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Musical Preludes and Cream coming to Westminster

October 13, 2017   ·   0 Comments

By Constance Scrafield

Another fine concert under the leadership of Nancy Sicsic, organist and music director at Westminster United Church, titled Preludes and Cream, is set for Sunday, October 22.

“I like the concerts to have a theme; it makes it simpler in many ways,” Ms. Sicsic admitted. “You can have a wide variety of music and still stick to a theme.”

Nancy Sicsic certainly has settled into the music community and the community in general since her arrival here about three years ago. She came to Orangeville from Toronto in answer to the advertisement  for an organist/music director for Westminster United Church.

It was time for a new road in her life and she is glad to have taken it. “I work in Toronto, teaching at St. George Campus at U of T and I teach here too;  there are two concerts a year, plus other concerts; then, the  choir and the services on Sunday and weddings; I feel as though I’m leading three different lives.”

She spoke for a moment about her recent pre-Orangeville history: “I still feel very new to Orangeville, coming from Toronto, from Vancouver and originally, from the U.S. We left the States to go to Vancouver for work and the same thing to come to Toronto. We were 15 years in Vancouver.”

Still in all, as a musician, she is finding her fellows: “It’s very nice here and lots of opportunities for concerts. I’m really getting to know musicians and other people who live and work here. Many of them have other commitments but music is still a big part of their lives.”

She went on to say, “You have to be well-rounded with the concerts – appeal to a wide taste. I found in the last concert in the spring, a lot of the rock musicians were classically trained: look at Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody.

“This concert has to be classical, jazz  and popular music as well.” She offered the irony of the freedom to take classical as your own: “Being an organist, you always talk about getting the prelude right, but Ryan Grist and his jazz trio will do a prelude. All my performers have taken on the theme to have fun with it. With this theme there  are preludes of all kinds.”

Ms. Sicsic is interested in young musicians, hearing them with their own voices. “Xavier Leahy is coming. I invited him because I heard him play one time. He was with his family but playing on his own with his accordion and he was really interesting as a solo. He may be bringing some members of his family.”

Traditionally, preludes are often associated with the organ. “I wasn’t going to include the organ,” Ms. Sicsic commented, “but people asked me to.”

The extensive renovations to the sanctuary of Westminster were designed to attract people of all persuasions  to hold their concerts there and, as Ms. Sicsic remarked, “These two concerts a year that we do, fall and spring, what’s really important is to have culture in the community, not to just bring people in but good quality music.

“The proceeds keep our organ music funds up. The local musicians that play in the concerts – we pay them.”

She makes her living and turns her life over to music. She likes to be involved in music/arts committees and competitions: “It  is very rewarding,” she averred.

For Ms. Sicsic, “The main importance is it’s really relaxing and pleasant to come. The congregation asked how they could help – shall we provide snacks afterwards? They said.”

Smiling at the level of enthusiasm, she promised, “There will be nice snacks after the concert.”

Tickets are available at the United Church office, 247 Broadway; BookLore and New Wave Pool and Spa; by telephone 519-941-0381. Concert is on Sunday, October 22 at 2:00 pm at Westminster United Church.


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