St. Andrew’s Announcements
The Neighbourhood Food Program
Running every Sunday from 12:30pm to 1:30pm by appointment is The Neighbourhood Food Program. Hosted by St. Andrew’s and Nexus through the Waterloo Food Bank. Please book an appointment if you are in need for food items.
Book HERE
Only residents in the Ray of Hope and St. Andrew’s service boundary should be signing up for this program.
If you do not fall within this boundary, please call The Food Bank at 519-743-5576 x340 to find a program near you, or search your postal code using this map: https://www.thefoodbank.ca/find-food/
Please review the available slots below and click the button to sign up. Note: the sign-up link for each week will be available Monday mornings and will remain open until all slots are filled. If all spots have been filled, please access the referral supports for assistance with accessing other services.
If you have mobility requirements we would be happy to assist you, please call the office ahead of time (519) 578-4430
**PLEASE only register for 1 time slot. If you register for more than 1 time slot, both of your registrations will be automatically removed.
Noon Hour Concert: Luke Welch
You’re invited to come and see a brand new line of performances in our Spring 2026 Noon Hour Concert Series! Admission to the building is free, and a sandwich lunch is available for purchase prior to each recital between 11:30 a.m. - 12:15 p.m., with the concerts beginning at 12:15 p.m.
About Luke Welch (piano)
Award-winning Canadian pianist Luke Welch was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and grew up nearby in Mississauga. He played his first public performance at age seven, and his early private piano teachers include Catherine Kuzeljevich and John-Paul Bracey. He later graduated from Western University in Canada with Bachelor and Master of Music degrees and completed additional graduate studies at Codarts Rotterdam University for the Arts in the Netherlands.
Welch has performed extensively on the international stage including appearances in Canada, United States of America, the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, France, Italy, England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and New Zealand and highlight performances include recitals at Beethoven Haus in Bonn, Germany, St. Giles' Cathedral in Edinburgh, Scotland and St. Martin-in-the-Fields in London, UK.
Welch made his debut as soloist with Durham Chamber Orchestra, and has since collaborated with a number of orchestras including the Windsor Symphony Orchestra, Mumbles Symphony Orchestra, Toronto Concert Orchestra, Winchmore String Orchestra, Greenway Strings, York Chamber Ensemble, and Oakville Symphony Youth Orchestra.
Welch is internationally recognized as a leading figure in the promotion and recording of repertoire Black and BIPOC composers, including Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, R. Nathaniel Dett, Florence B. Price, and other preeminent musical figures and in addition to his performance commitments, he has also been highly sought after as an interdisciplinary collaborative pianist - including with Nederlands Dans Theater (NDT), Scapino Ballet Rotterdam, Dans Ateliers, Holland Dance Festival, Codarts Rotterdam Conservatory, Royal Conservatory of the Hague, Dutch National Ballet, and the National Ballet of Canada.
Welch's recordings have received international critical acclaim, and his performances have been broadcast extensively across Canada and internationally. In addition to his written contributions to the Globe and Mail, Wholenote Magazine, and La Scena Musicale Magazine he is also active as a podcaster. He is a Harry Jerome Arts Award recipient and has received numerous grants through the Canada Council for the Arts, Ontario Arts Council, Toronto Arts Council, and FACTOR.
Welch was appointed to the Faculty of Piano at York University in 2024 and also currently serves on the Faculty of Piano at the Royal Conservatory of Music Oscar Peterson Program.
Noon Hour Concert: Ian Sadler
You’re invited to come and see a brand new line of performances in our Spring 2026 Noon Hour Concert Series! Admission to the building is free, and a sandwich lunch is available for purchase prior to each recital between 11:30 a.m. - 12:15 p.m., with the concerts beginning at 12:15 p.m.
About Ian Sadler (organ)
Ian maintains an active career as a Concert Organist and Choral Conductor. Highlights in recent seasons have included conducting his Cathedral Singers for a week of services at Westminster Abbey, guest organist for the Memorial Service for of Mr. Galen Weston in Toronto, and recital tours in Jamaica and Helsinki, Finland.
In August 2025 Ian was organist-in residence for a week at Salisbury Cathedral, UK. Ian was a chorister at St. Paul’s Cathedral, London, England. He was awarded the organ scholarship at Bristol University and later, the organ scholarship for three years back at St. Paul’s Cathedral. His final engagement in the UK before moving to Canada was to play the organ in the movie Chariots of Fire.
In 1980, Ian moved to Canada following appointments in Toronto as director of music at Grace Church on-the-Hill and choral director at Upper Canada College. He has since held positions as organist of St. James Cathedral, Toronto, and most recently as director of music at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, Ontario.
In 1986, he won first prize at the Syracuse International Organ Competition in the United States. Recitals have since taken him to Denmark, Sweden, Germany, France, Austria, Australia, the United States and United Kingdom.
In 2001, Ian was awarded a Juno for a choral album by his Burlington Chamber Choir, Pro Musica. In 2007, he was awarded the Fellowship Diploma from The Royal Canadian College of Organists for his promotion of Canadian organ music.
2026 began with a series of concerts in Barbados. In July, Ian will be organist-in-residence at Durham Cathedral and following Christmas his Cathedral Singers has been invited to act as choir-in-residence for a week at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, UK.
Noon Hour Concert: Shoreline Chorus
You’re invited to come and see a brand new line of performances in our Spring 2026 Noon Hour Concert Series! Admission to the building is free, and a sandwich lunch is available for purchase prior to each recital between 11:30 a.m. - 12:15 p.m., with the concerts beginning at 12:15 p.m.
About Shoreline Chorus
Shoreline Chorus is a fifty-member mixed community choir based in Owen Sound celebrating its 27th season this year. Shoreline was founded by Ann-Marie MacDairmid of Thornbury.
Shoreline’s first show was presented November 21, 1999 with a program titled Showtunes.
Shoreline’s spring and fall programs have featured a wide variety of themes; broadway, movie, dance, jazz and blues, spiritual, gospel, folk, African, Remembrance and Canadian.
Summer programs were introduced in 2010 and include classical music from the baroque to contemporary.
In 2014 Shoreline started Christmas programs featuring sacred and secular music, vocal solos, instrumentalists and carol singing.
World travel has become a feature - Shoreline has toured in many cities and performed in solo and combined choir concerts. Destinations have been Cuba (2012), Netherlands (2014), Ireland (2016), Czechia and Germany (2018), Spain (2024) and the current trip to France in April 2026.
As a tour fundraiser, Shoreline prepares a themed variety show and silent auction on the last Saturday of September. Past themes include “Piano Bar Lounge”, “New York, New York”, “Viva Las Vegas” and “An Evening in Paris”.
The chorus is available for special events: singing the American and Canadian national anthems at Owen Sound Attack hockey games, the opening of the new schoolhouse at Grey Roots Museum in Owen Sound, the dedication and unveiling of two new monuments at the Thornbury Cenotaph: one dedicated to members of the Canadian Forces and the other to first responders and guests of the Georgian Bay Symphony in December 2025 for a sold out performance of 'Home for the Holidays'. Shoreline often performs at fundraisers, most often for the Canadian Foodgrains Bank.
The choir motto is: "Leave your worries at home and come to sing!"
About Ann-Marie MacDairmid (Director)
Ann-Marie, a native of Thornbury, Ontario, is the founder, director and accompanist of Shoreline Chorus in Owen Sound. She graduated with an Honours Bachelor of Music degree from Wilfrid Laurier University and a Master of Music degree in organ performance from The University of Western Ontario.
In April 2022, Ann-Marie took the position as Director of Music at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Kitchener. In addition to the usual church music director role, the position at St Andrew’s includes serving as the Artistic Director for the Noon Hour Concert Series. The schedule includes weekly performances by various musicians in the fall and spring. As a performer in the series, Ann-Marie plans her recital programs to reflect eclectic musical tastes, the most noted being her “Hallowe’en Special”.
Since 1999, Ann-Marie has been the accompanist for the Grand River Chorus in Brantford. Programs have included; Messiah, Elijah, Israel in Egypt, Missa Gaia and requiem masses by Brahms, Duruflé and Fauré. In 2010, the choir toured to Germany, Czech Republic and Austria. In Kitchener, Ann-Marie directs the Queen Street Singers.
Ann-Marie is an accomplished pianist, percussionist and choral conductor. She teaches music lessons locally and freelances as a piano accompanist and organist throughout Southwestern Ontario.
In June 2025 Ann-Marie received a June Callwood Outstanding Achievement Award for Voluntarism, which recognizes people for their “exceptional contributions to their communities and the province of Ontario.” Ann-Marie’s leadership of Shoreline Chorus, which she developed and continues to manage entirely as a volunteer, has created opportunity for engagement through concerts supporting many volunteer community activities including local food banks, therapeutic riding programs and church outreach initiatives.
WA Meeting
The next meeting of the Women's Association will be Monday, June 1st @ 7:00 pm in the Heather Room. If you would like to attend via Zoom, please contact Wanda Winterhalt for the link.
The Neighbourhood Food Program
Running every Sunday from 12:30pm to 1:30pm by appointment is The Neighbourhood Food Program. Hosted by St. Andrew’s and Nexus through the Waterloo Food Bank. Please book an appointment if you are in need for food items.
Book HERE
Only residents in the Ray of Hope and St. Andrew’s service boundary should be signing up for this program.
If you do not fall within this boundary, please call The Food Bank at 519-743-5576 x340 to find a program near you, or search your postal code using this map: https://www.thefoodbank.ca/find-food/
Please review the available slots below and click the button to sign up. Note: the sign-up link for each week will be available Monday mornings and will remain open until all slots are filled. If all spots have been filled, please access the referral supports for assistance with accessing other services.
If you have mobility requirements we would be happy to assist you, please call the office ahead of time (519) 578-4430
**PLEASE only register for 1 time slot. If you register for more than 1 time slot, both of your registrations will be automatically removed.
Camp 5K Family Fun Day
Our Camp 5K & Family Fun Day Fundraiser will take place on Saturday, May 23rd at 11:00 AM at Laurel Creek Conservation Area. While the 5K walk/run is a big part of the day, there will be something for everyone to enjoy, including family-friendly activities and opportunities to connect as a community. You can find the link for tickets or donations here: [https://www.zeffy.com/en-CA/ticketing/annual-camp-5k].
Noon Hour Concert: Chomyn-Davison & Wyndham
You’re invited to come and see a brand new line of performances in our Spring 2026 Noon Hour Concert Series! Admission to the building is free, and a sandwich lunch is available for purchase prior to each recital between 11:30 a.m. - 12:15 p.m., with the concerts beginning at 12:15 p.m.
About Darielle Chomyn-Davison (mezzo-soprano)
Darielle is thrilled to return with Jack for another Noon Hour Concert! You might have recently seen her in Christmas Cantata: Signs of Promise as Mary, and Grand River Opera’s Idomeneo as one of the Crete Women/ Idamante cover. Darielle also partakes in works by local composer, Justin Lapierre, such as The Gatherers, Stabat Mater and Masse de St. Anne. Every summer, she makes the drive up to Chapleau, Ontario, for the annual FriYAY Concert Series alongside Laurier alumni (and dear pals) Keiko Laroque and Cecila NguyenTran. Previous roles include "En Travesti: Who Wears the Pants?" as Nerone and Octavian (Grand River Opera), Chorus in Verdi’s La Traviata (Brott Opera), Miles in Britten’s The Turn of the Screw (GRO), and Aunt Cecilia in Adamo’s Little Women (WLU Opera). Darielle is currently studying with Dr. Elizabeth Lepock, who without her guidance, would not be the singer or teacher she is today.
When she's not on stage, crafting, cuddling with her two cats, or playing disc golf, Darielle shares her passion by teaching voice and piano in Oakville.
About Jack Wyndham (piano)
Jack Wyndham is an Ontario based pianist with training in both the jazz and classical mediums. Jack’s breadth of style has allowed him to fill many roles in the music community from wearing the hat of Musical Director in several local musical productions to playing with country and rock bands on meant stages. While Jack is happy whenever he gets to play or teach others to play the piano, his favourite thing is recording track-by-track albums that first go up on his self titled YouTube channel, then streaming services! Jack is currently composing the music for a new independently developed video game called HABROMANIA and is working locally as a musician and teacher while recording a few albums in the wonderful space I at Zion United Church in new Hamburg.
Noon Hour Concert: Vladimir Djurovic
You’re invited to come and see a brand new line of performances in our Spring 2026 Noon Hour Concert Series! Admission to the building is free, and a sandwich lunch is available for purchase prior to each recital between 11:30 a.m. - 12:15 p.m., with the concerts beginning at 12:15 p.m.
About Dr. Vladimir Djurovic (piano)
Dr. Vladimir Djurovic is a pianist based in Kitchener-Waterloo. He is currently a piano instructor at the Laurier Academy of Music and Arts.
Vladimir received his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in 2023 from Western University, where he studied under Dr. Leslie Kinton. Vladimir’s doctoral research is concerned with the interpretation and performance practice of Nikolai Kapustin’s piano music. His culminating analytical research paper was entitled ‘Musical Form and Performance Practice in the Piano Music of Nikolai Kapustin: An Analysis of Suite for Piano, Op. 92’.
A pianist keen on championing seldom-performed repertoire, Vladimir’s recitals often juxtapose the great composers of the past with new names worthy of the limelight. Audiences can always expect to hear something fresh and unique.
A sought-after accompanist in the KW region, Vladimir frequently accompanies soloists at the KW Kiwanis Music Festival and NATS voice competitions as well as accompanying for local RCM examinations.
Vladimir is also part of a Flute-Piano duo with flutist Bruce Gremo.
Noon Hour Concert: Leis & Ronai
You’re invited to come and see a brand new line of performances in our Spring 2026 Noon Hour Concert Series! Admission to the building is free, and a sandwich lunch is available for purchase prior to each recital between 11:30 a.m. - 12:15 p.m., with the concerts beginning at 12:15 p.m.
About Brandon Leis
I perform regularly in southwestern Ontario and Michigan as an opera, oratorio and concert soloist, as well as a recitalist. Most recently, I have been a featured soloist with the Windsor Symphony Orchestra, the Renaissance Singers, the Spiritus Ensemble, the Georgetown Choral Society, the Mennonite Mass Choir, Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony Orchestra, the International Symphony Orchestra, the Stratford Summer Music Festival, the Scaramella ensemble, the Canadian Chamber Ensemble, the Bach-Elgar Choir and the Guelph Chamber Choir.
I have served as a church musician, choral scholar and church music director for over 15 years, and I have served as an adjudicator and workshop facilitator for amateur musicians.
As an educator/lecturer, I have taught at Eastwood Collegiate Institute, Rockway Mennonite Collegiate, Heritage College and Seminary (Cambridge) and the Kanata Centre for Worship and Global Song at Martin Luther Univeristy College. As a choral conductor, I have served the Menno Youth singers, the Rockway Mennonite Collegiate Senior choir and the Rockway Concert Combo.
About Anna Ronai
I have collaborated with distinguished singers Michelle Breedt, Bernarda Fink and Robert Holl, and instrumentalists Ulrike Anton and Brooks de Wetter-Smith.
I have performed in venues across Europe, North America and China, including the Weill Recital Hall of Carnegie Hall in New York, Gläserner Saal, Musikverein and Schubert Saal, Konzerthaus in Vienna.
Throughout the world, I have maintained vocal and instrumental coaching and accompanying positions at the Vienna and Innsbruck Conservatories, and the Institute for European Studies, also in Vienna, and have played for masterclasses with esteemed artists including Brigitte Fassbaender, Christa Ludwig, Thomas Hampson and Linda Watson.
I am a graduate of the Music University of the Arts Vienna, and hold two masters degrees, one in Piano Performance and the other in Collaborative Piano.
Brandon Leis and Anna Ronai are performing Schuman’s Song cycle, Dichterliebe (Poet’s Love), with sacred lyrics titled, Divine Love, composed by David Gast, a local Kitchener resident. The 16 inspirational poems about the life of Christ mesh meaningfully with Schuman’s music in texture and emotion. David will be introducing the work as to how it all came together.
David Gast
davidgast1@gmail.com
519-404-1330
Education
Bachelor of Sacred Music. ARCT in Piano and ARCT in Singing from the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto. Master of Fine Arts in Singing from the State University of New York in Buffalo, NY
Experience
• Music Faculty at Ontario Bible College, now Tyndale University in Toronto, 1968 – 1976, teaching singing, music theory, and courses related to church music leadership.
• Missionary in Quito, Ecuador, 1976 – 1982, developing a national training program to assist in the music ministry development of Spanish and Indigenous churches focusing on creativity and worship within their cultural context.
• Pastor of Music and Worship 1982 to 2007 in various churches in Ontario and British Columbia.
Various performances:
Tenor role of Peter Quint in Benjamin Britton’s opera Turn of the Screw. Among many of the art song genre, Dvorak’s Gypsy Songs and Schumann’s Dichterliebe. Initial performance of Divine Love in 1988.
Tenor soloist in Benjamin Britton’s Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings and soloist in Handel’s Messiah with the Quito Symphony, Ecuador.
Trained the choir and conducted the performance of Handel’s Messiah with the Prince George symphony in 1999, filling in for guest conductor Georg Tintner who had died on Oct. 2. Also trained the choir and sang in a performance of Bizet’s Carmen in Prince George, BC.
Choose Joy—Philippians in Person dramatic monologue, 60 presentations from 2004 to 2015. This can be viewed on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Sj3Y007OEwg
Noon Hour Concert: Baxter & Xie
You’re invited to come and see a brand new line of performances in our Spring 2026 Noon Hour Concert Series! Admission to the building is free, and a sandwich lunch is available for purchase prior to each recital between 11:30 a.m. - 12:15 p.m., with the concerts beginning at 12:15 p.m.
About Ryan Baxter (organ)
Ryan Baxter is a candidate in the Doctor of Musical Arts program at Western University’s Don Wright Faculty of Music, studying solo piano performance. He also takes courses in Indigenous studies through the university’s Memegwaanh Indigenous Learning Honour program. Ryan has previously graduated from Brock University, Humber Polytechnic, the University of Manitoba, and Athabasca University, with additional diplomas in piano and organ performance, and piano pedagogy. Beyond academic life, Ryan is Music Director and Organist at Rowntree Memorial United Church in London. Previously, he held the same positions at Trillium United Church in St. Catharines. He has worked as a teaching assistant, collaborative pianist, piano and theory instructor, festival adjudicator, in-classroom mathematics tutor, course facilitator, English teacher in Thailand, and in various other education-related positions. When Ryan is not practicing, writing, or working, he can be found walking outside, cooking, baking, reading, and applying to more programs.
About Jingquan Xie (piano)
Jingquan Xie has been characterized by the Toronto Concert Review as a pianist who “… has found her own voice and is making music that goes beyond the technical and musical demands of the music." She has performed as soloist with the Symphonic Orchestra of Keimyung University in Daegu, the Symphonic Orchestra of the Shanghai Conservatory, and Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra, and played solo recitals at the Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre of the Canadian Opera Company, The Royal Occasion in Koerner Hall, University of Toronto’s Piano Laureates Concert, recital series in Hamamatsu, and at the Bianco Arts Concert Series as winner of the 11th Texas State International Piano Festival's Betty Dickinson Award. She is a top prize winner at The Asian Pacific International Chopin Piano Competition, the Concerto Competition and Chamber Music Competition of the Shanghai Conservatory, the VI Krystian Tkaczewski Competition, the Pacific Rim International Piano Competition, the Chicago International Music Competition, and The 3rd Paul Badura-Skoda International Piano Competition.
Afternoon Tea in the Chapel
Registration is now open!
Join us for Afternoon Tea in the Chapel on Saturday, May 2, 2026. You can select which seating time works best for you! 1st seating is at 12:00 PM, the second will be at 2:30 PM. Tables are available for up to 6 guests with tickets being $35/person. Tickets can be purchased through the link below or in person at the church office by cash, cheque or debit.
Reserve your table today: https://standrewskw.churchcenter.com/registrations/events/3138749
Double Feature Noon Hour Concert: MacDairmid/Skelton & Ambrosia Quintet
You’re invited to come and see a brand new line of performances in our Spring 2026 Noon Hour Concert Series! Admission to the building is free, and a sandwich lunch is available for purchase prior to each recital between 11:30 a.m. - 12:15 p.m., with the concerts beginning at 12:15 p.m.
Bruce Skelton (Violin)
Bruce Skelton studied with Jacob Krachmalnick at the University of Michigan, where he obtained a Bachelor of Music in Performance. In addition to his work playing and managing The Leith Quartet, he regularly freelances in the Kitchener-Waterloo area and maintains a very active teaching career, both in private violin lessons as well as with the K-W Community String School. He also recently added the title of Concertmaster for the KW Community Orchestra and Co-Concertmaster for the Stratford Symphony.
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Ann-Marie MacDairmid (piano)
Ann-Marie, a native of Thornbury, Ontario, is the founder, director and accompanist of Shoreline Chorus in Owen Sound. She graduated with an Honours Bachelor of Music degree from Wilfrid Laurier University and a Master of Music degree in organ performance from The University of Western Ontario.
In April 2022, Ann-Marie took the position as Director of Music at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Kitchener. In addition to the usual church music director role, the position at St Andrew’s includes serving as the Artistic Director for the Noon Hour Concert Series. The schedule includes weekly performances by various musicians in the fall and spring. As a performer in the series, Ann-Marie plans her recital programs to reflect eclectic musical tastes, the most noted being her “Hallowe’en Special”.
Since 1999, Ann-Marie has been the accompanist for the Grand River Chorus in Brantford. Programs have included; Messiah, Elijah, Israel in Egypt, Missa Gaia and requiem masses by Brahms, Duruflé and Fauré. In 2010, the choir toured to Germany, Czech Republic and Austria. In Kitchener, Ann-Marie directs the Queen Street Singers.
Ann-Marie is an accomplished pianist, percussionist and choral conductor. She teaches music lessons locally and freelances as a piano accompanist and organist throughout Southwestern Ontario.
In June 2025 Ann-Marie received a June Callwood Outstanding Achievement Award for Voluntarism, which recognizes people for their “exceptional contributions to their communities and the province of Ontario.” Ann-Marie’s leadership of Shoreline Chorus, which she developed and continues to manage entirely as a volunteer, has created opportunity for engagement through concerts supporting many volunteer community activities including local food banks, therapeutic riding programs and church outreach initiatives.
About Ambrosia Quintet
Featuring violinist Shakoor Henson, clarinetist Anita Brooks Kirkland, horn player Judith Douglas, cellist Michelle Kyle, and pianist Gavin Yeomans, this unique intergenerational ensemble includes Generation Z and Baby Boomer musicians. Michelle met Anita and Judith in various orchestras in Kitchener-Waterloo, Cambridge, and Guelph. Judith and Anita perform together in the Venturi Wind Quintet, Spindrift Wind Quartet, and Wellington Wind Symphony. Gavin, Shakoor, and Michelle all completed Bachelor of Music degrees at Wilfrid Laurier University, then returned to Laurier for another music performance diploma. Shakoor completed the Chamber Music Diploma in 2024, Michelle completed the Chamber Music Diploma in 2025, and Gavin completed the Opera Diploma in 2025. At Laurier, Gavin and Michelle played together in the Topaz Trio, including music of Robert Kahn, a German Jewish composer strongly influenced by Brahms. Kahn’s music is relatively unknown, as its publication and performance were prohibited by the Nazis. The Ambrosia Quintet is currently exploring and performing beautiful, rarely heard quintets of Robert Kahn and Ralph Vaughan Williams.
Anita Brooks Kirkland, clarinetist
Anita studied clarinet performance and music education at Mount Allison University, Michigan State University, and the University of Toronto, and also holds a Masters in Library and Information Science from San José State University. She has balanced her busy career as a music teacher, teacher-librarian, education consultant, teacher educator, and professional library association leader with a lifetime commitment to music-making. Anita is a longtime member of the Wellington Wind Symphony, and is principal clarinet of Waterloo Chamber Players and a member of Spindrift Wind Quartet and the Venturi Wind Quintet. She enjoys frequent opportunities to play with other local groups, including the Kitchener-Waterloo Community Orchestra and the Guelph Symphony Orchestra. Playing chamber music gives Anita particular joy, and she looks forward to new opportunities with Spindrift and with Ambrosia Chamber Ensembles.
Gavin Yeomans, pianist
Gavin Yeomans grew up in Stratford, Ontario and began piano lessons at the age of four. Thanks to endless support from both of his parents who worked in the arts, he has always felt a great kinship for artistic expression and performance. While in high school, Gavin was a member of numerous student and community music ensembles, playing both piano and French horn, as well as singing in choirs. After completing his ARCT in piano performance, Gavin attended Wilfrid Laurier University to study classical piano with Elaine Lau, then went on to specialize in collaborative piano during his Diploma in Opera accompaniment under the instruction of Kate Carver. Through the support of Laurier International, Gavin had the opportunity to study abroad in Lyon, France at the Conservatoire à rayonnement régional de Lyon with Manuel Schweizer. Gavin now lives in the Waterloo region and works as a collaborative pianist for singers and the Music Ministry Leader at Westside Church in Cambridge. He also plays French horn in the Stratford Concert Band and Waterloo Concert Band, and loves to read and bicycle.
Judith Douglas, French horn player
Judith grew up in Puslinch, attending Centennial CVI in Guelph. Having been a vocalist and pianist, she first studied flute, but discovered the horn and made the change when she was 15. Studying at a music camp, she connected with a student of Gene Rittich of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. She began horn lessons soon after, studying with Gene at the University of Toronto. At the same time, she was principal horn with the Kitchener Waterloo Youth Orchestra and third horn in the Kitchener Waterloo Symphony Orchestra under Raffi Armenian. Choosing not to follow the professional musician route, Judith completed an Honours BA in Economics and Finance, all the while playing and teaching privately, most recently at University of Guelph. In order to keep playing, she helped found the Venturi Wind Quintet and then the Wellington Winds. She was principal horn in the Kitchener-Waterloo Community Orchestra, still assisting them when needed, and the Windjammers, a position she still holds. More recently, she became the coordinator of the Gallery Concert Series in Elora, a member of Spindrift, a wind quartet founded as an online group during Covid, and principal horn of the Waterloo Chamber Players. She still lives in Puslinch, having built a home next door to her childhood farm home, which is now owned by her daughter. When not doing musical activities, Judith can be found on the golf course or in the gym.
Michelle Kyle, cellist
Michelle Kyle began playing cello at age 11 in Ottawa. At 16, she was Assistant Principal Cellist of the Saskatoon Symphony. She studied cello performance with Malcolm Tait at Brandon University and Gisela Depkat at Wilfrid Laurier University. She has worked with the Regina Symphony, Alberta Ballet Orchestra, Stratford Symphony, and Guelph Symphony, and has been principal cellist of the Saskatoon Chamber Orchestra, Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber Orchestra and Community Orchestra, North York Concert Orchestra, and Greater Toronto Philharmonic Orchestra. Michelle also studied piano with Garth Beckett at Laurier, then completed a Master of Music in Piano Performance at McGill University under Tom Plaunt. While she studied law at Osgoode Hall, people who heard her busking in the Toronto subway as a cello soloist asked her to play at their weddings. She became a lifelong wedding musician, and worked as a collaborative pianist and in law, web development, and education. In 2022, Michelle acquired a fine Canadian cello from the workshop of Stensland and Girard in Montreal. She completed Laurier’s Chamber Music Diploma as a cello student of Katie Schlaikjer in 2025. She currently plays chamber music with Ladyfingers, Ambrosia Chamber Ensembles, and Trio Terrifico! Michelle enjoys singing with the Grand Philharmonic Choir and Bach Elgar Choir and lives in rural Princeton with her husband, many cats, and chickens.
Shakoor Henson, violinist
Shakoor began studying the violin at the age of six and continued formal training at Canta Arya School for Strings until 2017. During this time, they gained extensive performance experience, including participation in an international competition and performance tour in China with the Montreal Suzuki String Orchestra, as well as competitions across Europe in 2018 with the same group. They earned a Bachelor’s degree from Wilfrid Laurier University, studying violin with Jerzy Kaplanek, where they also completed a Chamber Music Diploma, studying violin with Jeremy Bell. While at Laurier, they performed as a member of the SEAM Quartet, further developing their collaborative and ensemble skills. In addition to chamber and solo work, Shakoor has performed with the Kingston Symphony Orchestra as a substitute violinist. They are currently an active musician in the Kitchener–Waterloo region, performing across a variety of genres including pop, country, and folk music, and occasionally filling in on guitar. They teach violin in a private studio in Kitchener, Waterloo, and Cambridge. Outside of music, they enjoy reading.
Noon Hour Concert: KW Woodwind Quintet
You’re invited to come and see a brand new line of performances in our Spring 2026 Noon Hour Concert Series! Admission to the building is free, and a sandwich lunch is available for purchase prior to each recital between 11:30 a.m. - 12:15 p.m., with the concerts beginning at 12:15 p.m.
About the KW Woodwind Quintet
The KW Woodwind Quintet (flute, oboe, clarinet, horn, bassoon) has delighted audiences in Waterloo Region for 40 years. Their eclectic music for all ages has been heard in schools, seniors' homes, noon-hour series, and universities.
The Quintet has an extensive library, which over the years has been supplemented with special arrangements by the group's horn player, Trevor Wagler.
The group's programs include classical favourites both old and new, popular tunes, movie music and some surprises.
About Trevor Wagler
In addition to teaching at Laurier, I am a freelance French horn player (both modern and historical instruments), conductor, organist, composer, arranger/orchestrator, music editor/copyist and clinician.
I received a Bachelor’s degree in Music Composition, a diploma in Performance, and a diploma in Chamber Music from Wilfrid Laurier University and a Masters of Music degree in horn performance from Western University.
I am conductor of the historic Waterloo Concert Band, conductor and Artistic Director of the K-W Youth Concert Band (KW YCB), organist at Zion Lutheran Church in Philipsburg, as well as owner/Director of Premier School of the Arts (“Waterloo Region’s Finest Arts Education Centre”).
While maintaining an active performance schedule, I am also a busy arranger/orchestrator and composer. My work has been performed by symphony orchestras (and smaller ensembles) across Canada and around the world, and has been broadcast nationwide on CBC radio.
About David Vanbiesbrouck
David Vanbiesbrouck is a Guelph based oboist who has performed extensively throughout Ontario over the previous decade. David completed his Bachelor of Music in oboe performance at Wilfrid Laurier University studying with Jim Mason and Graham Mackenzie, and owns and operates Oboerific Reeds (www.oboerific.com), where he handcrafts and sells dozens of oboe and english horn reeds each month. Last year, David performed a noon hour concert here with Beth Ann De Sousa and Judith Souman. Residing in Guelph, David maintains a private teaching studio of oboe students and plays Principal oboe with Guelph Symphony.
About Barbara Hankins
Barbara Hankins has been a member of the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony since 1980 and performs with the K-W Woodwind Quintet and as a freelance performer.
She enjoys teaching Clarinet, Recorder, Theory, and Chamber Music. She sings with various local choirs, and enjoys gardening, cycling, pilates, hiking, and reading.
Ms. Hankins holds a Bachelor of Music degree (performance, with Distinction) and a Bachelor of Education degree from the University of Calgary, a Master of Music degree (performance) from the University of Toronto, and an Associateship Diploma from the Royal Conservatory of Music (RCM), Toronto. She is a member of the Board of Examiners of the RCM.
About Wendy Wagler
Wendy Wagler is an accomplished soloist and orchestral musician. She holds the principal flute chair in the Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber Orchestra and freelances with many ensembles, including the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony. She has performed as soloist with the K-W Symphony Youth Orchestra, the K-W Chamber Orchestra and the Renaissance Singers and is a founding member of the Springdale Trio and flutist for the KW Woodwind Quintet.
Wendy holds a Master’s Degree in Performance and Literature from the University of Western Ontario and an Honours Bachelor Degree in Flute Performance from Wilfrid Laurier University, having studied with Bonita Boyd, Dr. Amy Hamilton, Thomas Kay, and Prof. Fiona Wilkinson. She has directed flute masterclasses throughout Southwestern Ontario, and maintains a full teaching schedule at Renaissance School of the Arts and Heritage College.
About Oskar Martinez
Oskar Martinez is a graduate of Western University where he studied under Alexandre von Wartburg to get his Master’s degree in bassoon performance with a focus on contrabassoon. Oskar finished his bachelor's degree at Northern Michigan University in 2022, where he also studied bassoon performance.
He is originally from the small town of Ishpeming, Michigan in the USA, and has played with many ensembles from the area, such as the Marquette Symphony Orchestra and Marquette City Band, even performing as a soloist with the same groups. In 2023, his woodwind quintet “Ventis Concorddiae” won the Young-Ja Park chamber music award. Oskar also plays with the Soo Opera Theatre in Sault Ste Marie, Michigan as a bassoonist and contrabassoonist.
During his time in Canada, he is grateful to have played with the London Symphonia, Stratford Symphony, the Royal Conservatory Orchestra, and more, and looks forward to performing with other groups in the future!
Noon Hour Concert: Iormetti & Teican
You’re invited to come and see a brand new line of performances in our Spring 2026 Noon Hour Concert Series! Admission to the building is free, and a sandwich lunch is available for purchase prior to each recital between 11:30 a.m. - 12:15 p.m., with the concerts beginning at 12:15 p.m.
About Charmaine Iormetti
Charmaine Iormetti recently completed her MMus in Literature and Performance (Voice) degree at Western University. In Western Opera’s production of Albert Herring, she took on the role of Mrs. Herring. Outside of the university, Charmaine served as chorister at St. Paul’s Cathedral and was a regularly featured recitalist in St. Paul’s Music at Midday Series. Other performance highlights include participating in the Toronto Mozart Vocal Competition, giving a lecture-recital on Wagner’s Wesendonck Lieder at Western’s 25th Graduate Symposium on Music, as well as solos for Stratford Concert Choir and Capilano University’s Choirs in North Vancouver, BC.
While at Western, Charmaine took DMA Vocal Pedagogy as a “Special Topics Course.” Her paper won the Canadian Federation of Teachers’ Association Essay Competition in 2024 and was featured at the university’s “Inspiring Minds” collection that same year. She is currently active as a music instructor and teaches at the Academy of Music and Sound in Motion in London, ON.
About Catalina Teican
Catalina Teican is a highly trained Romanian-born pianist whose career has spanned several countries, offering a special blend of performance and teaching experience. Catalina holds degrees from The National University of Music Bucharest (BA), Bowling Green State University, USA (MA, Artist Diploma), and the University of Iowa (ABD). She is laureate of numerous national and international piano and chamber music competitions, and has performed in workshops and master classes with renowned pianists such as Gerard Frémy, Andre Watts, Garrick Ohlsson, and Daniel Shapiro.
Before moving to London, Ontario, Catalina lived in Cyprus for 14 years, where she maintained an active performing and teaching schedule and was recognized for her achievements as a chamber musician and piano teacher. She held teaching positions at the Nicosia Music School and G. Menelaou School of Music, and for ten years, served as the collaborative pianist for the Cyprus Young String Soloists.
Catalina is currently pursuing a DMA degree in Collaborative Piano at Western University, studying with Dr. Angela Park.
Guest: Graham Cubitt
We invite you to join us for a special worship service on Sunday, April 12. Graham Cubitt, President of Flourish, will be our guest preacher, sharing about the Christian values that guide Flourish/Indwell and how they resonate with the values of St. Andrew’s.
Following worship, please join us in the Heather Room for an informal Q&A session, where you’ll have the opportunity to meet members of the Flourish/Indwell team and representatives of The Presbyterian Church in Canada.
Easter Morning Breakfast
Start Easter morning with food and fellowship in the Elizabeth Room at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church beginning at 8:30 a.m.
A joyful morning. A shared meal. A celebration of new life.
All are welcome.
Register here: https://standrewskw.churchcenter.com/registrations/events/3515007
Maundy Thursday Service
Join us for Maundy Thursday
Journey into the Upper Room as we remember Jesus gathering with his friends, sharing a sacred meal, and washing feet as an act of healing love. Through scripture, silence, and music, we encounter water as a symbol of grace, renewal, and humble service. This is a worship experience of presence rather than performance—an invitation to slow down, listen, and receive Christ’s love that heals, restores, and sends us into the world.
Coldest Night of the Year 2026
Join us on February 28, 2026!
The Coldest Night of the Year is a winterrific family-friendly fundraising walk in support of local charities serving people experiencing hurt, hunger, and homelessness.
Each year in February, tens of thousands of Canadians step outside the warmth and comfort of home to shine a light of welcome and compassion in their communities. Since 2011, the Coldest Night of the Year has raised over $75,000,000 across Canada in 190 Canadian communities – 100% of net proceeds stay local to support our CNOY charity partners. Learn more about our history.
St. Andrew’s and St. Peter’s will walk together again to support the Ray of Hope’s programs in downtown Kitchener.
Get out those toques!
To join the team or to donate, go to the church office or www.cnoy.org, and search for St. Andrew’s Kitchener. The full team name is St. Andrew's Kitchener and St. Peter’s Lutheran Team.
The more the merrier!
Pancake Lunch
Join us for a Pancake Lunch to kickoff the Season of Lent! We have everything ready for a delicious pancake dinner!
Pancake Mix ✅
Butter ✅
Syrup ✅
Bacon & Sausage ✅
Christmas Eve
The service will commence at 7:30 p.m. and will continue until 8:30 p.m. It is suggested that all those planning to attend be in their places by 7:00 p.m. for the Festival Recital which will set the atmosphere on this Holy Night.
Family Christmas Eve
The Family service will start at 4:00 p.m. Glowstick candles will be availale and their will be interactive stories and hymns for all-ages! This years character theme is Joseph. Families will receive their crèche figure of Joseph at the end of the service.
Noon Hour Concert: Fiddlesticks Cambridge Girls' Choir
You’re invited to come and see the final performance in our 50th Anniversary Fall 2025 Noon Hour Concert Series! Admission to the building is free, and a sandwich lunch is available for purchase prior to each recital between 11:30 a.m. - 12:15 p.m., with the concerts beginning at 12:15 p.m.
About Fiddlesticks Cambridge Girls' Choir
The Cambridge Girls' Choir was formed in 1981 by H. N. Shartun, and he ran it until 2005. Mr. Peter West directed the choir from 2005 until 2018, and it has been directed since then by Ms. Jessica Strub. We are accompanied by Mr. Rob Krete. The choir is Waterloo Region's only all-girl choir, and all are very excited to be celebrating our 40th season of music-making this year. Two years of no rehearsal or togetherness have no stopped us from coming back, bigger and stronger, as we prepare for our 40th anniversary celebration in June! The choir is so pleased to be back at St. Andrew's, and always enjoyed a close relationship with Doug Haas, so we are honoured to be part of this legacy series.
Spaghetti Dinner
Stay after Signs of Promise for our Spaghetti Dinner — featuring spaghetti with meat or veggie sauce, fresh buns, garden salad, Christmas punch, and a holiday cookie table!
Free to attend — all are welcome
Christmas Cantata: Signs of Promise
Join the Sanctuary Choir of St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church for an afternoon of beautiful Christmas music celebrating hope, light, and the sign of promise.
Sunday, December 14 at 4:00 PM at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, 54 Queen St. N, Kitchener
Free Admission · Freewill Offering to support the legacy of music at St. Andrew’s.
🍝 Stay afterward for a spaghetti dinner hosted by Family Ministries! Register here: https://standrewskw.churchcenter.com/registrations/events/3272969
Noon Hour Concert: Premier School of the Arts Flute Choir
You’re invited to come and see a brand new line of performances in our 50th Anniversary Fall 2025 Noon Hour Concert Series! Admission to the building is free, and a sandwich lunch is available for purchase prior to each recital between 11:30 a.m. - 12:15 p.m., with the concerts beginning at 12:15 p.m.
About Premier School of the Arts Flute Choir
Wendy Wagler has been the flute instructor at Premier School of the Arts for 27 years and director of the PSA Flute Choir since it began in 2004. The choir is made up of students of all ages who have been playing anywhere from under two years to over 45!
Noon Hour Concert: Lacoste & MacDairmid
You’re invited to come and see a brand new line of performances in our 50th Anniversary Fall 2025 Noon Hour Concert Series! Admission to the building is free, and a sandwich lunch is available for purchase prior to each recital between 11:30 a.m. - 12:15 p.m., with the concerts beginning at 12:15 p.m.
About Lacoste & MacDairmid
Debra Lacoste is a freelance trumpet soloist, member of the Full House Brass quintet, a private music instructor, and Director of the community service choir Fireside Voices. She holds an Honours Bachelor of Music degree from Wilfrid Laurier University, a Master of Arts and PhD in musicology from Western University, and an ARCT in Trumpet Performance. She has taught music history and trumpet studio at local universities and manages the Cantus Database. This online research tool for Gregorian chant, now based at Dalhousie University in Halifax, is part of a university network of Digital Humanities research projects supported by the Canadian government’s Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council. She is also the Director and General Editor of The Institute of Mediaeval Music, a publishing company for academic books.
Ann-Marie MacDairmid graduated with an Honours Bachelor of Music degree from Wilfrid Laurier University and a Master of Music degree in organ performance from The University of Western Ontario.
In April 2022, Ann-Marie took the position as Director of Music at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Kitchener. In addition to the usual church music director role, the position at St Andrew’s includes serving as the Artistic Director for the Noon Hour Concert Series. The schedule includes weekly performances by various musicians in the fall and spring. As a performer in the series, Ann-Marie plans her recital programs to reflect eclectic musical tastes, the most noted being her “Hallowe’en Special”. She enjoys choosing a ‘theme’ and then incorporating the music ranging from dazzling pedal solos to ragtime to gospel preludes.
Ann-Marie is the accompanist for the Grand River Chorus (GRC) in Brantford. GRC performs four concerts each season, and during the past 26 years, programs have included; Messiah, Elijah, Israel in Egypt, Missa Gaia, and requiem masses by Brahms, Durufle and Faure. In 2010, the choir toured to Germany, Czech Republic and Austria.
In Kitchener, Ann-Marie directs the Queen Street Singers. QSS sings at local church services, entertains at fundraisers and on several occasions have performed at the Christkindl Market in Kitchener.
Ann-Marie is an accomplished pianist, percussionist and choral conductor. She prepares programs in a wide variety of musical genres including Baroque, Classical, Spiritual, Gospel, Big Band, Jazz and Blues, Folk, African, Broadway, Movie and Canadian music. She teaches music lessons locally and freelances as a piano accompanist and organist throughout Southwestern Ontario.
Ann-Marie is the founder, director and accompanist of Shoreline Chorus in Owen Sound. Shoreline is currently in its 26th season. Programs are offered throughout the year including fall, Christmas, spring and summer. All the programs have a theme. Choristers are in the local community and surrounding areas. Shoreline have traveled on choir trips including Cuba, Ireland, Czech Republic, Germany, Spain and in the spring of 2026, France.
In June 2025 Ann-Marie received a June Callwood Outstanding Achievement Award for Voluntarism, which recognizes people for their “exceptional contributions to their communities and the province of Ontario". Ann-Marie's leadership of Shoreline Chorus, which she developed and continues to manage entirely as a volunteer, has created opportunity for engagement through concerts supporting many volunteer community activities including local food banks, therapeutic riding programs, and church outreach initiatives.
In December 2010 Ann-Marie received a Paul Harris Fellow award from the Thornbury-Clarksburg Rotary Club for service in Rotary and in the community.