For Immediate Release

Salinas, California
UPDATED APRIL 24, 2005

PRESS CONTACTS:

Dennis Donohue, benefit director, 831-758-6265
Dawn Flood, publicist, The Western Stage, 831-755-6976
John Light, managing director, The Western Stage, 831-755-6980

CANADA'S 'SINGING AMBASSADORS'
PERFORM TO BENEFIT
SALINAS PUBLIC LIBRARY!

MAYOR CABALLERO TO WELCOME
CANADIAN CONSUL GENERAL TO SALINAS

Palma High School and The Western Stage Host
110-MEMBER ST. MICHAEL'S CHOIR SCHOOL
TO BENEFIT RALLY SALINAS!

LOCAL COMMERCE DONATES
LOCAL NON-PROFITS OFFER EXPERTISE

St Michael's Choir, internationally renowned 110-boy choral ensemble from Toronto, Canada will perform two benefit concerts in April in support of RALLY SALINAS! an effort to save Salinas Libraries. On Thursday, April 28, 2005, the Choir will perform at 7:00 pm at Carmel's Sunset Cultural Center, tickets are $35, and available at www.sunsetcenter.org or call (831) 620-2048. (58 word PSA)

On Friday, April 29, the Choir will perform a "community" concert at 7:00 pm at Sherwood Hall, Salinas Community Center, tickets are $13 adults and $7 students and available at www.tickets.com or call (831) 758-7477 or (408) 998-2277 or Salinas Nob Hill Foods stores. When 10 tickets are purchased for the Salinas concert, the 11th ticket is free! (add for 115 word PSA).

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Canada Sends Emissary

The Choir in St. Michael's Cathedral

Alain Dudoit, Consul General of Canada will travel to the central coast to extend a personal show of support for Mayor Anna Caballero's RALLY SALINAS! campaign to keep the Salinas Public Library open in spite of recent budget cuts that threaten its future. Consul Dudoit will also introduce the choir at the Carmel concert. This benefit project is undertaken with the support of Foreign Affairs Canada and the St. Michael's Choir School of Toronto.

A recent statement from Brian Rae, Saint Michael's choir director, expressed how very proud the boys are to support Salinas Public Libraries with these concerts: "This is the first visit to California by the St. Michael's Choir School of Toronto and it is very fitting as a school to express solidarity with the library issue for Salinas residents."

Mr. Rae shared a comment from one of the students, "We are are doing something special, this is not just another concert."

An 8th grader remarked, "It's quite disheartening that this is happening in a country like America. Toronto, where I live, has a diverse population and the libraries are very importnat to so many people."

Net proceeds from the combined concerts will go toward RALLY SALINAS! to save the libraries.

A Salinas city council decision in December threatened to close all three library branches later this year, garnering national and international attention with coverage by major news agencies across the country. The public outcry has been intense. In January, Salinas Mayor Anna Caballero announced RALLY SALINAS! to raise money in an effort to stave off the imminent closings. The Western Stage is proud to join The Edmund Rice Society (student faith-based) of Palma High School in sponsoring these benefit concerts to help keep the doors to Salinas' public libraries open.

Saint Michael's School Choir of Toronto will perform at Sunset Cultural Center in Carmel on Thursday, April 28th at 7:00 pm, admission is $35. Tickets are available through The Sunset Center ticket office at (831) 620-2048 and www.sunsetcenter.org.

On Friday, April 29, the Choir will perform a "community" concert at 7:00 pm at Sherwood Hall, Salinas Community Center. Tickets are available at several locations: Salinas City Recreation, (831) 758-2277, 320 Lincoln, 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM Monday through Friday only (no service charge); OR at www.tickets.com, (408) 998- 2277 (service fee applies) OR at Salinas Nob Hill Foods locations, 1320 South Main Street or 640 East Boronda Road, 9:00 AM - 7 PM daily (service fee applies). Tickets are $13 adults and $7 students. Groups of 10 or more to the Salinas concert will receive one FREE ticket for every 10 purchased.

For more information PRESS may contact Dennis Donohue, Palma High School, at 831-758-6265, or Dawn Flood, The Western Stage, 831-755-6976. To talk with a student representative of the Edmund Rice (student faith-based) Society call George Garibay, Palma High School, 831-422-6391.

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Monterey County Businesses, Organizations and Families Rally Support

Local businesses and organizations stepping forward with support and expertise to date, and joining hosts Palma High School Edmund Rice Society and The Western Stage to RALLY SALINAS! for this event include (in alphabetical order) 1st National Bank of Central California, Bengard Ranches, Brian Finegan, The Californian, Camerata Singers, Carmel Music Society, Carmel Valley Lodge, C.H. Robinson and Monterey Plaza Hotel & Spa, Coastal Mailing, Community Bank of Central California, Dole Fresh Vegetables, European Vegetable Specialties, Fresh Express, Granite Construction, HSCB*, KBOQ Classical Radio, KION-KCBA, KSBW, Magic 63, Martella Printing, Monterey County Herald, Monterey County Symphony, the National Steinbeck Center, The Nunes Company, Ocean Mist, Osborne Design, PG& E, River Ranch Fresh Foods, Salinas Union High School District, Tri-County Business Systems, Valley Community Homes, Westridge Shopping Center, Weyerhaeuser Containers. *HSCB has "added" to their earlier and most generous Rally Salinas! pledge gift of $50,000 and joined sponsorship of the St. Michael's Choir School event. Over 40 county families are contributing to the effort by providing "bed and board" for the choir boys throughout their weeklong stay.

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Canada's Singing Ambassadors

As part of its mandate, which is to share the beauty of sacred music to a wider audience, the boy's choir, which performs at the Cathedral of Saint Michael, Toronto at weekend mass 168 times a year, also tours twice a year through the United States, and Europe. "Canada's Singing Ambassadors", as the choir is sometimes called, have performed for both Pope John Paul II during World Youth Day, Queen Elizabeth during Her Majesty's visit to Toronto, and for The United States Congress during a visit to Washington D.C. Overseas, they have shared their divine voices with audiences in Wales, Scotland, Ireland, Switzerland, Germany, Trinidad, and Tobago.

St. Michael's Choir School has produced eight albums that display an eclectic repertoire of musical styles from Renaissance polyphony to 20th Century Canadian music. Although often compared to the Vienna boy's choir, the program at St. Michael's is unique in that students must maintain a full academic load and master one or two musical instruments in addition to their choir duties.

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Alain Dudoit

Alain Dudoit,
Consul General of Canada

Alain Dudoit was appointed the Consul General of Canada, Los Angeles in 2004.

Mr. Dudoit held a number of senior positions at Canada's Privy Council Office, the Canadian International Development Agency and the Department of Finance. In 1982, he became Senior Departmental Assistant to the Secretary of State for External Affairs. From 1984 to 1988, he served in Paris as Minister-Counsellor (Commercial and Economic Affairs). In 1994, he was named Ambassador to the Czech Republic, a position he held until 1997. In 2000, he was appointed Ambassador to Spain.