Diverse diversions

23rd Annual Hortonville Talent Show had it all

By RICHARD A. ROSS

HORTONVILLE, NY — For the past 23 years, the Hortonville Presbyterian Church has housed its annual talent show to rave reviews. The shows, organized by Jane Orcutt, are always well received by an enthusiastic audience that delights in affirming local talent.

But on March 28, a new standard was set with the most diverse group of acts yet assembled in what this writer, who has served as emcee for 22 of those years, likes to call Sullivan County Idol.

The event featured a panoply of acts that ran the gamut from instrumental delights on the violin by Amelia Brooks to vocalists like 23-year veteran Walter Egner, who sang “Somewhere My Love,” to a darkened hall participation in Earth Hour, accompanied by Reverie Harp, played by Laurie Stuart, who spoke about protecting community values and natural resources with regard to gas drilling.

But music was not the only talent displayed: storytelling by Jim Newton had the audience clamoring for an encore as he recounted a tale about a wild first ride in a Model T, and poet Alla Greene created ethereal nature imagery with words, among other word artists.

The concluding act was the delightful tandem known as “The Entertainers,” with Agnes Tilson and Valerie McShane. Their xylophone, drums and spoon playing were the fitting end to the show.

The event was a fundraiser for Habitat for Humanity, which celebrated the construction of two newly occupied homes, one in Monticello and another in Liberty. On the docket is a side-by-side home project for Fallsburg that will be entirely green.

Click here for an album of photos.