Southern Manitoba Concerts (SMC) presented it first series 50 years ago with the goal of bringing inspiring performances to south-central Manitoba.
The entirely volunteer board behind it is excited to be back post-pandemic with a full slate of shows for the 2023-24 season.
“It is pretty special and exciting to be back,” said board member Sharron Wiens, who was only aware of one other rural concert series that has gone as long as SMC, with a similar organization in Pinawa having reached the 50-year milestone.
Wiens said they are cautiously optimistic about returning and are encouraged by the initial response.
“Southern Manitoba Concerts is fortunate to have loyal subscribers who have already resubscribed for the new concert series,” she said.
“We have to applaud the community minded people who started the series 50 years ago,” Wiens added. “My understanding is that it was just a small group of people from Altona, Winkler, and Morden who met and said this was something we want as part of the lifestyle of our communities, so how can we make it happen?”
Having a varied lineup of performers continues to be a priority for the organization.
“This is not a chamber music society. It’s meant to appeal to all ages … and just present a variety of performances for people,” Wiens said. “And there’s also a bit of social mixing that goes on at these events as well.”
Kicking off the season this Friday at the Access Event Centre in Morden is Canadian Brass. They’re a fitting opener, as the original group performed as part of one of SMC’s first seasons decades ago.
The Washington Post once commented “these are the men who put brass music on the map with their unbeatable blend of virtuosity, spontaneity and humanity.”
In addition to performances, Canadian Brass has averaged two and a half full length recordings per year for each of its 52 years of existence. During the COVID era, the group created another award-winning recording called Canadiana that features music of Canadian superstars such as Joni Mitchell and Bruce Cockburn.
The second SMC show is The Nadeau Ensemble on Nov. 26 at the Emmanuel Mennonite Church in Winkler.
The ensemble will present concert-goers with a captivating choice of music to celebrate the Christmas season, along with a group carol singalong.
The third show features Notas de 4 Jan. 28 at Buhler Hall in Gretna.
This Latin folk and jazz ensemble of musicians and dancers offers original compositions that are inspired from flamenco, Latin jazz, and traditional music from Cuba, Mexico, and Spain.
The series then concludes with a performance from pianist Sarah Hagan Feb. 24 at the Emmanuel Mennonite Church in Winkler
The award-winning artist brings to the stage her unique combination of piano and humour. Hagan’s extensive touring has taken her across Canada to Sweden, France, Germany and Italy and twice to New York’s Carnegie Hall.
There are a limited number of subscriptions available, taking into consideration the capacity of the venues. Rush seating tickets will only be available for individual shows if space allows.
Subscriptions for adults are $80 for returning patrons and $100 for new ones. Seniors subscriptions are $70 and $80 while a family of four (two adults and two children) can subscribe for $180 or $200.
Tickets are available at The Flower Shop in Altona, Morklers in Morden, and Bloom Floral Creative in Winkler.
More information can be found online at southernmanitobaconcerts.ca
