Mar 11, 2015


by Martina Field

The Blue Skies Community Fiddle Orchestra has a lot to be excited about these days. The entire orchestra is going on a trip out to PEI this July.

The purpose of the trip is to learn new fiddling techniques and to immerse ourselves in the culture of PEI, as well as to share music from our area. The group hopes to perform at the Rollo Bay Fiddle Festival and to participate in workshops of fiddle, guitar, song and step-dance.

We've been fund-raising for this trip for almost a year because even though some of us can afford to pay for the cost of the trip, others cannot. And we want all of us to have the opportunity to go on this musical adventure. So we are launching a kickstarter campaign, our biggest fundraising project ever, on March 21st, at a show of local music at the Crossing Pub in Sharbot Lake. We are very happy that three bands will be donating their time to play.

Sympathy Ghost will open the night with their own brand of original Americana-style music. They are Dan Keeler and Kate Turner from Arden. They write songs about love, loss and life, channeling the melancholy of Appalachian folk and are currently working on their first full length album.

Next up is Trxtrmusic who are Jerrard and Diana Smith, newish immigrants to Tay Valley Township from Guelph via Peterborough. Diana and Jerrard play a good mix of rootsy country tunes, some blues, a bit of reggae and even a standard or two. Jerrard plays guitar, mandolin and viola and Diana accompanies with beautiful vocal harmonies.

The popular hometown band, The Feral Five, will play last with a wide variety of mostly rock'n' roll tunes that range from the 1950s to present day. They are sure to get your toes tapping, if they don't get you right up onto the dance floor. The Feral Five include Jim MacPherson, Terry Reynolds and Dennis Larocque on guitar, Gary Giller on bass and Dave Limber on drums.

The music starts at 8 p.m. and tickets are $20, available from Kate Turner 613-305-4385 and Karin Reynolds (613) 279-2114 or contact any orchestra member. The Sharbot Lake Country Inn and The Crossing will have a limited menu available for dinner before the show. Please call them at (613) 279-2198 for information and to reserve.

We've also made a cookbook with recipes from orchestra members, which will be available on the night of the show, or at the Sharbot Lake Pharmacy, The Frontenac News, and Homing Instinct in Perth. They cost $15.

Please watch for the campaign launch on kickstarter.com/canada on March 21 and help us to circulate the project until April 30.

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