The World Is A Stage
Of pies and concerts
Posted 3 months ago
By Laurel A. Beechey
I wince at writing about Christmas so soon, however November is here and it is gear up month for the big celebration at Christmas. This article will be about mincemeat and Christmas Carols, preparing you for two fine events in Tillsonburg.
First what is mincemeat? It is not minced meat, referring to ground up meat, at least not today, although when researching mincemeat I did find this fine old 16th century recipe: Pyes of mutton or beif must be fyne mynced & seasoned with pepper and salte and a lytel saffron to colour it / suet or marrow a good quantitie / a lytell vynegre / pruynes / great reasons / and dates / take the fattest of the broath of powdred beefe. And if you will have paest royall / take butter and yolkes of egges & so to temper the floure to make the paest. (Pie filling of mutton or beef must be finely minced and seasoned with pepper and salt and a little saffron to colour it. [Add] a good quantity of suet or marrow, a little vinegar, prunes, raisins and dates. [Put in] the fattest of the broth of salted beef and, if you want Royal pastry, take butter and egg yolks and [combine them with] flour to make the paste.)
Slowly over the centuries the meat was replace with more fruit and the broth with brandy. In the mid to late eighteenth century, mincemeat in Europe had become associated with old fashioned, rural, or homely foods. Victorian England rehabilitated the preparation as a traditional Yuletide treat.
What better place to pick up this fyne ole dish than at St. John's Anglican Church Bazaar on Nov 14th! The ladies have selling their 'Famous St. John's Mincemeat' for decades, except for last year as the product of their labour, had been stored in the Haines Meat Market coolers during the store's terrible fire and could not be used.
It is available once more at their Nov 14th Christmas Bazaar [corner of Ridout W & Bidwell] which runs from 1-4pm and if you purchase certain quantities you can even get their famous recipe! Of course along with the mincemeat you will find a bountiful bake table, Grandma's Attic table with gifts for Christmas, knick-knacks and fine, gently used jewelry. There will be tables with homemade knitting and sewing, crafts and homemade preserves. Your ticket will allow you to relax from shopping at their lovely luncheon, or have lunch first and be charge up for your shopping experience, all are welcome.
Christmas too often is an exhausting whirl wind of preparations and somewhere the reasons for celebrating get lost. Well, start this year out right and get your perspective correct by coming to the Tillsonburg Senior Centre Singers Christmas Concert.
Rachel Parker the choir director, with the help of Shelley Vermeersch the accompanist has once again provided an excellent program to prepare you for the joys of Christmas and Canadian winters.
This year's program will consist of old favourite carols, like 'Joy To The World,' 'The Holly And The Ivy' and 'Oh, Little Town of Bethlehem'. There are also some fun songs like 'Rock'n Around The Christmas Tree,' 'I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm' and 'Button Up Your Overcoat.' As well as some beautiful songs to celebrate Jesus' birthday, like 'Glory To God'; 'Follow The Star'; 'Long Ago On a Winter's Morning' and 'Hallelujah! A Baby Is Born'. Don't worry there is a time when you get to do some singing too!
Now it takes a team effort and even community help to put on these concerts. The choir is often about 60 some members strong it takes the organization of Jack Parker the manager to make the appropriate arrangements. John & Ann Kirkland of Carpet One, provide the transportation of the risers they must rent in Kitchener and Grant Nunn volunteers his time to pick them up. Jack and the male singers are the muscle to get them safely set up and Bill Hilliker's crew moves the piano from the Senior's Centre over the Lion's Auditorium where the concert takes place.
The Concert is Friday Nov 20th at 7pm and tickets are $10/perons. Just so you know this is all done by volunteers. The proceeds pay for the auditorium, risers and all the music for the large choir. Extra funds are being donated once again this year to the Stephen Lewis Foundation, Grandmother to Grandmother's program which helps the grandparents in Africa who must raise their grandchildren and so many of their own children have died of the Aids epidemic.
Rachel would like to publicly thank the business in town that allow the displaying of their posters as well as the Tillsonburg News, Lakeshore Shopper and Roger's Communication's publicity. A special thank you goes out to Rosemary and Andrea for all they do to help at the Senior's Centre.
Tickets for this event are a hot commodity so do not delay in arranging for yours today at the Senior's Centre. Any question can be answered by calling the Parkers at 519 842 8122
