Seaway Winds keeping the music alive

Seaway News Staff
Seaway Winds keeping the music alive
The Seaway Winds together pre-COVID. Submitted photo.

CORNWALL, Ontario – Since 2001, Seaway Winds Concert Band has been bringing music to the City of Cornwall and the surroundingSD&G counties.

The COVID -19 pandemic has put the group in hiatus since March 2020. but they planto return as soon as restrictions are lifted.

Barb Hunter, founder and conductor of the group, moved to the Cornwall area from Montreal in 1999. In Montreal, Hunter was the conductor of a community band and taught music and played professional trumpet with numerous ensembles, including the Montreal Symphony Orchestra.

After arriving in this region, Hunter began to connect with local musicians, whether they be members or former members of school bands or anyone who played a concert band instrument, and Seaway Winds Concert Band was established.

For nearly 20 years now, Seaway Winds has been presenting annual concerts performing a variety of instrumental pieces across different genres.

In 2002, Seaway Winds began their annual Aultsville Theatre concert series. Every October and May Seaway Winds has performed concerts at Aultsville Theatre.

Fans of Seaway Winds may remember their Spooktacular concert from October 2018, or their2012 Colourama concert that featured classics like ” Somewhere over the Rainbow.”

In addition to their staple concert series at Aultsville Theatre, Seaway Winds also performs a Christmas concert every December at a local church, where they share their favourite festive seasonal pieces and give a monetary donation to a different local charity every year.

In addition to these annual concerts, Seaway Winds has also performed on Canada Day at the Lost Villages Museum and at the Glen-Stor-Dun Lodge and at St. Matthew’s Church in Ingleside, and on Wednesdays in July for Arts in the Park at Lamoureux Park.

Several local artists who are now well -known in their own right havebeen featured soloists with Seaway Winds, including Graham Greer, Therese Motard, Lacie Petrynka, Raymond Lacroix and Katie Ditschun. Seaway Winds concerts have also had specialguest performers including the flute and trumpet professors from the State University of New York (SUNY) Potsdam, and members of the NAC in Ottawa and the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, and composer, Howard Cable.

Seaway Winds currently hasmore than 30 players. During the COVID-19 pandemic they rehearseda few times in person outdoors in August with social distancing, but they are eager to return to the stage and perform musical favourites again.

If anyone plays a concert band instrument at least at the intermediate level and would like to participate in Seaway Winds, please contact Barb Hunter at bbhunter2008@hotmail.com. Also visit our website: www.seawaywinds.ca

Share this article