As part of St. Andrew’s Saturdays at 7 concert series, the Windsor Classic Chorale will present Notinikew, a moving Remembrance Day program composed and narrated by Indigenous artist Andrew Balfour.
The event takes place Nov. 8 at 7 p.m. at St. Andrew’s United Church in Chatham.
Notinikew (which means “going to war” in the Cree language) explores the stories of Indigenous soldiers who fought for Canada during the First World War. Despite their courage and sacrifice, these soldiers returned home to a country that denied them the very rights and freedoms they had fought to defend. Through powerful choral music and narration, Balfour’s work gives voice to a history too often forgotten, “the words and woes of a community and destiny too rarely heard about.”
The concert will also feature tenor Andrew Derynck, baritone Adam Iannetta, cellist Karen McClellan, and song keeper Grandma Theresa, whose presence and storytelling bring depth and authenticity to this performance.
Presented in honour of Remembrance Day, Notinikew invites audiences to reflect not only on the tragedy of war but also on reconciliation, remembrance, and the resilience of the human spirit.
Donations will be accepted at the door ($20 per person suggested amount.) All proceeds support the ongoing Saturdays at 7 concert series and the music program at St. Andrew’s.
Now in its 12th season, St. Andrew’s Saturdays at 7 series showcases local and regional artists in a range of genres from classical and choral to jazz, film, and world music creating musical experiences for the Chatham-Kent community.
