read to children, so charmingly tormented Mr. McGregor.

On Monday May 25, the Greenwood Centre will screen the 2007 bio-flick, Miss Potter, at the Village Theatre. The film follows the life of Beatrix Potter, the author and illustrator of such enchanting stories as The Tale of Peter Rabbit, stories that have captivated children of all ages for upwards of 100 years. It stars Renée Zellweger in a remarkable tour de force as Miss Potter, a role that earned her a Golden Globe nomination.

There will be two showings, both at the usual times, 2:00 pm and 7:00 pm. Greenwood will put the proceeds toward the ongoing repair and restoration of rare paintings and works on paper in the Greenwood collection.

But there is more. As an added bonus, Karen Molson, author of The Molsons: Their Lives & Times, 1780-2000 and Hartland de Montarville Molson: Man of Honour, two thoroughly researched and well received accounts of the Molson clan, will be present for both showings, to introduce the film and lead a short discussion afterward.

Karen's most recent project was, along with partner Joanie Flynt, to co-produce the brilliant Paradise Found photo-documentary series on historical gardens, which was so well received last year in Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal. This series featured such properties as Sissinghurst, the lost gardens of Heligan and the Edwin Lutyens-Gertrude Jekyll creations of the late 19th century -and their stories have much in common with Beatrix Potter and the world she inhabited.

Miss Potter, the film, will certainly resonate with everyone who still remembers the joy that percolated up from the Beatrix Potter books and sketches. But it offers significantly more than that. Miss Potter is the story of a bold, determined woman who marched to her own drum; of romance thwarted and regained; of deep commitment to the cause of land conservation and safe-guarding the environment, of a visionary who bequeathed to the world a priceless legacy.

There is something else about Miss Potter. Those who know Greenwood and have some awareness of Phoebe Hyde will find that the sensibilities and interests shared by the two women are uncannily similar, almost as though the one has channelled the other.

Miss Potter is not a film of sharp edges and over-the top histrionics. Rather it comes to the viewer as hidden treasure, a surprise, a cache of sparkling gems. We think that you will enjoy it very much.

Remember: Miss Potter, Monday, May 25, the Village Theatre, 2:00 and 7:00 pm, in support of Greenwood and its repair and restoration fund. For tickets and more information, call 450-458-5396.

Greenwood News...
Year-End Report For 2008
Submitted By Executive Director

My first 11 months at Greenwood have been very interesting ones. I have met many wonderful and committed volunteers, learned a great deal, and have thoroughly enjoyed my experience.

The 2008 programme that we presented was varied, and on the whole, well attended. The AGM in April was a good start, thanks to the kindness of the "Kitchen Ceildh," Scot Gardiner, our guest speaker, the Greenwood Poets, Theresa Coffey and the volunteers who put together a very nice reception. Attendance was about average.

The Spring Concert performed by the Greenwood Singers in early June was delightful, and the church was filled. Donna Seaman organized a lovely reception afterwards, and the public thoroughly enjoyed the evening.

Our two students, Alix Balevi and Caroline Cawley, arrived in late May, and worked through the summer as interns. They were a wonderful addition to Greenwood. They were interested and lively, worked tirelessly at whatever task they took on, and aided me in innumerable ways. Their contribution was vital to the success of the summer programme.

Our "Sundays at Greenwood" worked very well. In total, we only had one Sunday when it rained, and attendance was up and quite consistent over the summer.

The added attractions- poetry readings, kayak demonstrations, art workshops, harpist, flower artist and storytellers- were well received by our visitors. Some came only for the special visitors, and I would recommend we continue to do this again this summer.

We increased the fees for visitors to $10, and that did not meet with any resistance from our guests. And thanks to Jeanna McClintock, we added a "shop" to our events, and sold homemade bags, book marks, lupin seeds (harvested from our garden), and Greenwood notes. This idea has potential to grow, and was appreciated by our guests.

The other thing that we tried to do was be more visible in the community, and put up a sandwich board in the centre of Hudson the week of our Sunday events, and on the week-end in the street in front of Greenwood. This seemed to work to draw in visitors, and we will certainly continue to do this again this summer.

Our "Theatre on the Lawn" in August was delightful, and the Hudson Players Club graciously performed twice for our audiences. The attendance was good, although not outstanding, and we will want to think about how to increase this next year.

"Treasures in the Attic" was a great success. We added a live auction, thanks to the kind services of Michael Lawrence, and a silent auction.

Many of the items that were auctioned were stored in the garage, and thanks to a large work crew of Board members, we cleaned and sorted and found many treasures that had been hidden away in the mess that the raccoons had made in our garage.

The auction accomplished two things- it earned us a substantial sum at Treasures, and it left us with a workable space for displaying objects in the future. A wonderful group of volunteers worked incredibly well to make this happen, and of course, we are indebted to our appraisers, who worked all day with the public on our behalf.

Next came StoryFest. A fabulous committee started working in March and worked tirelessly over 6 months to stage a really incredible literary festival. We did well obtaining local sponsors, and had wonderful audiences, due in large part to the quality of the guests we had obtained.

The Hudson Village Theatre sold out for Stevie Cameron, and was very full for Joseph Boyden. We added a Poetry Invitational, thanks to the efforts of Sandra Stephenson and the Greenwood Poets, and teamed with Heather Markgraf of Theatre Panache, who presented live theatre within the framework of StoryFest. We showed a film, which was well received, and had a Storytelling session and a Poetry Free for all during the 6 weeks of StoryFest.

The committee worked extremely well together, and has already started planning for next year.

Finally, we moved right into the Christmas activities. The Old Fashioned Christmases were exceptional- again, the volunteers were incredible, the programme delightful, and the guests were very happy to be here. The Greenwood Singers concert

"Carols for a Mid-Winters Night" was superb, again with a full church, and two exceptional receptions (one before the event and one after it).

Our final event of the year was our Volunteers Christmas party, which was attended by over 50 people. It was the perfect finale to an exceptional year.

I want to express my sincere thanks to the almost 100 people who have worked at Greenwood this year in one capacity or another.

First, the Board members are a hard working and dedicated group, and are incredibly committed to Greenwood. Their advice, help and friendship have made my first year easy! I look forward to working with them in the New Year, and hope that they will continue to take such special care of this wonderful place.

Special thanks to each of them - Donna, our President, for keeping us all on track. Jeanna, our co-Vice President for doing an incredible job publishing two newsletters and sending them out to our members, and in keeping the Membership files and donations up to date. Peter, our Treasurer, has worked tirelessly. Theresa, our co-Vice President, has provided us with insight and leadership, particularly in terms of strategic planning. Grace has kept our minutes so carefully, and Audrey has co-ordinated so much hospitality! Eleanor, we have loved your stories about Greenwood. Barb, thanks for your help with the garden and other areas. Karen, we appreciate your support as our CHQ representative, and Bill, what would we do without you?

The other volunteers who come in to do so much have amazed me; at times, I wondered how things would work, but was always told to have faith; the volunteers would arrive and do what needed to be done. And they did!

Special thanks to Daryl Seaman, without whom we wouldn't know where to turn! He and Robert Rozon fixed the broken pipe last winter, and then undertook to repair the outside pipes once Spring arrived. Daryl then repaired the ground near the foundation, and we finally had the area "landscaped". It looked great by mid-summer.

Thanks also to the CHQ, who have been there for advice and information when needed, and who support us in so many ways.

As we look towards the New Year, there are some things that need to be done. We have some plumbing and electrical needs. We are also in need of having some repairs done around the house, and should assess what needs to be done in the way of conservation.

Our Strategic Planning Committee has discussed various fundraising possibilities. I am also planning on looking into funding by municipal, provincial or federal grants.

We have recently joined the "Tourisme Suroit", and will be visible on their web site and in their kiosks. One of our objectives continues to be to raise the visibility of Greenwood within the community, and we will be looking at new ways to promote ourselves. Our web site is now getting a lot of use, and that will continue to be a wonderful way to advertise our events.

I would also like to encourage groups like Artists, book clubs and quilters to use Greenwood during our season, and hope that we will be able to offer tours during the week, with the summer students working as guides.

What an adventure it is to work here. Again, thanks to you all for your time and expertise. You are an amazing team, and I am delighted to be part of it.

Respectfully,
Audrey Wall

Greenwood News...
Old Fashioned Christmas

I hope this message finds you well, as you get ready for the Christmas season. There are several events that are coming up at Greenwood that will really help to get you in the spirit of things, and we'd love to be able to have you join us to celebrate the holiday season.

This Sunday, Dec. 7th, and again on Sunday, Dec. 10th, we invite you to celebrate an "Old Fashioned Christmas" at Greenwood.

This is a wonderful chance to see so many of Hudson's best loved thespians, storytellers, musicians and singers up close, (these include Rod Hodgson, Mark Drake, Peter Williamson, Helen Zajchowski, Mary Jeffries, the Greenwood Singers and the Kitchen Ceilidh) while enjoying the beautiful Christmas decorations that have been designed by Kathryn Lamb, June Kendall, Barb Gibb, and Audrey Gray. To top it off, our dedicated volunteers will provide you with hot apple cider and homemade Christmas goodies.

There are still tickets available for both these dates. The price of admission is $10, and are available at May's, or by calling here (450-458-5396) or e-mailing us at greenwood@bellnet.ca

Music plays such an important part in the Christmas season. To this end, theGreenwood Singers present "Carols for a Mid-Winter's Eve" on Wednesday, Dec. 10th, at St. Mary's Church.

This dedicated group of talented singers will be performing a broad range of seasonal carols, interspersed with the ever popular carols that invite the audience to sing along. To add to the magic, the singers will be reading a variety of poems that relate to Christmas, and finally, Hudson's favorite performer, Helen Zajchowski, will read "It was Never like this in Manchester".

In addition to the concert, our visitors our invited to either a pre or post concert reception here at Greenwood. Come at 6:30 for coffee and cake, or come after the concert for a cup of good cheer and something to nibble on.

Tickets are $20, and include both the concert and the reception. Call us, e-mail us, drop in at May's, or give Frank Royle a call for tickets (450-7316).

These events wrap up our season! We hope you can join us to celebrate a remarkable year. Thanks for all you do for Greenwood. It's been a pleasuregetting to know you, and working with you, these past months.

May you all have a joyous holiday.
Audrey Wall

Greenwood News...
StoryFest 2008 Featured in the Newly Launched Rover Arts Review

We are excited to tell you that StoryFest has been featured in a new online arts review. To view it, visit: http://roverarts.com.

Please note that the Joseph Boyden presentation on Nov. 6th has been moved to the Hudson Village Theatre because of vibrant ticket sales! We want to have enough room for all of you. Boyden's name has been in the news of late, as his new book "Through Black Spruce" has been nominated for the prestigious Giller Prize, which will be announced on Nov. 11th.

We've had great advance sales for the Stevie Cameron night on Tuesday, Oct. 28th. There are still tickets available at the door.

Since the interview with Rover Arts took place, we have confirmed the addition of the Montreal Gazette veteran reporter and film buff, Jeff Heinrich, at our feature film presentation of Fugitive Pieces on Monday, Nov. 3rd. He is preparing a written handout for before the film and will also be available to take questions on the book or the film after the show. We are interested to hear how he compares the book to the film. Tickets for both the matinee and the 7:30 films will be available at the door, at May's Studio in Hudson or A Temps Perdu in Hudson.

And finally, don't forget that Monday, Oct. 27th, William Toye will be at the regular Hudson Historical Society meeting at 7:30 at St. Mary's Church Hall. We hope to see you there.

Greenwood News...
Tea With Shane Kelly,
Accomplished Photographer/Writer
A StoryFest Event, Oct. 15

Due to a last minute cancellation from our first author, Katherine Barber, Hudson's own freelance photographer/writer, Shane Kelley, has generously offered to share her unique way of communicating stories.

We know that you'll find Shane extremely interesting: she was one of Canada's first female photojournalists to work for a major daily newspaper, and has an impressive list of places her work has been published.

The event will be held at St. Mary's Hall at 3:00 pm October 15th, and tea and delicious apple strudel will be served.

For those of you who have already bought tickets for Katherine Barber, these tickets are valid for Shane Kelley, or may be exchanged for another event (excluding Theatre Panache).

As we look ahead, our next event is the Local Storyteller's Corner, which will take place on Wednesday, October 22nd at 7:30 pm at Greenwood, and will be hosted by Rosemarie Belisle. The theme is "Only in Canada"- and we welcome storytellers or listeners to this event. Bring along and share your memories of something that could only have happened in Canada. We look forward to welcoming you here.

Following that, Stevie Cameron will be our distinguished guest on Tuesday, October 28th at 7:30 pm at the Hudson Village Theatre. Stevie is one of Canada's foremost investigative journalists and authors, and has written many books, including Blue Trust, Ottawa Inside Out, On the Take: Crime, Corruption and Greed in the Mulroney Years, The Last Amigo, and The Pickton Files. We are thrilled to have her visit Hudson, and hope many of you will take advantage of this wonderful opportunity to meet her first hand.

Tickets can be purchased online at www.greenwoodstoryfest.com or by dropping in at May's Studio or A Temps Perdu in the village.

Please call Greenwood at 450-458-5396 if you have any questions or concerns about StoryFest.

Greenwood News...
Theatre on the Lawn Aug. 24

If you haven’t visited the Greenwood Centre for Living History yet this summer, there are still several special summer events coming up in our beautiful garden. Make sure to mark the dates on your calendar.

On Sunday, August 24th, the Hudson Players Club will present “Theatre on the Lawn”, a tradition which was started by Greenwood’s beloved owner, the late Pheobe Hyde, and which continues in her honour. There are two performances under the willow tree: one at 11:30 am and one at 2:30pm. Following the performances, tea, lemonade and homemade goodies will be served by our wonderful volunteers.

It is suggested that you bring along a lawn chair, and that you park your car on Butternut Street. A shuttle service will run between Greenwood and Butternut for your convenience. Lawn chairs will be set up at Greenwood, but to ensure you have a place to sit, you might want to bring along your own chair.

Admission is a donation to Greenwood, and families are encouraged to come and enjoy this very special event.

Our final Home and Garden Tour (with Tea) will take place on Labour Day Monday, September 1st, at 1:30 and 3:00 pm. Come and enjoy the view of the lake dotted with sail boats, and listen to stories, told by our very own raconteurs, Bill Young and Rod Hodgson (Trapper Rod!). We are fortunate to have two summer interns working at Greenwood as Research Assistants this summer. Thanks to a grant provided by Young Canada Works, Alix Balevi and Caroline Cawley are spending the summer learning the history of Greenwood, and working on individual research projects which will be added to the archives found on the premises. Their energy and enthusiasm is contagious; drop by and meet them.

Our doors are open from 9am to 3:45pm on week days throughout August, and visitors are welcome to drop in, or phone for a tour. We look forward to seeing you at Greenwood!

For more information please contact: Greenwood .

Greenwood News...
Greenwood Centre Opens Its Garden, Treasures For All

Audrey Wall hosted her first Home and Garden Tour as Greenwood Centre's Executive Director. She is pictured below wearing one of the late Phoebe Nobbs Hyde's summer hats.

Louise Carson read one of her many original short poems in the garden at Greenwood during this summer season opener. Fifteen guests enjoyed the creative output of the six poets who read their work overlooking the Lake of Two Mountains.

Greenwood hosted guided tours of the historic house, as well a serving tea and goodies on the back porch. The sun stayed out and the rain held off until festivities ended around 5 p.m.

The Greenwood Centre for Living History was bequeathed to the Canadian Heritage of Quebec, a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of lands and buildings of beauty or historic interest, by Phoebe Nobbs Hyde, the last of five generations of the Delesderniers/Shepherd families to live there. Phoebe's generous gift led to the establishment of the Greenwood Centre for Living History.

The house, part of which was built in 1732, is a repository of artifacts, many of them collected by Phoebe herself. It was her wish that the historical character of the building be maintained and the property be shared with the people of Hudson and the surrounding communities. The Centre hosts a full range of weekend activities over the summer and guests are welcome.

Picture provided by Shane Kelley

Greenwood News...
Ken Bouchard:
Long-Distance Rower Stops at Greenwood

We have all heard stories of ultra-long distance runners slogging their way across the country. Or cyclists pounding the pavement up and down the continent. Or canoeists retracing old voyageur routes deep into the west.

But long-distance rowing! What's that all about?

Let's ask Ken Bouchard. He will soon be rowing from Hull to Quebec City, stopping at the Greenwood Centre for Living History on Thursday June 19. He has lots to say on the topic.

A veteran of Tourism Canada who has been associated with Elderhostel and countless similar projects in the Outaouais region, Ken is passionate about the joys of never-ending rowing - and he has the calluses to prove it.

This summer, to honour the 400th anniversary of the founding of Quebec City, Ken has pointed his oars in the direction la veille capitale. He is about to strike out down the pesky Ottawa River and out onto the mighty St. Lawrence, rowing all the way. He expects to reach Bassin Louise in the heart of the Port of Quebec on Canada Day.

Ken is no stranger to the challenges of long-distance rowing. In 2007 he completed Row on the Rideau, a trip through the spectacular Rideau Lakes system from Kingston to Ottawa.

He will be offering his own power-point presentation about that experience at Greenwood on Thursday June 19, at 7:30 pm. According to a colleague who rowed with him, it is "very well worth seeing, great music track, solid historical information, and all the rest."

This event is a Greenwood fund-raiser and a nominal donation will be collected at the door. Space is limited, so best to call and reserve a spot ahead of time.

On each of his rowing adventures Ken is accompanied by a crew of second oarsmen. These stalwarts stay with him part way, changing at different stages along the route. Ken is the only one expected to make the full journey.

And why do they do it? Michael Cooper, a friend who was with Ken on the Rideau, says, "Because it's great fun. Rowing is a social event, a great chance to chat" and he adds, "seriously, if you are not in constant communication with your partner and in perfect sync, your oars will clash - and this is not a good thing."

Rowing is so much fun, in fact, that Ken has already agreed to take part in next summer's Founding of the Royal Navy Dockyard, 1759-2009 re-enactment festivities in Halifax Harbour.

"We will be fitted out like a picket boat," says Ken, "surrounded by more than 60 tall ships. Our crew will consist of Michael Cooper and me - stage name James Macdonald. Our cabin boy will be my wife, Heather Barbour, to be called Henry - we think."

On June 19 and 20, Ken will lay-over at Greenwood to prepare for the challenge of the St. Lawrence, making whatever adjustments his boat requires, gathering supplies - and bringing on a new crew. An appropriately outfitted "sag" wagon, driven one of the crew members, will follow the boat on land, transporting much of their camping and other gear.

And the boat? It is a double-ended Loudon-type craft built by Rossiter Boats in Meaford Ontario (www.rossiterboats.com/). The manufacturer describes it as a "full-size classic rowboat, finely executed in teak and fiberglass...with features not found in other rowboats."

The Loudon is about as far removed from the clunkers we used to rent at the public beach as the QE 2 is from the steamboats that R.W. Shepherd once ran up and down the Ottawa River.

Ken has christened his craft the Ruth Agnes B, in honour of his late mother. She is a beauty.

So remember to mark the date. Learn more about Ken Bouchard's monumental journey of a life-time: come by Greenwood and say hello. He will be here on June 19 and 20. And don't miss his Rideau Canal presentation at 7:30 pm on the 19th. It will be a treat.

Greenwood News...
Greenwood Singers Present...
"Songs for a Midsummer's Eve"

This Friday, June 6 2008, St. Mary's Church Hall will host the Greenwood Singers for their annual "Songs for a Midsummer's Eve."

The Greenwood Singers were founded six years ago to cap off Greenwood's winter holiday season but since their beginnings as Christmas carolers, they've become something of a warm up act for the year to follow. Bill Young, then Executive Director of the Greenwood Centre, said after their successful inaugural performance, "Hey, you sound pretty good. So can you do it again in the spring?" Since then they've become an annual tradition, with four performances every year. On Monday, Frank Royle rehearsed with John de Sévigné, Dan Gallant, Graham Campbell, Phyllis Matte and Terry O'Shaughnessy for Friday's performance.

"There no director, which is quite unusual," said Royle. "It causes us to be responsible for what we do. If one of us is out of check it's the responsibility of the person next to them to alert them.” The Greenwood Singers currently include 13 members, although there’s been some give and take throughout the years.

“There’s been quite a lot of evolution,” admits Royle. After their first June performance in 2002, the Greenwood Singers received requests to showcase their talents in other venues, such as the Hudson Village Theatre and John Abbott College’s Stuart Hall. “It’s not like we asked to be showcased in other venues,” said de Sévigné, one of the group’s basses. “They came to us.” Royle said the group has a lot to be proud of. “We pride ourselves on our blend of songs,” he said. “And when it works well, we call it the Greenwood sound.” Their repertoire will include traditional songs sung acapella, such as Danny Boy and popular tunes like Billy Joel’s and So it Goes. “its difficult finding songs we all like and can also perform,” said de Sévigné. Although their repertoire now includes an impressive 180 different songs, they feel obliged to deliver something new at this Friday’s show. New this year is the work of the late John Harley; a Hudson resident who gently satirized his neighborhood in How Sweet To Live in Como, a well known Anglican church choir song with rewritten lyrics.

“It’s going to be sung in deadpan,” said de Sévigné, which should only make the humorous lyrics stand out more, which include reference to Phoebe Hyde, Greenwood’s previous owner. Although de Sévigné said the group consists of some of the top soloists and choral singers from Wyman, St. James and the McGill choir, “the key thing is that each one of us loves to sing.”

Greenwood News...
Introducing Our New Executive Director

The Board of Directors of the Greenwood Centre for Living History is pleased to announce the appointment of Audrey Wall as Executive Director.

Audrey comes to Greenwood with a long history of service both in the public and private school systems. She will be remembered by many as a teacher at Hudson High School, Hudson Elementary, Mount Pleasant and St. James Nursery School. Recently retired from her last position as Vice Principal and Director of the Senior School at Miss Edgar's and Miss Cramp's (Montreal), she brings with her a great deal of experience in all aspects of administration.

Audrey and her husband George raised their three children in the Hudson area and are long-time residents. Both are involved in many local activities and clubs.

We are delighted to have Audrey as part of our Board and the Greenwood community. We look forward to working with her.

Donna Seaman,
President


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