McCoy’s virtual fundraising concert bringing back some familiar faces
By KELLEN TANIGUCHI on April 22, 2021.
ktaniguchi@medicinehatnews.com@@kellentaniguchi Fiona Chisholm, substitute french horn player for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, is taking part in the Friends of McCoy virtual concert fundraiser and says she’s excited to give back to Monsignor McCoy High School where she graduated in 2008. Donations raised are being put toward a new building by the school which includes a 280-seat theatre and athletic facilities. “I’m more than happy to help out. I was incredibly lucky, especially with all of my music teachers I had throughout my Catholic school experience, so I wanted to give back in a way,” she said. “I’ve been graduated for a long time now, but when I was in school I was always kind of yearning that opportunity of performing more than once a year at Medicine Hat College because that’s all that we got. I think it’s important to have a theatre that is accessible.” Around 40 former and current students of McCoy and St. Mary’s School recorded a musical or dance performance at home and submitted it for a virtual concert that will be played on the high school’s website and the Medicine Hat Catholic Board of Education’s website starting at 7 p.m. on April 30 until midnight May 2. The concert is free of charge, but donations are encouraged and any donation of $20 or more will be given a receipt for tax purposes. “I know how important it is to have a theatre in the Catholic division because for many decades we paid rent for stages and theatres to put on shows and concerts and I thought it was time the students celebrate in their own theatre,” said Helen Snortland, concert organizer. Snortland is now retired, but she was a music teacher at St. Mary’s School for 15 years and then at Mother Teresa School for another 15. “To have our own theatre is a long time coming,” she said. “We’re very excited. We’re the only high school without their own theatre – so it’s time.” Snortland adds she has been able to reconnect with former students as started making calls to performers for the concert and she says the calls reminded her of the need for a theatre at McCoy. “I’ve reconnected with all these former students and a lot of them have chosen fine arts as their career,” said Snortland. “We have a french horn player playing in the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, we have students who have been travelling with Broadway shows, we have students who have their own studios and we have technicians.” Chisholm recorded her performance remotely from her home in Chicago and will be joined by a friend for her performance. She says her music education in Medicine Hat was important to her and hopefully a new theatre can continue to help current and future students. “My music studies throughout elementary school and high school played a large part in where I am today and if it weren’t for those programs and the people involved, I’m sure things would have turned out very differently,” said Chisholm. The virtual concert is just the start of Friends of McCoy’s fundraising for the new facility and Snortland says October is the building’s 60th anniversary and that’s when they will start their big fundraising push. 15-14
