From the rousing beat of Stompin’ Tom Conners’ hockey song, to the soulful notes of an original song, to the grooving pop beat of Amy Winehouse’s Valerie, the St. Paul’s Got Talent show during rodeo week had a little bit of something for every musical taste.
Emcee Meredith Gillis counted herself as “impressed” with the depth of talent at the show, which is co-sponsored by 97.7 The Spur and the St. Paul and District Co-op and which was held in front of a full house at the Senior Citizens Centre last Tuesday night.
“It really was an amazing evening,” she said. From growing up in a bigger city, most of her experience of talent shows featured school kids who sometimes put on less than stellar performances, leaving her unprepared to hear the quality of singing she did at the St. Paul’s Got Talent show. This year’s talent show focused on vocalists, and Gillis said, “What I got was these amazing people who all did a really good job and rocked it.”
Gillis said about 11 people entered in the show, with performances by entrants wrapping up in an hour. Highlights included Veronica Cardinal’s rendition of the Amy Winehouse song, Valerie, with Cardinal’s win coming as a surprise to the St. Paul Regional high school student. Gillis explained Cardinal was entered into the contest by teaching assistant Tamie Gratton and a friend. “She didn’t even know she was going to be performing when she got up that morning.”
Another performer who traveled to St. Paul to take part in the show was the MD of Bonnyville’s Ashley Slade, who sang and performed an original song she wrote for her brother-in-law who was having trouble with some lady friends, as she explained before launching into the tune.
Vilna’s Curt McConnell got a holler or two from an appreciative audience after he sang Brooks & Dunn’s I’ve Got a Lot to Learn.
“I was just really happy to come out,” he says, noting he was originally going to sing a faster-paced song, but saw the audience and gauged that “a good country song that everyone knows” would be a better fit. His efforts were rewarded with a first place win, which he described as “awesome,” saying he would give the trophy to his six-year-old son.
“I’m going to go home and tell him I got it for him.”
Finally, as an encore performance that was not part of the night’s talent judging, Hinano Rosa gave a heartfelt rendition of Unchained Melody, as judges Joanne Lamoureux, Shane Larmand and Geoff Bacso deliberated on the final winners. They gave credit to the performers, noting it takes a lot of courage to come out and play for an audience that organizers estimated at about 200.
“To me, it’s a big deal, because I’m still young,” said 16-year-old Savannah Mack of the experience of playing to a big crowd. But as this is her third year performing at the talent show, it’s obviously one she welcomes as she notes there’s always a great crowd present. “It’s a good experience to get out and have fun.”
Results from the talent show are as follows:
Junior country: 1st – Savannah Mack (Crash My Party, Luke Bryan), 2nd - John Daniel (JD) Golford (The Hockey Song, Stompin’ Tom Connors,) 3rd – Brooklyn Riopel (God Made Girl, Raelynn)
Junior pop: 1st – Veronica Cardinal (Valerie, Amy Winehouse), 2nd - Savannah Mack (The A-Team, Ed Sheeran), 3rd – Melanie Jubinville, (Keep Holding On, Avril Lavigne)
Senior country: 1st - Curt McConnell, (I’ve Got a Lot to Learn by Brooks & Dunn) 2nd – Ashley Slade, (Let You In, Ashley Slade), 3rd - Dave Lamothe, (Cowboy Rides Away, George Strait)
Senior pop – Lauren Rose (Bright, Echosmith)
