Silvershoe Historical Society marks 25 years with ‘blockbuster event’

 In Events

The SilverShoe Historical Society is hosting a blockbuster event this month in celebration of its 25th anniversary.

The show will feature musicians, entertainers and a performance of the The Spirit of Harriet Tubman, as portrayed by Leslie McCurdy.

McCurdy brings to life Harriet Tubman, the famed heroine of the Underground Railroad in a performance that has captivated audiences across Canada; the United States and in London, England. On a barren stage with only a trunk of costumes, The Spirit of Harriet Tubman uses Tubman’s own words in telling the story of her life from her earliest experiences as a slave, through her work on the underground railroad, to her continued commitment to others in her later years.

The evening’s program begins with a fabulous starting line-up of Canadian recording artists featuring performances by vocalist and keyboardist Tiki Mercury-Clarke (Toronto); singer-songwriter Rob Green (Hamilton); the popular local duo Sheri Weldon and John MacMurchy (Collingwood); along with Rudi Quammie Williams and The Adinkrafarm African Drums and Dance Ensemble.

SilverShoe Historical Society is a non-profit organization and an affiliate of the Ontario Historical Society.

Executive director Janie Cooper- Wilson is herself a recipient of the Harriet Tubman Award, a lifetime achievement award presented by the Ontario Black History Society.

An advocate for the preservation of endangered historical buildings and early cemeteries, Cooper-Wilson has spent 25 years working with a group of volunteers to restore Bethel Union Pioneer Cemetery in New Lowell and she was successful in having it designated under the Ontario Heritage Act, for its cultural heritage and historical significance. The SilverShoe Historical Society then turned its attention to the Old Zion Presbyterian Church Cemetery (also known as the Sunnidale Pioneer Cemetery), on Highway 26.

Cooper-Wilson said she is thrilled to bring the The Spirit of Harriet Tubman to a local audience. She said she was blown away by it when she first saw the performance years ago.

“It is absolutely amazing,” she said. “We’re really going to have a wonderful show, I think.”

The show is Saturday, Sept. 24 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the RecPlex, 1724 Mosley Street, Wasaga Beach. Admission costs $20. Tickets may be reserved by e-transfer to executive. sshs.247@gmail.com or purchased at the door on a first-come, first-serve basis due to limited seating. For bios on all the performers, visit creemore.com.

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