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Ian Sherwood opens Steinbach Arts Council’s 2025 Concert Series
The Steinbach Arts Council is gearing up to kick off this year’s Concert Series with the first of five shows. Performing Arts Coordinator Tara Schellenberg says the season opener is set for Thursday, October 9. “We've got Ian Sherwood coming. He is from the East Coast of Canada. He's a singer-songwriter. He's been awarded for both his singing and his songwriting. He's won a Canadian Folk Music Award.” The performance will take place at the SRSS Theatre, starting at 7:30 p.m. “He's going to do some singing, play some guitar, play some saxophone. He does live looping at his concerts, which is really cool.” Schellenberg explains that looping involves recording short instrumental parts and playing them back live to create the sound of a full band, all by one musician. “It's a one person show, but it has the effect of a whole band. Very, very cool to see that happening live, and you can only see that when you're in the room where the magic is happening.” She adds that during a time when the world feels divided, performances like this help bring people together. “When you're sitting in a concert like that, you're not just being entertained, everybody is having a shared experience. And it's going to be unique. There are never two shows that are going to be the same. And so, you're going to walk out of there having being entertained, inspired, and now having a shared experience with a big group of people. And I think it's really a very lovely way to build connections with your community.” Schellenberg says this year’s Concert Series will feature a wide range of genres. “This is the first of five. And this one is going to be kind of like folk pop, and this is the only one that's like this year. So if that's kind of your jam, then you want to come out to this one this year, because we've got lots of other cool stuff happening.” Attendees can expect everything from theatre to symphony to classical performances. “You're going to get world-class music right here in our community, which is cool. We search high and low, far and wide for the best talent across Canada and even internationally. And we bring it right to your door. So, you're going to hear top-notch musicianship and you're going to be inspired.” Here’s a look at the upcoming lineup in the Concert Series: November 2 at the SRSS Theatre – Prairie Sons: Classical Piano and Cello Duo “Both of those musicians, David Liam Roberts and Godwin Friesen, they've both been named to CBC's top 30 under 30 classical musicians. So, these guys are going places. We're kind of getting them on their rise to classical notoriety.” December 2 at Crossview Church – Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra Holiday Tour February 6 at Grace Church – Proximus 5: A Capella Vocal Ensemble “And they're going to come and they're going to perform actually with the SRSS Chamber Choir. So a bit of community added to that show.” March 1 at the SRSS Theatre – RMTC’s Hockey Mom, Hockey Dad “We have the Manitoba Theater Center finishing off our concert series with a play called Hockey Mom, Hockey Dad, that I think maybe people will be able to relate to.” Schellenberg says tickets are available online at the Steinbach Arts Council website or by calling 204-346-1077. “And if all of those concerts sound appealing to you, this is kind of your last chance to enjoy the season subscriber pricing. We still are selling a few season tickets.” With files from Carly Koop