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TOWN CRIER:There was a whole lot of crying going on in market square this afternoon
May 22, 2010
THERE WAS A WHOLE LOT OF CRYING GOING ON IN MARKET SQUARE THIS AFTERNOON - BUT IT WASN'T BECAUSE ANYONE WAS SAD. CROWDS GATHERED AROUND THE FOUNTAIN THERE TO BE ENTERTAINED BY A SMALL NUMBER OF TOWN CRIERS FROM AROUND THE PROVINCE PRACTICING THEIR CRAFT. NEWSWATCH'S ERIN HOWE WAS THERE.
KINGSTON'S TOWN CRIER CHRIS WHYMAN WELCOMES A CROWD - AND SOME FELLOW CRIERS - TO MARKET SQUARE TO DEMONSTRATE WHAT THIS CRAFT IS ALL ABOUT. WHYMAN: "OF COURSE, WE ALL DO IT BECAUSE WE LOVE OUR CITIES." MCLAREN: "WHEN WE GET AN OPPORTUNITY TO MEET AND SHARE WITH PEOPLE AS WE DO WITH FESTIVALS ACROSS ONTARIO IT'S JUST WONDERFUL TO BRING OUR STORIES, BRING OUR HISTORY, BRING THE FOUNDATIONS THAT MADE THESE COMMUNITIES STRONG, AND MADE THEM GREAT, AND THERE'S A COMMON STONE THAT IS TOUCHED WITH EVERYBODY." BEFORE EVENTS LIKE THIS, THE CRIERS ARE OFTEN GIVEN TOPICS OR SUGGESTIONS TO CRY ABOUT - THEY THEN TAILOR THEIR WORK TO THE CROWDS AND ENVIRONMENTS. ORANGEVILLE'S BETTY KADING HAS A BUSINESS CARD THAT SAYS SHE'LL CRY AT THE RING OF A BELL. LIKE HER COLLEAGUES, SHE'LL EVEN MAKE UP A VERSE ON THE SPOT, TOO. KADING: "WHEN YOU'VE BEEN AT THIS GAME AS LONG AS I HAVE, WHICH IS ALMOST 21 YEARS, IT COMES VERY QUICKLY, BECAUSE IT HAS TO. IF WE ARE ASSIGNED SPONTANEOUS CRIES, YOU THINK FOR ABOUT 30 SECONDS IF THAT, AND DELIVER!" AND LIKE ANY ENTERTAINER, THESE CRIERS FEED OFF OF THE ENERGY OF THE CROWDS THAT GATHER AROUND THEM. BOYD: "IT'S WHAT MAKES IT WORTHWHILE. YOU DON'T WAIT FOR THEM TO THROW COINS, YOU JUST WANT TO HEAR A LITTLE LAUGHTER, A SMILE, A ROUND OF APPLAUSE." HOWE: "THE CRIERS WERE IN KINGSTON SATURDAY, BUT NEXT MONTH, MANY OF THEM WILL BE HEADING TO CHESTER, ENGLAND FOR THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS." EVEN THOUGH THEY'LL BE COMPETING AGAINST CRIERS FROM AROUND THE WORLD, THE GLORY DOESN'T COME FROM WINNING AWARDS. WHYMAN: "THERE'S A REAL GOOD COMRADERY WITH THE TOWN CRIERS, AND THE SATISFACTION THAT YOU KNOW YOU'VE DONE A GOOD JOB WHEN THE PEOPLE OF THE TOWN THAT YOU'RE IN COME UP AND GIVE YOU A PAT ON THE BACK, AND SAY YOU'RE DOING A GREAT JOB." AND JUDGING BY THE REACTION FROM THESE CROWDS, THESE PERFORMERS ARE DOING A VERY GOOD JOB, INDEED. ERIN HOWE, CKWS NEWSWATCH, KINGSTON.
