STITTSVILLE - Holy Spirit Catholic School
student Alex Krause had a birthday to remember on Friday, March 12. He was serenaded
with “Happy Birthday” by his grade six classmates, his fellow students at the
school and even the parents who attended the school’s performance gathering
wrapping up the two-week “Blues in the Schools” program at the school. And the
song was sung as the closing song at the 50 minute long gathering not only in
its traditional style but also in a blues style. What a memory for Alex!
It was a performance
gathering that featured not only blues music including a song “Saying Goodbye”
that was written by the school’s grade six students but also saw the students
present a series of popular television commercials, re-written in blues style.
The students also sung several blues-style songs which they had written during
a week of workshops led by Ottawa Bluesfest musicians.
The performance concert began
with blues musician Tyler Kealey, on his accordion, helping fill the school
gymnasium with blues music, complete with audience participation in the
refrain.
Rhythmic clapping continued
as blues singer Shawn Tavenier led a rendition of “Every Day I Have The Blues”.
This was followed by a rendition of the famous Johnny Cash song, “Fulsom Prison
Blues”.
The student-penned songs,
besides “Saying Goodbye”, included a song about rules, a song entitled “No Name
Blues” and a version of “You Are My Sunshine”, complete with appropriate hand
and arm movements to give it a blues feel.
This is the third year that
the “Blues in the Schools” has been at Holy Spirit Catholic School in
Stittsville. Now in its 12th year, the “Blues in the Schools”
program sees some of Ottawa’s
top blues artists take part in a series of assembly-like presentations at each
of the participating schools, demonstrating blues music and explaining the
history of this particular type of music.
This initial phase of the
program is followed up by the musicians taking part in workshops with students
in which they examine blues song writing and singing and explore the various
instruments used. This workshop phase culminates in the grand finale
performance gathering as happened at Holy Spirit last Friday.