Talented performers from different communities in Saskatchewan come together for one event, Telemiracle. Several local performers will appear on the Conexus Arts Centre stage in Regina, during the live broadcasting of Telemiracle.
Talented performers from different communities in Saskatchewan come together for one event, Telemiracle. Several local performers will appear on the Conexus Arts Centre stage in Regina, during the live broadcasting of Telemiracle.
The fundraising event is hosted by the Kinsmen Foundation, which provides special needs equipment and access to medical assistance to Saskatchewan residents, groups and health foundations to improve quality of life and independence. Telemiracle will be broadcast live from 9 p.m. on Saturday, March 3 until 5 p.m. on Sunday, March 4.
Chelsea Woodard will be making her fifth appearance at Telemiracle, and decided to "change it up this year" by singing a duet with her friend Zack Flis. Both Chelsea and Zack were members of the Do It With Class young people's theatre in Regina. Chelsea is in her final year of the program, while Zack has aged out and is now attending the University of Regina.
Woodard will be performing at 9 p.m. on Saturday, right in the first hour of Telemiracle.
"You want something different, you want something new," explained Woodard. By working together, Zack and Chelsea have meshed the songs "Edge of Glory" by Lady Gaga and "Someone Like You" by Adele.
"It's quite fun because the chorus for 'Edge of Glory' and 'Someone Like You' work perfectly on top of each other, it is the same chord progression and chord structure," said Woodard.
"The atmosphere is absolutely wonderful," said Woodard of her previous experiences at Telemiracle. "It helps so many people. Its always fun, every year. We are helping other people in our home province."
First-time performer at Telemiracle Jenna Chessall is excited to take the stage. The 10-year-old daughter of Stacy and Donna Chessall started singing three years ago with Mary Johnston as her teacher. While she has performed at the Weyburn Music Festival, this is her first time performing at an event like Telemiracle, or for a broadcast event.
Jenna will sing "Over the Rainbow" at Telemiracle, the song that won her Weyburn Junior Idol at the Weyburn Fair last year. "I like to sing," said Jenna. "I like how fun it is."
Her performance will be broadcast at 11 a.m. on Sunday.
Matthew Hunter Bernard, a native of the Khedive area, will also be demonstrating his unusual guitar method at Telemiracle. "The style I play is called fingerstyle; it uses unconventional open tunings and integrates percussion into the music within one instrument."
Bernard will perform at 1:15 a.m. on Sunday morning.
"I started playing this style about four years ago, and it became so significant to me that I recorded a demo last year - all my own original compositions. My influence comes from every type of musical genre. All the songs are instrumental - which leaves interpretation open to the listener," explained Matthew.
A guitar player since the age of seven, Matthew studied guitar with in Radville, then with Cleo Coderre at Weyburn Music Craft. He attended Pangman school, then the University of Saskatchewan. He is currently working on his masters of science, having graduated with a bachelor of science in agriculture, specializing in food and bioproduct sciences.
Chris Henderson, a former teacher at Fillmore 33 Central School, will also be performing at Telemiracle. A country singer, Chris received four Saskatchewan Country Music Award nominations in 2008 and Chris and his band were crowned "Saskatchewan's Next Big Thing" in 2010. No performance time for Chris could be confirmed.
