The Children's Ministry at St. Paul's United Church will be the big winner when the story of Babar is told in music and verse on stage in the church on June 11 and 12 beginning at 7 p.m.
Internationally renowned pianist Audrey Andrist will be providing the music for the half-hour Story of Babar while Rev. Brenna Nickel, who has a distinguished background in drama will narrate the tale.
Each performance of Babar is 30 minutes long.
The freewill offering on both nights will be directed toward the children's programming at St. Paul's.
Andrist has agreed to perform Babar, making a side trip to her former Estevan home after serving as a judge for the provincial music festival in Saskatoon.
Andrist explained that in 1940, composer Francis Poulenc was living in the French countryside just outside Paris when he was visited one day by his three-year-old cousin Sophie who placed her copy of Babar, the Little Elephant on his music stand, upside down and told him to, "play this."
Poulenc improvised an accompaniment to each scene and Sophie was thrilled. Before long everyone in the neighbourhood came by to hear the new piece. Poulenc wrote the music down and dedicated it to his young cousin.
The complete version for narrator and piano performed in English for these concerts is thoroughly enjoyable for music lovers of all ages and showcases some of Poulenc's finest and most vivid solo piano music.
Andrist, who has played in Estevan on previous occasions as part of a concert series, brings her passionate keyboard renditions to St. Paul's once again for this delightful event.
Andrist's musical training includes a masters and doctoral degrees from New York's elite Julliard School where she studied with Herbert Stessin. She later went on to win the grand prize at the Mozart International, San Antonio International, Eckhardt-Gramatte and Julliard Concerto competitions. She has performed in such venues as the Kennedy Center in Washington, Place des Arts in Montreal and at Chicago's Ravinia Festival and Alice Tully Hall in New York. Along with her husband, James Stern, violin, and Nathan Williams, clarinet, she is a member of Strata, a musical trio.
Besides North America, Andrist has graced concert halls in China, Germany and Japan.
But, as noted in her biography, it all started from a farm home on the outskirts of Estevan.
Nickel, currently ministering at St. Paul's, received a bachelor's degree in Theatre Education from Emerson College in Boston and taught drama in various after school programs and summer camps since then.
Being interested in the way drama can be a tool for education, Nickel strives to incorporate theatre and the arts into her work as a pastor, in her sermons, Christian education and her work with children.
"I'm pleased to be working with Audrey to tell the classic story of Babar through narration and music. I hope it will be a meaningful experience for those who attend," said Nickel in inviting everyone to come and enjoy the combination of music and story-telling.
