[BCMA] Fwd: Wozney has the Wolf to thank as Barkerville’s inaugural Northern Star is born

Wed Sep 14 15:22:38 PDT 2011

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: 	Wozney has the Wolf to thank as Barkerville’s inaugural 
Northern Star is born
Date: 	Wed, 14 Sep 2011 12:13:04 -0700
From: 	James Douglas <JDouglas at barkerville.ca>

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Wozney has the Wolf to thank as Barkerville’s inaugural Northern Star is born

September 14, 2011 (Barkerville, BC) - On Saturday, September 10th, a Northern Star was born.

> From September 9th to 11th Barkerville Historic Town hosted its inaugural Cowboy and Drover Jubilee, including the first annual ‘Northern Star’ amateur singing competition, sponsored by 97fm The Wolf in Prince George.

Barkerville’s renowned Theatre Royal set the stage for some of BC’s freshest talent to shine.  Long-time Barkerville interpreter and Theatre Royal performer Danette Boucher (as Miss Florence Wilson) hosted four ‘Northern Star’ finalists as they completed two gruelling rounds of musical competition in front of a house packed with enthusiastic spectators Saturday afternoon.  Theatre Royal producers Richard Wright and Amy Newman, of Newman and Wright Theatre Company, joined acclaimed cowboy musician and festival-circuit favourite Allen Christie to judge the performances.

The finalists themselves represented the best and the bravest from BC’s south Cariboo region to the Northern Capital of Prince George, and demonstrated several generations of skilfulness.  Quesnel wunderkind Alex Verge, a mere 14 years old, opened the competition with a vociferous performance that seemed to belie her relatively young age.  Clinton vocal powerhouse Tanni McColl wowed the crowd next with a stirring a capella selection, and a couple of gentlemen cowboys from PG - Lloyd Elson and Terry Wozney, respectively – closed the first round of competition with traditional, guitar-laced country ballads.  When both rounds of the competition were complete Barkerville’s own musical sensation, JP Winslow, entertained the crowd as the judges deliberated.

The Theatre Royal buzzed with excitement as Richard, Amy, and Allen took to the stage to announce the winner.  Second place went to Lloyd Elson, and the winner was… Terry Wozney!  Wozney, who had previously won a trip down to Barkerville in order to compete in the Northern Star competition (thanks to 97fm The Wolf, the determination of his partner Christine, and an eleventh-hour YouTube video submission to Barkerville’s Facebook fan page) looked simultaneously stunned and thrilled the moment his name was announced.

Terry was lauded by the judges as an authentic star in waiting.  They each loved his quiet dignity, his infectious musical style, and his undeniable talent.

“He’s the real deal,” said Barkerville’s Richard Wright.  “Terry has the ability to make us feel like we’re all sitting around a campfire together while still reaching out to the entire audience.”

All four contestants conducted themselves like true stars, and the audience who had gathered for the Cowboy and Drover Jubilee cheered each one of them on as they sang through both rounds and graciously accepted the astute and invaluable feedback from the three judges, all well-established professional musicians.  The judges were so impressed by everyone, in fact, that they spontaneously offered some one-on-one coaching sessions to help each star continue working towards a career as a performing artist.

Each contestant won a 2012 annual pass to Barkerville, just for making it to the finals.  The runner-up, Lloyd Elson, also took home a generous gift certificate from Spruce Capital Feeds, one of the Cowboy and Drover Jubilee sponsors.  Terry Wozney, the new Northern Star himself, was awarded a spectacular prize package consisting of two nights’ accommodation in Barkerville, a valuable Barkerville gift basket, recording time at a Prince George sound studio, a variety of broadcast opportunities for the resultant single, and a seat at the judges table for next year’s Northern Star competition.

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ABOUT BARKERVILLE HISTORIC TOWN

Barkerville Historic Town is the largest historic site in Western North America (www.barkerville.ca).  Barkerville is provincially, nationally and internationally recognized for its historic significance associated with its place in western Canada’s gold rush era and the role the gold rush played in BC joining Canada.  Barkerville is widely known as a “must see” for travel itineraries in western Canada.  The historic town is also a significant contributor to the Cariboo regional economy and is widely regarded as a unique component of the regional identity.

The Barkerville Heritage Trust, as Barkerville’s operating and managing partner, works in conjunction with the Province of British Columbia, the owner and statutory guardian of Barkerville’s heritage resources,  to ensure that Barkerville is efficiently managed, entertaining and educational to visitors, and financially stable as the premier heritage resource and tourism attraction for the Cariboo.  The ultimate aim is to maintain and enhance Barkerville’s position as a nationally significant heritage resource and tourism attraction for British Columbia and Canada.

Barkerville is situated 80 km east of Quesnel, British Columbia in the foothills of the Cariboo Mountains, close to Troll Mountain Ski Resort and Bowron Lake Provincial Park.  The nearby community of Wells (8 km from Barkerville) is the service and housing centre for the area (www.wellsbc.com) and is itself a dynamic cultural community, home of Island Mountain Arts, the acclaimed Toni Onley Artists’ Project, the International Celtic Harp School (www.imarts.com), the dynamic indie music festival ArtsWells (www.artswells.com), and the Sunset Theatre (www.sunset-theatre.com). Wells is also situated close to a wide variety of winter and summer outdoor activities.

MEDIA INQUIRIES

James Douglas
Manager, Visitor Experiences
and Public Relations
Barkerville Historic Town
Box 19
Barkerville, BC V0K 1B0

250-994-3302 ext. 41
888-994-3332 toll free
250-994-3435 fax

james.douglas at barkerville.ca
www.barkerville.ca
barkerville.wordpress.com

Facebook: facebook.com/barkervillebc
Skype: barkerville.historic.town
Twitter: @barkervillebc
Watch:http://youtube.com/barkervilletv

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