You might be forgiven for maintaining the belief that there are some pretty big gaps in the space where culture should reside in Markdale, but it could means that you are just not looking hard enough.
For the past five years, Middle Grey Arts & Heritage has been bringing quality events to the community, largely at Annesley United Church, 82 Toronto Street South.
These events have included live concerts, spoken word engagements, theatrical and dance presentations, book launches, market events and film nights.
The whole endeavour began when Tim Reilly and Ron Barnett, Executive Director and Deputy ED for Middle Grey, pitched Annesley United Church with a prospective plan to address fiscal challenges facing the church and to provide badly needed performance for the community. Fortunately, the board members of the church were forward thinking enough to see the potential benefits for both sides, and the alliance began.
Middle Grey is now a non-profit organization with both an artistic and a heritage mandate which is affiliated with Ontario Historical Society. As such, presenting works of cultural significance in a 120 year-old building goes a long way to satisfying both objectives.
The centre-piece of the acoustically excellent sanctuary of the Annesley Church is a 103 year-old organ built by Casavant Freres, the oldest organ makers in Canada. It was originally built for a church in Detroit, and moved to Markdale in 1990. Middle Grey is dedicated to bringing this unique instrument to the forefront with its Casavant Concert series. Thus far, Markdale audiences have been treated to the Casavant played by Dr. Gregg Redner (accompanied by baritone Aaron Dimoff) and Ian Sadler (accompanied by Sebastian Ostertag and the Garden String Quartet). In fact, Ian Sadler is slated to return in October for a special performance, and it is no accident that it will occur around Hallowe’en.
With a mission statement that focuses on artistic diversity, frequency, and value, Middle Grey has also been fortunate enough to attract high calibre artists such as Paige Warner and Jim White, an international singer-songwriter who began his tour in the Hughes Room in Toronto and finished it in Markdale.
In addition to the top-tier events described above, Middle Grey, along with the support of several community groups such as Annesley United Church, Friends of the Grey Highlands Museum, the Beaver Valley Destination Stewardship and others, has provided numerous community activities within the facility. This is a very important part of the overall programming of the organization, and it will continue to be so.
The 2026 season begins on Sunday July 19 at 7pm with a performance of a concert version of Gilbert and Sullivan’s “Pirates of Penzance” by Shoreline Chorus, under the direction of Ann-Marie MacDairmid, there for the second time after the group performed “All the World Sings” in June 2024.
This will be followed on Sunday August 30 at 7pm by Aaron Dimoff and Angela Gjurichanin, soprano in an evening of new and classical Broadway numbers. Tickets are $35 and are available at the door or on the website at middlegrey.events. For further information, call the box office at 519-997-2727.
It is a tribute to the calibre of the venue and the respect with which the artists are treated that so many of them return for multiple engagements. As much as Middle Grey enjoys bringing in new artists, it prefers developing relationships with artists who have been here before. If you’ve never been before, take in your first show, and you’ll begin to see why.
Kevin Land is the author of 16 plays and is the owner of Speaking Volumes Books and Audio in Markdale.