Tag: Great North Woods Commitee for the Arts

Fiddling, Step Dancing Searson Sisters Perform in Colebrook

For over a decade now, Searson has toured the world with a unique blend of high-energy fiddling, passionate vocals and intricate step dancing. The band will be bringing its musical mix to the Colebrook Country Club on Sunday, March 31, at 7 p.m. in a show presented by the Great North Woods Committee for the Arts and co-sponsored by Brown Lab Technologies.

At the core of Searson are Colleen and Erin Searson, two sisters who hail from the Ottawa Valley, Ontario, Canada. Their spirited live shows feature Colleen on fiddle and Erin on piano and tenor guitar, interspersed with the incomparably rich sounds of sibling vocal harmonies, and both sisters “pounding the boards” with Ottawa Valley step dancing.

Rounding out their band is bass/guitar player Fraser Gauthier, who has studied at Humber College and Capilano University, gradually gravitating towards roots music, and Dave MacDougall, a drummer and percussionist who brings creativity and groove to a variety of styles of music.

In the past 10 years, Searson has toured throughout Canada, the United States, Germany, Denmark, Portugal, Switzerland and the Caribbean. They have brought hundreds of fans with them on various bus tours while performing throughout Ireland.

Tickets are $15 and available at Fiddleheads, 110 Main St., Colebrook, online at www.gnwca.org or at the door. For more information on this and other GNWCA shows, find the Great North Woods Committee for the Arts on Facebook, visit www.gnwca.org or you can call (603) 246-8998.

Energetic Young Band From Scotland at Rialto Theatre

Heron Valley, an energetic, young folk band from Scotland is in the midst of a U.S. tour, with a stop planned in Lancaster.

They will be making their debut appearance in the region on Tuesday, March 12, when the band takes to the stage at the Rialto Theatre at 80 Main Street, beginning at 7 p.m. The concert is presented by the Great North Woods Committee for the Arts.

Heron Valley is a five-piece band that brings with them their unique Scottish sound and high-energy performance with a lineup of bagpipes, fiddle, vocals, whistles, banjo, guitar, piano, drums and bass. The band’s roots lie in Scottish and Irish traditional music, while taking influence from various folk, country and bluegrass styles. The group includes Alex Mackechnie on fiddle, accordion and guitar, Nick Hamilton on drums and banjo, Abigail Pryde on vocals and guitar, Euan McNab on bagpipes, whistles and guitar, and Callum Cronin on bass guitar.

Right from the start, Heron Valley quickly established a major impact on the folk scene in Scotland, and saw the group branch out to 11 festival stages all over the United Kingdom. The year 2017 saw Heron Valley on a tour of over 20 festivals around the UK and Europe. With the exuberant reaction they received at these gigs, the demand was on for more of their music. Heron Valley released its debut album, “Roam,” in May 2017. This was extremely well received, featuring eight tracks of self-penned songs and lively sets of familiar tunes.

Tickets are $15 per person, available at the door or in advance at the Rialto Theater in Lancaster or at Fiddleheads on Main Street in Colebrook. You can also order tickets through the GNWCA’s website. Visit www.gnwca.org or call 246-8998 for more information.

The Bayley-Hazen Boys in Benefit Concert

On Sunday, Feb. 10, at 7 p.m., the Great North Woods Committee for the Arts is hosting a fundraiser concert at the Colebrook Country Club for the new Center for the Arts facility in Columbia (the former Shrine of Our Lady of Grace). The new Arts Center was purchased in July of 2018 by the GNWCA and is presently undergoing infrastructure upgrades.

The popular band provides first-rate bluegrass music fresh from the hills of Vermont. The trio are former members of the bluegrass band Gopher Broke.

Bluegrass Unlimited describes them as “seasoned pickers,”  with Steve Wright on guitar and vocals, Gary Darling on mandolin and vocals, and Chris Cruger on bass and vocals. The three are also members of the well-known band Bob Amos & Catamount Crossing.

Seven Days newspaper calls the Bayley-Hazen Boys “A brilliant trio whose fine instrumental chops are ably matched by their sweet harmonies and easy melodies.”

The band has played at numerous venues and events around the area, including at First Night North in St. Johnsbury, Vt., and at the Peacham Music Festival in Peacham, Vt.

The proceeds from all the ticket sales will be donated to the Arts Center project.

Tickets for this show are available in advance at Fiddleheads on Main Street in Colebrook, at $15 each, at the door on the night of the concert, or by calling 246-8998. To find out more about this and other upcoming GNWCA concerts, visit the Facebook page or visit www.gnwca.org

A Cape Breton Christmas at The Rialto Theatre

One of the most popular groups from Nova Scotia’s musical corner of Cape Breton will be bringing a spirited and enthusiastic celebration of the holiday season to the Rialto Theatre in downtown Lancaster on Wednesday, Dec. 5, at 7 p.m.

“Here’s a show that will get you in the swing of Christmastime with all the bells and whistles of the Canadian Maritimes during the holidays,” said Charlie Jordan of the Great North Woods Committee for the Arts, presenter of the show. “We are very fortunate to have Coig to bring its show to the North Country as part of its busy holiday tour.”

Coig features its all-star line up of Rachel Davis on fiddle, viola and vocals, Chrissy Crowley on fiddle, Jason Roach on piano, and Darren McMullen on guitar, mandolin, mandola, banjo, bouzouki, whistles, flute, and vocals. All four members of the band are recognized as major stars of the Celtic music world. Fiddler Crowley has touches of world and contemporary music. Pianist Roach has a jazz degree, McMullen has worked everywhere from Irish to rock groups, and fiddler Davis is the most Cape Breton traditional, but with folk and roots infused flavors as well.

Ask anyone who has seen them, from New England stages to huge European festivals to their own beloved small halls of Cape Breton, and you’ll always hear about Coig’s energy. Trad fans love them and the crowds are growing all the time. “We really feed a lot on the energy we get from the crowd, everybody is hootin’ and hollerin’ and clappin’ and stompin’ and goin’ on,” says band member Darren McMullen. “We want our shows to be more where we’re all just having a party together.”

For the holiday show Coig has added many beautiful Christmas standards to their playlist, giving each the special Cape Breton touch.

In addition to Christmas favorites, they’ll be performing material from their new release, “Rove,” which has recently been recognized with a 2018 East Coast Music Award, 2017 Canadian Folk Music Award, and Music Nova Scotia Award nomination.

Tickets are $15. Advance tickets can be purchased at the Rialto Theatre, 80 Main St., Lancaster and Fiddleheads, 110 Main St., Colebrook, or online at www.gnwca.org. For more information on this and other GNWCA show, call (603) 237-9302 or (603) 246-8998.