There will be a stellar line up of new and emerging stars coming to the St. Lawrence Stage on Saturday, May 25, for the Stage’s final concert of the season.
“We’ve got a really nice mix of musical genres scheduled for this concert,” said Sandra Whitworth, on the board of the St. Lawrence Acoustic Stage. “We are presenting local musicians Don Tuttle from Iroquois, Ewen McIntosh from Lyn, just west of Brockville and Roxanne Delage from Cornwall. From a little farther afield are the Musettes, a trio from Ottawa, Donna Drifter, coming in from Bancroft accompanied by Patricia Liverseed and Jim Eadie, and Jenny Berkel, who is coming to us from Winnipeg, by way of France and Switzerland.”
It promises to be night of musical excitement since the performers will run the gamut from country, celtic and blues to rock and folk. Along the way, audiences can enjoy extraordinary voices, outstanding harmonies and first rate musicians.
The Musettes told me that they “don’t like to limit ourselves to one particular genre. We just let the music go where it wants!” The trio performs an “eclectic blend of folk, rock and pop. Our music is infused with vocal harmonies and instrumentation…that complements the genuine, heartfelt nature of our songs.”
Don Tuttle of Iroquois feels that he “was drawn to country music because I felt it was in my heart. I learned a lot in Nashville, and I met a lot of people that helped me along the way. As far as my writing goes, God writes my songs. (I think) people will be refreshed and full of hope and light after I sing my songs.”
Jenny Berkel, who has an album, Here on a Wire, out, revealed that “poetry has always been very important to me both as a reader and a writer…I eventually realized that I could try shaping poetry into songs. My musical style has been characterized as ‘haunt folk’, dark, sad and often hushed…yet how there is always a shimmer of light somewhere. I (try) to step outside of myself and write what I see instead of just what I feel.”
Donna (Drifter) Leclair, described to me as terrific blues singer, revealed that she preferred to talk about blues “as an influence. I am also heavily influenced by Appalachian Folk and Bluegrass.” However, she added that “Blues speaks to common people and gives a voice to oppressed people…It gives a place for people to tell each other about their lives, joys, loves and hardships. It can be polished and sophisticated or gritty and raw. It’s all about feeling for me, the mood you create with the Blues.”
Roxanne Delage, who is returning to the St. Lawrence Stage, has recently released her first CD, The Way I Am. Her music has sometimes been described as ‘cross over.’
“I grew up in a country loving home, but was exposed to a wealth of styles…rock, celtic, pop, jazz, classical and Broadway. As a result, my original music seems to be quite impossible to categorize. One reviewer wrote that my ‘music is contemporary folk, with eclectic elements of blues, country and jazz, creating a fusion of sound that could easily have been on FM radio in the ‘70’s. I’ll take that.’
Thrilled to be returning to the Stage, she will perform (accompanied by three back up musicians) numbers from her new CD.
Ewen McIntosh, according to Sandra Whitworth, is a very seasoned performer. His sound is a mix of Celtic, folk and rock and he has played for years with bands like Glengharry Boys and the Crofters. He will performing as a solo artist at the Stage on May 25.
Audiences can look forward to variety, excitement, and an evening of really wonderful music as the St. Lawrence Acoustic Stage welcomes its final artists of the 2012-13 concert season.
The concert on Saturday. May 25, begins at 7 p.m. at the Morrisburg Meeting Centre.
All tickets are $10, and can be purchased at the Basket Case, Morrisburg, Strung Out Guitars, Cornwall, or on line at www.st-lawrencestage.com.
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