By Stew Slater, Staff reporter

The Baden Storytelling Guild — which, one of its founders admits, might have to change its name now that it’s relocating its regular meetings to Waterloo — thought the tree-themed collaborative performance it put together was going to be a one-off event for World Storytelling Day in March, 2012.

Now, with the St. Mary Public Library and an organizing committee taking over the St. Marys Storytelling Festival — which wasn’t going to happen this year, without the Library stepping in — Guild members will perform the show again.

“It’s a real bonus for us to be able to do it again,” Mary-Eileen McClear told the Journal Argus in an interview last week.

Twenty-five years ago, McClear founded the Story Barn near Baden, as a venue for people to pursue and enjoy the art of storytelling. In more recent years, the Baden Storytelling Guild formed, with members from across the region coming together on a monthly basis to hone their craft.

“The Guild gradually came under the umbrella of the Story Barn,” McClear explained.

Having built a strong reputation in the storytelling community, the Guild — which has about 25 members — was asked to create a performance concert for World Storytelling Day. Eight Guild members took up the challenge, while another member stepped in as MC for the concert.

It’s entitled Voices in the Trees, in honour of World Storytelling Day’s 2012 theme.

“There are a variety of forms. There’s a folk tale, there’s a ballad (“a song story,” McClear explains), there are some humorous original stories, there are some personal stories.” Three of the performers include music in their segments.

On Saturday, June 16 at the St. Marys Library, Guild members will revise Voices in the Trees for a Storytelling Festival audience. The show starts at 7 p.m. and tickets are $10. To reserve a ticket, call 519-284-3346.