INNISFAIL – It may seem for some that it was a small gesture but the hearts were big behind it.
On Dec. 9, Innisfailian Jackie Moorhouse picked up her cello and joined Red Deer-based recorder group Toot Sweet to offer an hour-long holiday season performance at The Coffee Cottage in downtown Innisfail.
The event was to raise some extra cash for the Innisfail and District Food Bank.
“I just thought people would enjoy hearing some live Christmas music and it would be a way to raise money for the food bank, since more people than ever need help this year,” said Moorhouse, who has been playing with Toot Sweet since 2015. “Jackie (Brackney) and Sandy (Biles) at The Coffee Cottage were kind enough to let us play there.
“Everybody is from Red Deer but they were kind enough to agree to come up to Innisfail to play,” added Moorhouse. “Three of us played at the Innisfail Festival of Trees on November 25.”
When the hour-long performance was over the group had played 14 pieces of music and most importantly raised $100 for the food bank.
She said Toot Sweet has more recently added the harp and cello and meets every Wednesday to practise.
Moorhouse believes having a harp gave an extra touch of beauty to the group’s selection of holiday season music.
“It was the first time we played Christmas carols with the harp,” said Moorhouse. “They (Christmas carols) are so pretty with the harp. They sounded so nice. I just thought people would really appreciate it.”
The members of Toot Sweet who joined Moorhouse at The Coffee Cottage on Dec. 9 are Darlene Philips, Enid Best, Helga Sinton and Yvonne Phillips.
