A Summary Of The Voice of The River’s First Performance In Caledonia
“THE VOICE OF THE RIVER met the TWO ROW ON THE GRAND at Caledonia on July 21st at the Fairgrounds. It’s the 10th year of the Two Row and it was also the first presentation of the Voice of the River Play. Canoes and kayaks were hoisted from the River as Cathy Nosaty played her accordion and members of the cast lent a hand. After the canoes were emptied and turned to dry we performed a few pieces from the play.
The Grand River glistened and flowed right behind us as the Prairie Grasses kicked things off in full regalia singing about the sun, then Grace and Tanis performed on stilts as two Great Blue Herons and were accompanied beautifully by Cathy on her accordion. Pierre, the Dundalk woodcutter, with support from the Mistresses of the Marsh wrapped things up with the song Down the River I Go.
Bree let folks know about the TWO WORDS on the TWO ROW artwork she was creating and asked folks to drop by and put down a couple of words on the sheet. The mayor of Haldimand then gave thanks – she’s on the paddle this year. And then there was a birthday cake celebrating 10 years of the Two Row on the Grand. The day ended with a book launch and an amazing discussion about the River, the Wampums, respect and love. I’ll close on our exciting first day of the tour with a happy acknowledgement to the many folks who showed up from other communities along the Grand. They were all smiles and happy to be a part of the celebration.
And lastly – a shout out to the amazing artist Lacie from the Creative Barracks in Dunnville. Cathy and I met Lacie before anyone else was in the park in the morning. She was there to deliver to us Grand Blue – a large heron puppet that is a power unto herself, and a reminder of what creativity is capable of. A great start as the adventure continues. Join us when you can!”
– Peter Smith
