About two hundred people piled into Mennonite Heritage Village in Steinbach Thursday night to help officially open the museum's newest exhibit.
    
It's called "Singing In Time: Mennonites And Music" and curator Roland Sawatzky says this launch was much different from any other exhibit they've ever opened. Sawatzky decided to make this one interactive and delivered ninety minutes of musical performances before the exhibit finally opened. From the beautiful old hymms sung by the Crystal Springs Hutterite Colony Choir to the rumbling sound of the Brommtopp Group, Sawatzky says the evening had some of everything and he calls it a complete success. There were also circle games led by Werner Ens which Sawatzky jokes gave visitors some exercise before leaving for the night. Sawatzky says the evening and exhibit demonstrate the importance of music in the Mennonite culture, from the obvious religious element to the lighter side of folk traditions.
    

From the beautiful old hymms sung by the Crystal Springs Hutterite Colony Choir to the rumbling sound of the Brommtopp Group, Sawatzky says the evening had some of everything and he calls it a complete success. 

 

 

There were also circle games led by Werner Ens which Sawatzky jokes gave visitors some exercise before leaving for the night.
 


As for the exhibit itself, Sawatzky says it's got everything from a Loan Ranger guitar built in 1941 to a seven string Ukranian guitar from 1890 to a Brommtopp. It's got a pump organ and also a player piano that can be played by visitors. The exhibit has an audio consel where you can hear eight pieces of music relevant to the Mennonite history and an old bell record player with the RCA dog. There is also a wall of about thirty records produced by local Mennonites from about 1960-1980.
    
The exhibit will remain open until October 30th. Sawatzky says for those who missed Thursday's event, the concert series will continue September 11th in Neubergthal and October 2nd at Canadian Mennonite University.

 

 

There is also a wall of about thirty records produced by local Mennonites from about 1960-1980.