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November 2009 Volume 1 #1
 Ballantine at Carols With Brass A Choir of Directors Messiah Talent: Near and Far The Singing Chiropodists We respect your right to privacy and will not share information about you. You may unsubscribe from Noteworthy News at any time.  • Present to the community the finest choral music available, performed to the highest standard of excellence • Increase public awareness of choral and vocal music, especially of music composed or performed by Canadian musicians • Provide a place for enthusiastic choral singers of high calibre to come together for musical, social and personal growth • purchase tickets • request a brochure • subscribe to news |
The Singing Chiropodists  Peter and Kathryn Ferguson are a great team. They live together, work together, and sing together --- with the Peterborough Singers. And through their business, the Ashburnham Foot and Ankle Clinic, they give back unstintingly to the Peterborough community. Our choir has benefited greatly from their generosity. They've made donations, sponsored soloists and taken out program ads, encouraged other businesses to support choral music, and volunteered to take on many challenges, from streamlining ticket sales to serving on the Board."We try to support organizations that have a direct effect on our lives," explains Peter. "The Peterborough Singers has certainly done that!" Peter and Kathy are partners in the Ashburnham Foot and Ankle Clinic, which has been a part of our community since 1989. "We've been at our current location on Hunter Street East since 1994," Peter reports. "From there, we assess and treat all things to do with the feet, as well as lower limb problems related to abnormal foot function." Both Kathy and Peter are registered chiropodists, experts in chiropody, a specialized field of medicine whose name means "care of the feet by hands" in Greek. In their work, they address everything from gait issues to ingrown toenails. "Diabetic foot health is an increasing part of our practice," says Peter. Outside of the office, the couple's story spans two continents as well as the Atlantic Ocean. Peter and Kathy met at the age of twenty, when they both attended podiatry school in London, England. The school was part of the University of Westminster. Twelve months after Peter's graduation, he was working at Toronto General. Kathy was still working in the UK at the time, in Norwich. Kathy soon began applying for immigration to Canada, and Peterborough had a vacancy in her field. She became the Director of Chiropody Services at St. Joseph's Hospital. "We decided Peterborough would be a great place to settle." The couple's involvement with the Peterborough Singers (or with singing in general) is a far more recent and Canadian occurrence. Looking back on the early days in England, Peter remembers that "singing was defiantly not on the radar." But three or four years ago, Kathy decided to take vocal lessons, and Peter wondered whether he should "give it a try." With some encouragement from friends, Peter signed up for vocal lessons too. ("They must have heard me in the church choir," he jokes) "We both quickly grew to love singing and to develop a greater appreciation for choral music in particular." As they both grew in musical confidence and experience, they looked to the Peterborough Singers as the choir that would continue to challenge and inspire them. Peter remembers the audition process as a whirlwind of uncertainty and surprise. "I casually asked Pam [Birrell] one day at a vocal lesson if we might be ready for an audition. I'm not really sure if I was, but the next thing I knew Syd was auditioning me, and I was in." The couple certainly became very involved with the choir very quickly. (One might say they jumped in with both feet!) Soon the Ashburnham Foot and Ankle Clinic was a regular Singers sponsor, and Peter was a member of the Peterborough Singers Board of Directors. "Corporate sponsorship is a wonderful opportunity," he enthuses. It's all about personal connections. "The most effective way to engage business is through personal relationships," he continues. And the special connection amongst choristers and between the choir and its audience certainly builds those relationships. Interested in auditioning for the Peterborough Singers or in taking advantage of our sponsorship or volunteer opportunities? Visit our website and click on "get involved." |
 www.peterboroughsingers.com | singers@peterboroughsingers.com | Phn: (705) 745-1820 P.O. Box 2146 | Peterborough, Ontario | K9J 7Y4 |
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