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On Saturday evening March 30, 2019, I was reminded, once again, of what a remarkable community we live in. The Georgian Bay Symphony provided an outstanding evening of music. The event spoke to the remarkable efforts of musicians, Board, Music Director, and guest soloist Vivian Chen, all of whom shared in making the concert a success. It was enjoyed by a near capacity audience of about six hundred.

What is truly remarkable is the fact that a concert such as this would not occur if it were not for significant volunteer commitment. With the exception of the Music Director and a few section chairs, the orchestra is comprised of volunteer musicians from across Grey and Bruce counties In common, they love to play music. Within the structure of the orchestra, the individual players are able to join more than fifty fellow musicians to perform great classical symphonic works that they might never otherwise realize. They do not, however, accomplish this entirely on their own as an orchestra. Concerts would not happen without the support of an active volunteer Board of Directors. The excitement and enrichment such an organization brings to the community is exceptional.

On Saturday evening, the symphony under the direction of Maestro Francois Koh, opened the concert with a contemporary Canadian composition for brass and carillon. It was followed by a brilliant and energetic performance of the Shostakovich Piano Concerto # 2 . The gifted young Canadian pianist Vivian Cheng was a tour de force at the keyboard. The concert concluded with Dvorak’s Symphony # 9 (From the New World) featuring solo passages by several of the orchestra members. All played with a high degree of performance paulearlechoexcellence.

Following the concert’s conclusion, the orchestra recognized one of its own, Concert Master Paul Earle, who is retiring after seventeen years of dedicated music leadership. Paul has provided a remarkable example of just what commitment and community are all about - a passion, a sense of place and value within the fabric of the society. For Paul, and the members of the orchestra, it is all about the joy of making and sharing music. I congratulate him on his retirement and thank him for his outstanding service to the orchestra and wider community.

Thank you to the Georgian Bay Symphony for its efforts to ensure that Saturday evening’s concert was such an enjoyable and heartwarming event.

Peter Middleton, Owen Sound