Noon Hour Concerts are back with an incredible lineup of performers. Join us every Wednesday between September 16th and December 16th between 12:15 p.m. and 12:45 p.m.
Plus, come a little earlier and enjoy a sandwich lunch available for purchase beginning at 11:30 a.m. Admission to the building is free, and all are welcome and encouraged to come out.
Can’t join us in person? No worries! Each concert is available for viewing on our YouTube page following the live performance.
About Karen James
Karen is a musician with an ARCT in flute performance from the Royal Conservatory of Music. Passionate about teaching, she has spent over 25 years guiding students to become the best version of themselves through music. As co-founder of the the Apple Valley Youth Chorus, she fostered musical growth and community engagement, earning two Paul Harris Fellow Awards for her volunteer work and contributions to the community.
Beyond music, Karen has embraced creativity. She channeled this passion into her former business, Ashtons Blinds, Draperies, Shutters. Following retirement, she redirected her artistic spark into writing and drawing. She is thrilled to announce her first children’s book, One Million Times I Love You, was released this spring and is available for purchase.
With a deep love of music, creativity and community, Karen hopes to inspire and engage with others through her work.
About Ann-Marie MacDairmid
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.