Submitted by David Warder
I am happy to announce that Matt Chittick is bringing his “Home for the Holidays” Christmas Concert Tour to Lion’s Head on Saturday, November 28 at 7:00 pm. Bethel Evangelical Missionary Church has graciously agreed to host the concert at 18 Ferndale Road.
We have decided not to set a fixed admission price. We want everyone to enjoy the opportunity to be a part of this. Admission will be by cash donation (which will be divided between the performers and missionaries the church is supporting) and we’d also like you to bring a food item for the local food bank, if you can. Let’s see how much GOOD we can do both here and around the world this Christmas.
This day is shaping up to be a busy one on the Peninsula. It is my hope that, after a long, busy, maybe-hard day, people will choose to come, relax and enjoy a nice variety of Christmas music while they reflect upon the day that has been. For those who haven’t yet gotten into the Christmas rush, I hope it will put you in the mood for the coming of Christmas.
Fear not! This does NOT replace the Christmas Cantata. That’s coming in December. This is in addition to the Christmas Cantata. (You’d think I had nothing else to do!) This is a chance for all in our community to come together to enjoy a concert without any of us having to get ready to go on stage! This concert is intended to be a treat for all of us. I travelled an hour to hear last year’s version of Matt’s Christmas concert. This year, he’s coming to us! To me, this is a win for everyone.
Matt Chittick is a musician and multi-disciplinary artist. Specializing as a professional opera singer and musical theatre performer, he also works and performs as a voice actor, voice teacher, music director, and singer/songwriter. He has performed with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, Windsor Symphony Orchestra, Calgary Opera, Portland Opera, Toronto Operetta Theatre, Theatre Calgary and others.
Now living in Bruce County with his wife, and raising a family of three young boys, Matt doesn’t travel the world as much. He performs closer to home with groups such as Victoria Petrolia Playhouse, Elora Singers, Tweed & Co Theatre and the Georgian Bay Symphony. Matt does a lot of teaching, including in Lion’s Head. He writes and performs songs for children (look for his new children’s album under Matty Sings on a service such as Spotify) and is in the process of recording and releasing other original songs for the grown-ups (look for Matt Chittick). You might even have heard him on a radio commercial or a talking book. Don’t let the opera training fool you. Matt is versatile, to say the least.
Accompanying Matt on this tour is Kati Gleiser.
The Gleiser name is a familiar one in Lion’s Head. Kati grew up in the Owen Sound area and the Gleiser family has cottaged in the Lion’s Head area for generations. She has a Doctorate in Piano Performance and has performed across North America and internationally, including China. Locally she has performed with the Georgian Bay Symphony and the Sweetwater Music Festival in Owen Sound. If you have never heard Kati play the piano, you cannot miss this concert.
Matt and Kati are a couple of the finest professional musicians. They are also a couple of the finest human beings you will meet. They live right on our doorstep and they have agreed to come and present this concert for us in Lion’s Head in exchange for a cash donation and an item for our local food bank.
I sure hope you can come. Save the date – November 28 at 7 pm at “Bethel.” We’ll put an ad in the next paper to remind you.
