By: Anna Bailey, reporter
Photographer: Lindsey Barden
This Tuesday, music students took a break from attending classes and studying for midterms and headed to the auditorium. There, they put on a short program for senior visitors who were attending New Horizons.
New Horizons is a day for seniors to come to Redeemer. Around 110 attended the event, a few came from as far away as British Columbia. New Horizons has been happening for 10 years now, and some visitors have been coming all 10 years. Many grandparents use this day to visit their grandchildren at Redeemer and see their school.
The morning began with Dr. Herfst leading a devotional. This year, visitors heard from Dr. Deborah Bowen and Elise Arsenault about the Poetry and Ecology project. The attendees enjoyed a lunch together, and then afterwards, they heard from Dr. David Zietsma about the “Redeemer 2020” strategic plan. There was also a music program which was also open to students who had grandparents visiting.
The program lasted about 40 minutes and included violin, guitar, piano, organ, and vocal performances. Martina Jonhsma, a doctoral candidate studying organ at the University of Toronto, performed on the organ. Jerram Germain and Anna Bailey played pieces they have been practicing this semester in their piano lessons. Rachel Don played the violin. Calvin Hutten took a seat on stage and enthusiastically improvised on the electric guitar, while accompanied by a backtrack. Hannah Sloots and Adrian Faber played guitar and sang “Stars Fell on Alabama.” Rebecca Bokma sang a song from the musical Fiddler on the Roof, accompanied by Elizabeth Bootsma. Then, she was joined by Nicole Katerberg, and together they made the audience laugh with an excellent performance of the spoof song “Painless Opera.”
After a closing prayer, Dr. Teeuwsen played the organ as the audience filled the auditorium with the Doxology. Refreshed from an afternoon of singing and laughing, visitors headed out to visit grandchildren, explore the bookstore, and enjoy a closing reception.