By Stephen Dafoe

Morinville – With her hair in a ponytail, dangly earrings in her ears, and dressed in a glittery t-shirt that says SMILE, nine-year-old Alyssa Lincez looks just like any other fourth grader you might meet. But the Georges P. Vanier student has done something few students her age have, written and recorded a song…

By Stephen Dafoe

Morinville – Those expecting garbage cans and dust brooms traversing the stage of the Morinville Community Cultural Centre during the Jan. 13 presentation of TorQ Percussion Quartet would have been disappointed because the quartet is considerably more than a scaled down version of Stomp. What the 60 concert goers who came out to see something a little different got was a highly polished performance that was part symphony, part musical education and part performance art….

By Stephen Dafoe

Morinville – A variety of music styles will make up an evening of entertainment at Higher Grounds Jan. 6. Morinville Community High School student Kelsey McKenzie is organizing the show as part of her studies at another local school, Smith Music…

By Lucie Roy

Morinville – Jazz music with a Christmas theme was featured by the River City Big Band at the Morinville Community Cultural Center Dec. 17. Approximately 100 people came out for the evening show.The narration by the Master of Ceremonies, Colin MacLean, brought stories to life of music and songs through the age and was fitting with the 100th anniversary celebrations in Morinville. The 17-piece big band under the Musical Direction of Larry Schrum also featured vocals by Chandelle Rimmer…

Photos by Stephen Dafoe

Morinville – The sounds of the season rang out from St. Jean Baptiste Church Wednesday night as the community came together for the 33rd Annual Community Christmas Celebration, an interdenominational Christmas gathering that once again packed the pews and balconies of the historical landmark…

By MorinvilleNews.com staff

Morinville – Higher Grounds monthly Hot Dogma night took on a festive flavour Friday night with Feliz Navidogma, a Christmas-themed open mic night. Musicians from beginner to world-class professional took to the stage for 90 minutes of family entertainment. As is so often the case, not all of the acts were booked prior to the start of the event…

By Lucie Roy

Morinville – Notre Dame Librarian Lena Bourgeois is excited with the Wild Thing travelling exhibit currently at the school. This visual display from the Alberta Foundation for the Arts Travelling Exhibition Program contains an interpretative guide, twenty-two framed two-dimensional artwork pieces and two sculptural works from thirteen artists. Nine of the animal-themed works were made by Illingworth Kerr…

Photos by Stephen Dafoe

Morinville – The Union Jack and Jolly roger got equal billing Tuesday night, but both were upstaged by a cast of roughly 30 MCHS students who brought Gilbert and Sullivan’s classic operetta Pirates of Penzance to the stage for the first of four nights of performances…

First Choice Tree Nursery held their annual A Very Cherdarchuk Christmas over the weekend. Three-year-old Brianna Logan (left and her sister Madison, 8, enjoyed taking a look at some of the ice sculptures, including the Cherdarchuk Express…

By Stephen Dafoe

Morinville – Entering a tree in the annual Festival of Trees is a common occurrence for some artistic types, but Vintage Petals co-owner Julie Puchala’s 2011 entry, her first, had a particular significance. The tree was entered in memory of her husband Brian who passed away Dec. 15, 2010…

By Stephen Dafoe

Morinville – You may not know the names Randy Craig or Janice MacDonald, but as of Nov. 27 the latter’s book about the former was ranked seventh on the Edmonton Journal’s top ten list of bestsellers. There wedged between Christopher Paolini’s fourth book in the Inheritance series and Julian Barnes’ The Sense of an Ending is Janice MacDonald’s Hang Down Your Head, the latest in her Edmonton-based mystery series…

By MorinvilleNews.com Staff

Morinville – It’ll be a festive Friday night at Higher Grounds Espresso Bar Dec. 9. That’s the night the coffee house’s monthly Hot Dogma open mic night gets in tune with the season for a Christmas-themed evening of community entertainment that can only be called Feliz Navidogma…

By Stephen Dafoe

Morinville – High school thespians will take to the stage next week for what may be Morinville Community High School’s most ambitious production yet. This year’s student play is Gilbert and Sullivan’s classic Pirates of Penzance, an operetta that has been performed continuously since it emerged on the stages of England in 1879.
MCHS teacher Vanessa King said the play is a big show and a theatrical classic. “It was a hit back then immediately, and it’s just as big now, although for some reason most people haven’t heard of it, she said…