John Allen
For the Bulletin
Last Saturday, another Homegrown Music evening was presented in the Centre 64 theatre, MC’d by Don Davies.
Connor Foote led off with the Hank William’s tune “I’ll Never Get Out of This World Alive”, followed by his own “White Man’s Blues Song”, a country style “Sawmill Blues” and “Table for One”. Asked to play another, he gave us “I Met my Wife at the Family Reunion”, ‘a song I shouldn’t do at family reunions’.
Next were the largest group of the evening. Fraser Armstrong appeared with his wonderful young students, called “The Singing Raindrops” (this week). Singers were Jasmine Brenton, Sonja Roderman and Sienna Fooks, accompanied by Leith Olafson and Brynlee Cowden and Fraser on guitars. First was Imagine Dragons’ “Where My Demons Hide”, then a song written by Brimley “I Know Plenty of People”. They finished up big with “Riptide” by Vance Joy which fittingly includes “I love you when you’re singing that song”.
Arne Sahlen appeared with a large birthday card to be signed for Byron Olsen’s 80th birthday; Byron was the Architect for the 1991 addition to Centre 64. Arne, on piano (right side up!) started with a piece written for Byron titled “The Glass Menagerie”. Three tunes followed: “Red Sails in the Sunset” (1945), “If I Loved you” from Carousel and one for his 97 year old mother (‘She is very positive about everything.’), “Little Old Lady” by Hoagy Carmichael (Little old lady passing by, catching everybody’s eye.) By popular demand, he ended with a Mozart piece ‘on his Bach’.
Next was Sugar Moon, Linda Betcher from Kimberley, Frankie Reeke, Toni Wilhite on drums, Valerie Hillstrom, Bill Betcher, Brenda Harris from Cranbrook with four popular 50’s tunes (complete with girlie chorus) “Bye Bye Love”, “Day is Done” (Take my hand my son), “To Know Him is to Love Him” and “Don’t Leave Me in Misery”. Well done; they took quite a few of the audience back to their teenage years.
A delicious and friendly intermission followed.
Kimberley’s resident poet, Ken Johnston, led off the second half with his newly written Christmas Poem “God Bless Families, God Bless You All”.
Sage Grass, the Cleland family group of Bill, Judy, Jason and Justin, gave us “Poncho and Lefty”, The Tennessee Waltz”, a 1969 Bob Dylan sad song “One More Night” (from his country music album “Nashville Skyline”) and finished with a Hot Rize bluegrass tune.
Sam Hornberger and Larry Tuck (taking a break from The Troubadors), guitars and vocals, gave us three very smooth tunes “Cool Water” by The Sons of The Pioneers, Randy Travis’ “On The Other Hand” and the Everley Brothers’ “All I have to do is Dream”.
Singer Shawna Plant and singer, songwriter and guitar player Ian Jones finished off the evening with “Lately I’ve Been Missing You”, and two of Ian’s songs, “The Runaround”, about a breakup (his), and “It’s a Long Road” (to get back home).
Don Davies ended the very enjoyable evening by thanking all the performers, the audience, Michelle (sound), Terry (lights, Lorna and Suzanne (gate and refreshments) and the driving force behind every Homegrown evening Carol Fergus, who even bakes all the goodies!
The next Homegrown Music Evening will be Saturday January 16. We all look forward to another very enjoyable evening of music and laughter.