November 28, 2025

Cold days, warm towns

BY JOHN BUTLER — When the storm abates, culture awaits!

And that culture includes three Christmas markets, two Santa Claus parades (yes, more than one), a Paige Warner concert at Annesley on Saturday and two Yuletide performances by the 75 member-strong Markdale Community Choir.

Here’s the lowdown —

Christmas Markets — Singhampton and Flesherton

We’ve got three Christmas markets coming up, all of them free.

The Singhampton Christmas Market of baked goods and local crafts will be held on Saturday (November 29) from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Singhampton Community Centre, 6 Milltown Road in Singhampton. Among other stellar sellers at the market, look for the kind-power duo of Maria Arcuri and 'Museum Rob' Iantorno, presenting their hand-blended therapeutic and calming teas and other herbal preparations, with many ingredients foraged from their wooded Singhampton property. The Market is followed by the village’s very own Santa Claus Parade down the main drag, ending at the Fire Hall where hot dogs and hot chocolate will be ready for you.

Flesherton’s Christmas Market is a double-header, held on two dates, Saturday November 29 and Saturday, December 13, from 9 am to 2 pm on each day at the Flesherton Kinplex, presented by the Flesherton and District Farmers’ Market. Look for crafts, local produce, art and hot food to keep you warm.

Markdale Community Choir Gets Very Christmassy

This outstanding community choir of 75 voices — the largest in Grey and Bruce — will give us two free concerts, on Sunday 7th December 7 at 2 pm and Monday December 8 at 7 pm Both of them will be held in Markdale’s Annesley United Church performance space, 82 Toronto Street South. Sing-a-longs and a set of intermission acts are not to be missed! The choir will be directed by Bill Legate, with soloist Dmytro Garbovskyi and with David Fries on piano.

Founded by Gerry Lessard over 30 years ago, the Markdale Community Choir now comprises 75 choristers ranging from high school-age members to singers in their 70s (serving in the choir is considered community service time by the school board.). Its Conductor Bill Legate, a music graduate from Wilfrid Laurier University, is a violinist and singer who has been in the choir since 2017. Bill is in his 29th year as music teacher at Macphail Memorial Elementary School in Flesherton. Bill took on the role as the choir’s Conductor in 2022, taking the baton from Chris Griffin who had an illustrious ten year career at the podium. David Fries, who has been pianist for the choir for many years and who is also an organist, has been described as “a brilliant accompanist” by Conductor Bill Legate.

The choir’s repertoire, generally Christmas-themed, includes both sacred and secular pieces and includes works by local composers David Watson and Gerard Willmes, who is the current pianist/organist at Christ Church Anglican Church in Markdale. While the choir holds its practices 12 times a year on Monday evenings from 7 to 9 pm, its concerts are generally Yuletide events.

Bill points out that newcomers are welcome to the choir — no previous experience necessity. If you’re interested, contact him at markdalechoir@outlook.com .

Bill points out that the choir allows ongoing use of space at Annesley United Church for the purpose for which the space was designed — the raising of voices to transcend everyday life. It’s also an opportunity for people to enjoy the camaraderie that comes from joining one’s voice to the voices of others as a choir.

Come listen, come sing, come enjoy this magnificent choir at Annesley on December 7 and 8.

An Old Choir Story

Church choirs were integral parts of community life throughout our history — and left a trail of interesting stories in their wake.

One such story has to do with the quandary faced by the Methodist congregation in Flesherton in the late 19th century. Its choir lost its beloved organist, Miss Jennie Armstrong, who left to enrol in the Ontario Ladies’ College. But its search for a replacement was constrained — it was looking for someone who was musically talented and was someone who, as per church policy for its choir, didn’t dance or play cards.

It was a tough search as one candidate after another failed the dance and cards test. They finally found someone in their midst who met the required mix of pious behaviour and musical talent.

She was Bella Christoe, the daughter of Doctor William Christoe, a practitioner and civic leader in Flesherton.

Bella was only ten years old when she took the job as organist.

Bella served with distinction as Methodist organist for decades. In early adulthood she was party to one of the year’s society weddings in the village, and it was an ecumenical wedding to boot — in January 1903, Methodist organist Bella Christoe married the village’s Presbyterian minister, Rev. Leslie W. Thom.

The couple eventually moved away to serve other Ontario congregations, but they returned often to visit Flesherton, where music and religion equaled cross-sectarian romance for the two of them.

 

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