When Miles Derksen and some of his musical friends decided to organize a Christmas concert two months ago at the Osoyoos Christian Centre, they didn’t know what the response would be.
As things turned out, the response was overwhelmingly positive, the same group of friends – and a few more – will be gathering once again on the evening of Friday, Feb. 15 to stage another concert.
To coincide with Valentine’s Day, the theme for this concert will be All ’Bout Love: A Community Music Night, said Derksen.
“When we held the Christmas concert, I was so pleasantly surprised by the fantastic response because it met and surpassed any expectation I had,” said Derksen, who, along with his wife Barb, is  organizing the upcoming concert. “We think Valentine’s Day is the perfect time to bring local artists and musicians together once again to celebrate the universal theme of love.
“It seemed like perfect timing and I know all of the musicians who performed at the Christmas concert are excited about this event and looking forward to returning to the stage.”
Performers who are scheduled to perform at the concert include Derksen, Nathan Freeman, Kayla Turnbull, Sue Gerrard, Sonny Black, Terry Jackson, Jeff Smith, Matthew Thomas and Chris and Lori Stodola.
As the name of the concert implies, all of the songs performed throughout the course of the evening will focus on the theme of love, said Derksen.
Derksen and Freeman will perform songs as solo artists and will also work together to act as the house band for some of the other musicians.
All of those invited to perform have committed to participating in several rehearsal nights leading up to the concert, said Derksen.
“The whole idea for the Christmas concert and this concert was to try and arrange some sort of jam night for local musicians, but my wife and I thought it might be a good idea to invite the community to enjoy what we’re doing,” he said.
The Christmas concert attracted a packed house of close to 100 people and he’s confident there will be another full house for the free concert on February 15, said Derksen.
“Everyone had a wonderful time at the Christmas concert, so I’m pretty sure we might get an even bigger crowd out to this show,” he said.
Most of the performers will be singing one or two songs and the concert should not last any longer than 90 minutes, he said.
The theme of love has inspired musicians for generations and it will be no different at this concert, said Derksen.
“One of our performers, Sonny Black, has been married for more than 50 years and he’s written a couple of new love songs for his wife as part of the show,” he said.
Following the concert, everyone in attendance will be invited to enjoy some finger foods and beverages.
The Osoyoos Christian Centre is located next to McDonalds in Osoyoos.
For more information about the concert, you can contact Derksen at 250-498-9887.