Feature Article July 31, 2002
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The Searson family band in Cloyneby Jeff GreenWhile most families begin to loosen their ties as the children go off to University, the Searsons of Eganville have found a way to stay together. Throughout the school year, they come together each weekend to perform, and in the summers they are together continuously, making music for appreciative audiences throughout Ontario and Quebec.Searson is made up of father Mike Searson, daughters Colleen, Erin, and Heather Searson, and family friend Jamie Gardner. Last Friday evening, they were scheduled to play a concert at the amphitheatre at Bon Echo Park near Cloyne, but rain late in the afternoon forced the concert to be moved to the auditorium of the North Addington Education Centre. While a crowd in excess of three hundred filled the auditorium, the Friends of Bon Echo, who sponsored the event, had expected a much larger crowd in the park Nonetheless Searson provided a fast-paced show to the delight of the audience. Two of the young women, Colleen Searson and Jamie Gardner, took turns playing lead fiddle, while Erin, Heather, and Mike Searson played piano, bass, and guitar respectively. They played a range of material, from Celtic-inspired pop music to more rocky tunes, all with confidence and considerable speed. The guitar and bass kept things moving, and the fiddlers traded licks effortlessly throughout the 90 minute concert. All four of the women took turns step dancing on some of the numbers, sometimes three at a time.
Searson has been performing for the past seven years, and recently put out a CD of original tunes produced in conjunction with Bobby Lalonde. Their music has matured considerably as the daughters have entered their late teens and early 20s. The concert was the first evening concert presented by the Friends of Bon Echo during their annual art sale, and Friends director Derek Maggs said he was encouraged by the amount of local support shown for the event. The concert had only a one dollar admission charge, so it was impossible to break even in the auditorium. Maggs said, we now realise we could charge two or three dollars and not hinder people from attending." Searson put on a show that was worth considerably more than one dollar to see.