April, 2006 - Nr. 4
Club-Style Galas
Not only big organisations have end of season balls and galas, our German-Canadian clubs also place some of their most festive events just around the calendar beginning of spring.
Kitchener’s fabulous Concordia Club selects a new board
every March. Thus it follows that the President’s Ball announces the new
board to the most important people in the community, including the regions
politicians
on
every level. It is always good to be able to see these representatives of
the people in our clubs and to be able to exchange a few words with them. I
particularly enjoy a visit with Kitchener’s Mayor Zehr. His longstanding
popularity and the many years in office speak for themselves.
Sybille visits:
![Heinz Kreitzer, Rita Allmendinger, Sybille Forster-Rentmeister & Monika Matthaes [photo: Erhard Matthaes]](604c-PresBall-0.jpg)
President
Werner Schlüter is still holding the reigns. He is jovial and energetic and
understands business. The club did well under his ‘sceptre’.
This is not to say that other presidents did not do the same. On the contrary, each one had a different style and talent and brought expansion and prosperity to this establishment with the help of the board and countless volunteers putting in thousands of hours in every year to keep the house operational. Past presidents, volunteers and other entities that fortify the German Canadian Community, are also honoured at this event, and charity is done, as it should.
The Canadian society is built on volunteers and charity. It is a way to make people aware of the fact that no one survives alone, but that it takes many to make a success of anything. It is a way to work together as a group and encourages the feeling and knowing of belonging. It satisfies the feeling of need and being needed. It establishes the all-important flows of give and take, which must be balanced for a society to flourish.
Germans
in Canada have adapted well to this concept and participate vigorously. Thus
the club was able again this year to give a couple of thousand dollars t
o
the German Language School Concordia, which is doing so very well with
Monika Matthaes at the helm. The other recipient of a nice cheque was Dr.
Ulrich Frisse, newest president of the German Canadian Congress Ontario.
The Swearing-in Ceremony
The Mixed Choir Concordia
The Concordia Dance Club
This evening was structured like all the previous ones,
which were equally successful: Champagne reception and hores d’euves buffet
for chatting and getting acquainted, a fabulous multi-course sit-down dinner
on decorated tables, an official part of introductions of the many honoured
guest, who are there by invitation only, the swearing in ceremony of the new
board,
special announcements like saying good-bye to a valued board member like
Harald Schwegel, and the charitable cheques for (this time) Monika Matthaes
and Dr. Frisse, entertainment from the Concordia Dance Club and the Mixed
Choir Concordia under the baton of Dr. Alfred Kuntz. Afterwards of course
there is dancing for everyone. This time the European Connection was
tirelessly playing until no one wanted to dance anymore.
Happy Guests
and Prominence
The
entire proceedings were run this year again by the young and charming Sarah
Allmendinger as Master of Ceremonies, who was surrounded by a lot of her
young contemporaries, including Miss Concordia Monica Gärnter.
To be part of such a continued success story is also a great honour for our publication. It supports our mandate of helping the arts and culture connected to the German Canadian heritage.
Danube Swabian Gala
Just after a new board of directors is elected in the
Danube Swabian Club Scarborough this club also holds an annual
fundraiser in the form of a club gala, for which
special
entertainment is always planned. Newly elected President Henry Betsch
welcomed with his wife Julia the many guests for a cocktail party prior to a
sumptuous dinner with wine, all under the theme of the evening Fiesta
Espanol. Then Peter Beck and his Mississauga
Express
Band played and people danced and danced…the night away, visited each other,
took photos, as did we, until about 10 o’clock, when the Spanish
entertainment finally started.
I could have danced all night
Danube Swabian Royalty all
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Couples
It was a long program offering quite a variety of Spanish songs and dances. Singers Romina Di Gasbarro and Francesco Pellegrino were the serious kind. They sang in earnest their Spanish songs, some of which no one ever had heard of before. After a hint at least Romina started to introduce her songs and instantly the audience felt more addressed, warmed up and the applause also became warmer. Francesco Pellegrino however did not feel it necessary to become a bit more personal. The applause for him remained moderate except when he sang a famous aria everyone recognized and loved.
It has to be mentioned that the accompanist on the piano, Vanessa Lee, was truly awesome!
Spanish stylings
I
must say that a club crowd is hard to please, but a performer needs to know
that a club is not a concert hall and the audience does not necessarily want
to be treated as though they are in one. They enjoy the informal setting of
the club, the intimacy it brings, or else they could go to the Roy Thompson
Hall for a concert, where everything is delivered at arms length. There has
to be a willingness of the performers to have personal contact with the
people in the room.
Esmeralda Enrique & her dancers
with guitarist Nicolas Hernandes
This was definitely the way with Esmeralda Enrique and members of her Spanish Dance School. To the sounds of a fabulous guitar played by Nicolas Hernandez Esmerald and 2 other young ladies totally mesmerized us with the staccato of flamenco. This was not the serious tragic variety, but one full of life and sun and glory.
The crowd was told to shout OLE when they liked something. There were a lot of OLEs to be heard!!!
To top up the evening a late dessert of Spanish Peaches with fresh crème Anglaise was served. MmmMmmGood!
This was quite a nice stand in for the new president, as some people said, who had not been around for a while.
It is spring and I am all for new beginnings. Who knows, may be we can start something new and exciting?
By the way, we went for lunch at The Blue Danube Restaurant recently, and found the food excellent. The management of the restaurant and catering is back in the hands were they once were held so successfully before, by the very capable and personable Jean Zander. Welcome back!
About other club events in our area you can read under "Dick reports".
Hope to see you around!
Until then, cheers and a very Happy Easter! May the bunny bring lots of delights!
Sybille Forster-Rentmeister
Comments to: sfr@echoworld.com
