We all had a great time at the Harvest Ball on October 14^th. After an excellent supper Béla Szeri demonstrated how the grapes are pressed. Children and adults had an opportunity to try turning and tightening the press. There was a great demand for the natural, sweet grape juice. The music was supplied by Kati and Pista Koleszár. After lively conversation dancing followed until very late in the evening.

(Report by Gábor Finta)

The Children’s Philharmonic Orchestra from Szentegyháza (Szeklerland, Transylvania, Romania), referred to and known as “Fili” , embarked on a concert tour in Ontario in honour of Canada’s 150th anniversary. They started their tour in Ottawa. The choir sang in the Inspiration Village and the Notre Dame Cathedral but the main event was a concert at the Centrepoint Theatre. We show here a few excerpts from this concert. Ten Hungarian children from Ottawa joined the choir and it was a great experience for them to sing with such a huge ensemble. The Ottawa audience received their efforts with great enthusiasm.

(Report by Gábor Finta)

We had our second opportunity in two years to enjoy the piano performances of Dr. Judit Gábos. She was invited again by the Hungarian Embassy and played the works of Hungarian composers. The compositions of Liszt, Bartók and Kodály on her program represent a significant pianistic challenge. We were especially pleased to hear Kodály’s most difficult and very succesful piano piece (Marosszék Dances) that is especially popular in its orchestral setting all over the world. At the same time, we were equally happy to hear Liszt’s Les jeux d’eaux à Villa d’Este and the 7th Hungarian Rhapsody or the Rigoletto Paraphrase based on the melodies of Verd’s opera. We would like to thank ambassador Dr. Bálint Ódor for allowing us the use of Károly Dombi’s recording.

(Video by Károly Dombi)

On the Day of National Unity the Ottawa Hungarian Community Centre opened its Trianon exhibition. The tableaues on display were provided by the Hungarian Trianon Museum of Várpalota.

The 31 pictures explained the reasons, consequences of the tragic events of the peace treaty. On the first day there were more than sixty people visiting the exhibition.

After the viewing the participants were shown the film prepared by the participants of the Kőrösi Csoma Sándor program and the video made by Tibor Lapohos at the Hungarian Calvary in Sátoraljaújhely, Hungary.

(Video by Gábor Finta)

On Mothers’ Day this year, the duo of László Váray and Tamás Valastyán earned great success in the Ottawa Hungarian Community Centre. The audience received the program with enthusiasm and occasionally even took active part in it. This surprised but at the same time touched the performers – as they mentioned it at the end of the evening. The songs of László Váray are meant primarily for children but the adults also appreciated the linguistic resourcefulness of the poems.

(Video by Gábor Finta and Tibor Fasanga)

On May 7th, 2017 the Ottawa Hungarian Community Centre celebrated Mother’s day according to the Hungarian calendar. The students of the Hungarian School, music students and scouts gave thanks to mothers and grandmothers in front of a full house. After a great dinner (prepared by the fathers) the evening concluded with a very enjoyable concert given by two artists from Hungary, the “Belvárosi Betyárok”. You will be able to watch their performance here as well as soon as they finish their Canadian concert tour.

(Video by Bea, Gábor Finta and Tibor Fasanga)

Saturday evening we have witnessed a great performance in the Hungarian Community Centre. Géza Benkő made us reflect but also gave us opportunity to laugh. Many of us can remember the forced relocation of our parents – grandparents from the Highlands – I am among those. Tens of thousands of Hungarians were forced to leave their homeland with only 50 kgs of their belongings. They were deprived of not only their life savings but also their human dignity. It is sad that the perpetrators never apologized for this. The Benes doctrines are in force ever since. The tragedy is always present in the performance but through the glass of humor it seems less serious than it was in reality. Nevertheless, the one-person drama makes us think and at the same time glues us to our seats. The performance of Géza Benkő fascinates the audience. I have not heard such an entertaining and also saddening production for a long time.

(Video by Gábor Finta, audio by István Koleszár)

On March 17, 2017 the Ottawa Hungarian Community Centre celebrated the 169^th anniversary of the 1848 revolution. The audience filled completely the house where the Hungarian School and music students paid tribute to the memory of the heroes of the revolution. The guest speaker was Dr. Bálint Ódor, ambassador of the Republic of Hungary. Dr. Lapohos Tibor read excerpts from Sándor Petőfi’s Memoires and Károly Dombi spoke about the the influence of the events on the literary world. The enjoyable evening concluded with a tasty supper.

(Video by Bea Finta)

On March 4^th we had the pleasure to see Egmont Ouveture, a podium program presented by the 8kor Színház (8 PM Theatre) group from Sárospatak, Hungary, in honour of the 60^th anniversary of the revolution and fight for freedom of Hungary in 1956. Against the fairly cold weather, there were was a half-full house enjoying a great meal and then the show.

(Video by Gábor Finta)

On February 25^th there were 92 of us having a good time spoiling our taste buds, laughing and dancing.

(Video by Gábor Finta)