Fiber artist, felt maker and designer Zoë Emily Lianga's show at the MERA school house opened with a well-attended vernissage on February 5, and those who have an interest in felt will be fascinated by the diverse work of this talented artist.

The show, titled “Zoë Emily”, includes a wide assortment of felt wall hangings, wearable clothing and functional and decorative objects, all created with Lianga's keen eye for design, function and pure aesthetics.

Lianga grew up in Brooke Valley and now lives and works from her studio in Perth. Surprisingly she has only been felting for the last three years. A former student of fashion design who specialized in sewing, pattern making and haute couture, she learned the art of felting while on a trip to New Zealand. At a chance gallery stop she fell in love with the work of felt artist Raewyn Penrose, who happily shared her felt-making knowledge with Lianga.

When Lianga returned to Canada she decided to go “all in” with felt and has since dedicated her life to it. “Being able now to build my own fabrics from fibers is just so exciting and it’s opened up this whole new world where I can combine my pattern-making skills with my felt-making and create my designs from the ground up,” she said.

Her wearable art includes shawls, cowls, vests, and coats, some of which are so amazingly intricate and soft to the touch (the cowls especially) that they seem magically spun from mother of pearl. It's as though the pearly and opalescent surface of shells were whipped up in some kind of cotton-candy-like spinning machine and spun into a magically soft and shiny fiber.

Lianga creates these fabrics from scratch through a process called wet felting. She starts with the finest and softest of wools, including merino from New Zealand, alpaca sourced locally and from Peru, camel from China and yak from Nepal, all obtained from highly reputable sellers. Into these she mixes raw silk and other plant-based fibers. She begins each piece with raw wool that has been washed and carded. She next breaks it up into small individual wisps and lays them out into fine uniform sheets, building up the thickness of the layers. Her thinner cowls require just two layers whereas her heavier garments are comprised of five. The final layer is where the art happens. Lianga designs the top surface with patterns and shapes in colorful blends, then soap and water are applied to the piece, which is “worked over”, meaning it is vigorously rubbed, rolled and kneaded until all the fibers interlock, resulting in a single uniform piece.

Lianga's surfaces are exquisite. Her designs, mostly abstracts, harken back to her love of mathematics but some are more image-based and one cowl seems to depict a silhouetted tree landscape.

The colors are subtle and rich, with the silk adding that intrinsic shimmer, allowing the hues to change depending on the degree of reflected light or shade. Also of note are her felted flowers, which she makes in many varieties. The petals she treats as a painter might, with each changing in color from base to tip and with tiny felted balls hanging from the thin individual stamens.

Equally appealing are her functional felted and quilted bags, soft ovoid-like forms that are happily free standing and whose colors and patterning are well considered, creating a functional object that begs as much to be used as it does to be seen. Her large pillows are also dazzling; one catches the eye with its swirling blue and orange bulls-eye pattern. The show included a number of impressive large felted wall hangings that show that Lianga has an inherent sense of composition and aesthetic abilities. Her “Triangles” combines thin lines and bigger swathes of triangular-shaped forms that hang together in a perfectly balanced and yet tense composition. Some of her newer works lie in these larger hung pieces, like the triptych titled “ The Trio of Profiles”, which is comprised of three smaller quilted pieces in subtler shades, showing various silhouetted human forms. The first has one alone; the second two together; and the third has many. This new work has Lianga exploring a new technique, pre-felting, which is a two-step process. The imagery suggests that she seems to be moving away from geometric patterns and towards recognizable stylized imagery that tells a personal story.

The show runs until the end of February and is open to the public on Wednesdays from1-4pm and Thursdays from 11 am-2:30 pm. The MERA Schoolhouse is located at 974 Concession Road 9A in McDonalds Corners. For more information visit www.zoeemily.ca

Fiber artist, felt maker and designer Zoë Emily Lianga's show at the MERA school house opened with a well-attended vernissage on February 5, and those who have an interest in felt will be fascinated by the diverse work of this talented artist.

The show, titled “Zoë Emily”, includes a wide assortment of felt wall hangings, wearable clothing and functional and decorative objects, all created with Lianga's keen eye for design, function and pure aesthetics.

Lianga grew up in Brooke Valley and now lives and works from her studio in Perth. Surprisingly she has only been felting for the last three years. A former student of fashion design who specialized in sewing, pattern making and haute couture, she learned the art of felting while on a trip to New Zealand. Specifically, it was at a chance gallery stop that she fell in love with the work of felt artist Raewyn Penrose, who happily shared her felt-making knowledge with Lianga.

When Lianga returned to Canada she decided to go “all in” with felt and has since dedicated her life to it. “Being able now to build my own fabrics from fibers is just so exciting and it’s opened up this whole new world where I can combine my pattern-making skills with my felt-making and create my designs from the ground up,” she said.

Her wearable art includes shawls, cowls, vests, and coats, some of which are so amazingly intricate and soft to the touch (the cowls especially) that they seem magically spun from mother of pearl. It's as though the pearly and opalescent surface of shells were whipped up in some kind of cotton-candy-like spinning machine and spun into a magically soft and shiny fiber.

Lianga creates these fabrics from scratch through a process called wet felting. She starts with the finest and softest of wools, including merino from New Zealand, alpaca sourced locally and from Peru, camel from China and yak from Nepal, all obtained from highly reputable sellers. Into these she mixes raw silk and other plant-based fibers. She begins each piece with raw wool that has been washed and carded. She next breaks it up into small individual wisps and lays them out into fine uniform sheets, building up the thickness of the layers. Her thinner cowls require just two layers whereas her heavier garments are comprised of five. The final layer is where the art happens. Lianga designs the top surface with patterns and shapes in colorful blends, then soap and water are applied to the piece, which is “worked over”, meaning it is vigorously rubbed, rolled and kneaded until all the fibers interlock, resulting in a single uniform piece.

Lianga's surfaces are exquisite. Her designs, mostly abstracts, harken back to her love of mathematics but some are more image-based and one cowl seems to depict a silhouetted tree landscape.

The colors are subtle and rich, with the silk adding that intrinsic shimmer, allowing the hues to change depending on the degree of reflected light or shade. Also of note are her felted flowers, which she makes in many varieties. The petals she treats as a painter might, with each changing in color from base to tip and with tiny felted balls hanging from the thin individual stamens.

Equally appealing are her functional felted and quilted bags, soft ovoid-like forms that are happily free standing and whose colors and patterning are well considered, creating a functional object that begs as much to be used as it does to be seen. Her large pillows are also dazzling; one catches the eye with its swirling blue and orange bulls-eye pattern. The show included a number of impressive large felted wall hangings that show that Lianga has an inherent sense of composition and aesthetic abilities. Her “Triangles” combines thin lines and bigger swathes of triangular-shaped forms that hang together in a perfectly balanced and yet tense composition. Some of her newer works lie in these larger hung pieces, like the triptych titled “ The Trio of Profiles”, which is comprised of three smaller quilted pieces in subtler shades, showing various silhouetted human forms. The first has one alone; the second two together; and the third has many. This new work has Lianga exploring a new technique, pre-felting, which is a two-step process. The imagery suggests that she seems to be moving away from geometric patterns and towards recognizable stylized imagery that tells a personal story.

The show runs until the end of February and is open to the public on Wednesdays from1-4pm and Thursdays from 11 am-2:30 pm. The MERA Schoolhouse is located at 974 Concession Road 9A in McDonalds Corners. For more information visit www.zoeemily.ca

Zoe Emily Lianga’s work will be on display for the month of February in Dean Hall at the MERA Schoolhouse in McDonalds Corners. There will also be an exhibit opening and vernissage on Friday, February 5 from 7 - 10pm, with refreshments. This showcase highlights the merging of her separate paths as a designer, felt maker, and fibre artist. Her work will include wall hangings and quilts, clothing, accessories, bags, and home decor.

Her wearable, felted clothing and accessories, made from luxurious fibres (such as camel, yak, merino, and silk), impart a softness that is without parallel. Each design is developed in its own characteristic way, involving a process of much precision, tactility and organic spontaneity.

Zoe’s tailored clothes are built off classic lines, sewn from original patterns and made with 100% recycled fabrics. Her background in study at the Richard Robinson Academy of Fashion Design, focusing on Pattern Making and Haute Couture Sewing, has helped her to design, draft and make her intricately tailored visions. Her creativity takes on a different form in her art pieces and wall hangings, both demonstrating her level of workmanship, plus the overall diversity of fibre arts and felt making.

Zoe has taught several wet felting workshops at the MERA Schoolhouse, where her work is on display during the entire month of February.

Come share in a fun-filled evening, and see where three years of devotion to fibre arts and felt making has taken this local fibre artist.

Those not able to travel to far-flung, sunnier climes this winter might want to take a quick trip to the MERA (McDonald's Corners/Elphin Recreation and Arts ) school house in McDonalds Corners to take in a show of photographs by Abigail Gossage titled "Memories of Mexico 1958".

Gossage, who lives in Ottawa and has a summer house in the area, has been taking photographs since she was a young child at summer camp, first with an old Teco camera. This show harkens back to photographs Gossage took in 1958 as an 18-year-old when she joined her mother on a trip to San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. Since then Gossage became a professional photographer and has been working alongside three other female photographers, who together, eight years ago formed the collective Studio 255.

Gossage, who also studied for years and recently graduated from the School of Photographic Arts Ottawa (SPAO), credits her current art curator and mentor Michael Tardioli, the director of SPAO, who encouraged her to take a second look at these early black and white photographs. Back in 1958, she didn't recognize them as particularly special. “Back then, I didn't think that these negatives were worth anything until my daughter and I started going through them and I made a small book of prints. I took them to Michael who said, ‘You have a show here.’”

Since their rediscovery Gossage has realized that even at the tender age of 18, she “had a good eye. “ The photographs were taken on a Yashica Mat camera that produces high quality 2.5 inch square negatives, which is partially what gives these images their pleasing clarity and crispness. However as a young photographer, Gossage also had the ability to intuitively hone in on the elements of formal composition without necessarily being able to articulate them. “Back then I was unaware of rules of composition and what's interesting is that now, I think that if I were put into the these same situations again, I would take the same exact same pictures. My eye, I think, has stayed the same and a lot of these photographs still really appeal to me.”

When asked to explain her style, Gossage said, “I wander and I react. I am not the kind of photographer who has specific projects in mind beforehand. Back then and still now I like to wander and discover the art in what I am seeing as I view it right then and there.”

As an example of this, one photograph in the show titled “Movie Extras”, was a scene Gossage came upon by accident where cast members were taking a break while shooting a film on the street. The scene is both relaxed yet somehow unnatural. An extra in fancy attire looks bored with his hand in pocket while the soldiers on horseback seem tense while waiting for the camera to roll. Similarly, her night time market scenes have a certain intimacy and directness, and their soft focused lighting makes them seem like immaculately designed stage sets, with their multiple layers of objects and dense amount of detail. Another photograph shows two seemingly decapitated ceramic clowns (which Gossage thinks were perhaps piñatas), sitting on stone stairs. The effect is other-worldly, and the viewer wonders what the particular significance of these heads may have been. The piece perhaps demonstrates how when certain customs and cultures of other places are taken out of context the result can be eerie and strange.

Composition comes easily to Gossage, who said that these pictures were not cropped but were printed as is, from the original negatives, making them truthful to what her young eye saw. The photographs are all printed in the same square format on 20” by 20” cotton rag paper, which makes the show hang together nicely as a unit though the subject matter is diverse.

The show attracted many locals, some of whom have visited Mexico, and Gossage easily engaged with them in conversations about the changes that have taken place in San Miguel since her first visit there. “It is now a lot more busy, full of cars and so many more tourists but behind all of that, the buildings and the scenery have not changed.” Gossage is currently working on a show that will open on March 17 at the Trinity Gallery at the Shenkman Centre in Ottawa. The working title for the show is “Disused Spaces” and the photographs will include photographs of abandoned commercial manufacturing sites no longer in use. The show will include photographs taken at the Howard Smith Paper Mill in Beauharnois, Quebec, Domtar in Gatineau, and the Babcock factory in St. Henri, Montreal. To see more work by this artist visit her website abigailgossage.ca

On Sat. November 28 MERA is the place to be for shoppers looking for unique holiday gifts created by a host of local artisans.
The annual juried show will take place at MERA from 10am - 4pm. The fair is the ideal place to shop locally and support local artists and artisans as well as supporting Community Arts at MERA in McDonalds Corners in your community.
This popular, juried show features vendors of original one-of-a-kind creations that you won’t find anywhere else: hand weaving by the MERA weavers and Heather Sherratt, fibre arts items, organic Chocolate by Ludwig, Strawberry Cottage beeswax
candles and natural soaps, salves, jewelry, felted creations, jams and jellies, gift bag raffle, home baking, a café, hand painted Christmas cards and much more.

Two historic legacy projects for gift giving at MERA Kay Rogers editor, author and member of the 200th Anniversary working group for the Tay Valley Township, is also affiliated with the joint working group of the four municipalities that make up the Perth Military Settlement. She will be selling copies of two historic legacy projects that are helping to celebrate Lanark County's upcoming 200 year anniversary in 2016. In partnership with MERA, Kay will be selling copies of the 2016 Perth Military Settlement calendar, which is  comprised of hand coloured vintage postcards (above) that date back to the late 19th century. The calendar also includes a picture of the historic quilt created by the Lanark County Quilter's Guild, which was put together by “the Needle Pushers” at MERA.

Rogers is also selling copies of the book titled "At Home In Tay Valley", an in depth book that celebrates the people, places and
historic events of the township with over 60 local contributors. The book includes a section titled "Arduous Work" about the history of weaving in the area, which was put together by local weavers Ellen Good and Heather Sherratt. These items cost $10 and $30 respectively and will be for sale at MERA (except during the Christmas Fair) with a portion of the proceeds being donated to MERA.

Lovers of, as well as those just curious about classical music, were treated to a spectacular classical concert that opened MERA's Blue Jeans Classical Music series at the MERA Schoolhouse in McDonalds Corners on November 8.

Cellist Emily Kennedy and pianist Keenan Reimer-Watts performed a diverse repertoire. The dynamic duo, both uber-talented graduates of Wilfrid Laurier University, have been playing together for the last three years and both were in prime form.

Reimer-Watts, who is a concert pianist, teacher, composer, improviser, concert curator and chamber musician, opened with a selection of 15 of the 30 Bach short compositions from a work titled “The Inventions”, which were written as pedagogical exercises for the composer's young sons. Like everything Bach, the pieces sound deceptively simple but in reality are examples of his musical genius, profundity and pure musical beauty. Written for the purpose of demonstrating two voice inventions or counterpoint, the Inventions are delightful and Keenan played them with aplomb.

Reimer-Watts then delighted listeners with (Surprise! Surprise!) the Canadian premiere of an original work titled “Wandering Pieces”, a set of four solo and very modern sounding piano works that demonstrate his desire to explore improvisation and jazz piano. The work is new, fresh and covers a vast range of musical ground, with conflicting rhythms and themes that are sometimes repeated. Taken together they entertain and delight and show Keenan's dexterity and desire to push the musical envelope. The third movement in particular shows his openness to everyday influences, like one particular piano that inspired the old clock theme in the piece's third movement.

For the second half of the concert, Emily Kennedy and her cello were front and center, first for Debussy's Cello Sonata, which was written near the end of the composer's lifetime, after he was diagnosed with colon cancer. The sonata's musicality ranges from awkward to playful to highly exuberant. Kennedy delivered the delightful piece to great effect, and Reimer-Watts, accompanying her on piano, was with her every step of the way.

The two saved their most serious and somber sides for their final piece, Rachmaninoff's Sonata for Cello and Piano. Written by the composer as a way to show off his abilities both as a composer and a player (“one with extremely huge hands”, Reimer-Watts was quick to add) this difficult and deeply dark piece demonstrated how this accomplished young duo are not only technically adept but emotionally astute as well. The piece delves into extremely dark emotions that the composer seems to try to disentangle himself from musically, often succeeding and coming to a brighter, less foreboding realm only to be pulled down once again into the depths of darkness.

Those complex emotions were often reflected in Kennedy’s facial expressions as she played with precision, intensity and subtlety. She somehow knows what the composer felt and Reimer-Watts was equally adept.

Though the two had to face in opposite directions in the hall on account of the upright piano, a gentle leaning here and there of the head was enough to signal each other at certain necessary moments. Coming up next at MERA on Sun. November 29 is a concert by Karen Savoca at 7pm. Tickets at the door are $25. Advance tickets are $22 ($18 for MERA members) and are available from Tickets Please, Perth (Jo's Clothes), on-line at www.ticketsplease.ca or by phone at 613-485-6434. Teenagers are free of charge.

Lovers of, as well as those just curious about classical music, were treated to a spectacular classical concert that opened MERA's Blue Jeans Classical Music series at the MERA Schoolhouse in McDonalds Corners on November 8.

Cellist Emily Kennedy and pianist Keenan Reimer-Watts performed a diverse repertoire. The dynamic duo, both uber-talented graduates of Wilfrid Laurier University, have been playing together for the last three years and both were in prime form.

Reimer-Watts, who is a concert pianist, teacher, composer, improviser, concert curator and chamber musician, opened with a selection of 15 of the 30 Bach short compositions from a work titled “The Inventions”, which were written as pedagogical exercises for the composer's young sons. Like everything Bach, the pieces sound deceptively simple but in reality are examples of his musical genius, profundity and pure musical beauty. Written for the purpose of demonstrating two voice inventions or counterpoint, the Inventions are delightful and Keenan played them with aplomb.

Reimer-Watts then delighted listeners with (Surprise! Surprise!) the Canadian premiere of an original work titled “Wandering Pieces”, a set of four solo and very modern sounding piano works that demonstrate his desire to explore improvisation and jazz piano. The work is new, fresh and covers a vast range of musical ground, with conflicting rhythms and themes that are sometimes repeated. Taken together they entertain and delight and show Keenan's dexterity and desire to push the musical envelope. The third movement in particular shows his openness to everyday influences, like one particular piano that inspired the old clock theme in the piece's third movement.

For the second half of the concert, Emily Kennedy and her cello were front and center, first for Debussy's Cello Sonata, which was written near the end of the composer's lifetime, after he was diagnosed with colon cancer. The sonata's musicality ranges from awkward to playful to highly exuberant. Kennedy delivered the delightful piece to great effect, and Reimer-Watts, accompanying her on piano, was with her every step of the way.

The two saved their most serious and somber sides for their final piece, Rachmaninoff's Sonata for Cello and Piano. Written by the composer as a way to show off his abilities both as a composer and a player (“one with extremely huge hands”, Reimer-Watts was quick to add) this difficult and deeply dark piece demonstrated how this accomplished young duo are not only technically adept but emotionally astute as well. The piece delves into extremely dark emotions that the composer seems to try to disentangle himself from musically, often succeeding and coming to a brighter, less foreboding realm only to be pulled down once again into the depths of darkness.

Those complex emotions were often reflected in Kennedy’s facial expressions as she played with precision, intensity and subtlety. She somehow knows what the composer felt and Reimer-Watts was equally adept.

Though the two had to face in opposite directions in the hall on account of the upright piano, a gentle leaning here and there of the head was enough to signal each other at certain necessary moments. Coming up next at MERA on Sun. November 29 is a concert by Karen Savoca at 7pm. Tickets at the door are $25. Advance tickets are $22 ($18 for MERA members) and are available from Tickets Please, Perth (Jo's Clothes), on-line at www.ticketsplease.ca or by phone at 613-485-6434. Teenagers are free of charge.

Marg Stephenson and Jean Dunning, neither of whom have ever shown their art work officially in an art show setting, are holding their premiere joint art show at the MERA schoolhouse in McDonalds Corners. The show opened there on October 4.

Their works, mostly watercolours but also pencil and pen and ink drawings along with other mixed media works, are perfectly matched since much of their subject matter is similar and their styles are complementary. Jean Dunning starting drawing and painting seriously in retirement, while Stephenson has been doing so since she was young. Both, however, have gotten more seriously into art making in their retirement years along with their third “amigo”, Judy Cross.

Both artists often paint from photographs and Dunning prefers painting flora and landscapes, especially farms scenes since she “always wanted to be a farmer but never could”. Her pen and ink farm landscapes, like her" Feeling Sheepish" piece, which depicts two sheep in a barn yard, is done with an intricate mesh of pleasing black outlines and big chunky blocks of watercolour brown and tans to create the light on the dense coats of the sheep. The work has a light and airy picture-book feel that makes you wish you could turn a page and see more of the same. Her watercolour flowers, like one lone trillium, are bursts of pure colour, meticulously painted and possessing a freshness that is wondrous.

Stephenson has a passion for mixed media and loves to draw with pen and ink with added accents of watercolour highlights. She also loves painting landscapes, especially old structures as well as vignettes and her works, like the two winter scenes depicting freshly fallen snow clinging to trees, branches and fences are so delicate and real that it seems that if one were to blow on them, the snow would fall to the floor. Stephenson, like Dunning, loves to push the envelope and has recently delved into drawing her new grand kids. These works, which show the active play of youngsters, have a earnest and playful feel that speaks of the simple joy that children find in play.

Both artists recently began studying with the well-known Ottawa-based Crystal Beshara. It was under Beshara that these two artists began developing their own signatures styles. With their first show now under their belts, the two artists have no intention of stopping and with the further encouragement of numerous red dots appearing beside their works, they look forward to exploring portrait drawing in their upcoming classes with Beshara, which both believe will help inform their drawing.

Dunning’s advice to those who want to make art but feel they do not have the skills is: “You can do it.”

There was a definite Charlotte's Web-ian feel at this year's fall fair in McDonalds Corners, which took place on a picture-perfect day on September 26.

The old traditional-style fair, now in its 162nd year, continues to draw those looking for an agricultural based fall fair experience. This year's theme was pigs, and youngsters were thrilled to offer Piggy May, a very friendly five-year-old Vietnamese pot-bellied pig from Westwinds Ranch of Westport, a marshmallow treat.

New at the fair this year were four newborn guinea pigs that arrived just that morning, plus pony rides, donkeys and various achievement categories for members of the the local 4H club. Also new in the main display hall were the added scarecrow and doll category entries.

There were an amazing 250 plus poultry entries this year, including Lady Amhersts, silver and ring neck pheasants, Egyptian and white Chinese geese, various quails, an extensive showing of pigeons and one very pretty golden yellow pheasant. Poultry judge, Jeff Draper of Jasper Ont., who has been breeding and showing poultry for over 40 years, definitely had his work cut out for him as he perused the hundreds of cages, awarding first, second and third place ribbons as well as the overall and reserve champions of the day.

Other highlights this year included the hundreds of creative and impressive entries in the main hall, the light and heavy horse show, the kids' teddy bear contest and pet show and the many old-style games that the children had a chance to enjoy.

Sally Andrews, secretary with the McDonalds Corners Agricultural Society, who together with more than 40 other committee members and volunteers helps to put on the event, said that the fair not only promotes the local agricultural community but also puts people in touch with the community's agricultural roots.

“These days we tend to be losing touch with our agricultural roots and these truly agricultural-based fairs allow the public to get in touch with those things - the animals, the working horses and all the different types of farm animals, and all of the various kinds of chickens and other poultry that you see on a farm. And in the display hall, all of the various arts and crafts, things like canning and baking, quilting, knitting, sewing and the many other creations, some of which are unfortunately becoming lost arts.”

Andrews, who grew up on a mixed dairy/chicken farm in southern Ontario, now raises goats, rabbits, chickens, guineas hens and ducks on a local farm and she is obviously passionate about farming. She was kept very busy answering questions and handing out boxes of ribbons to the various judges but said she was looking forward to leaving her post later and taking photos of the day's events.

For animal lovers who missed the fair, coming up on Sunday, Oct. 18 at the McDonalds Corners Agricultural hall is the bird and small animal auction with entries being received from 7am-10am. Please note that all entries must be boxed with wire fronts. The bidding starts at 10am and both breakfast and lunch will be available. Sales are cash only with a 20% commission. For more information about the auction please call 613-259-3480.

The Ontario Festival of small Halls made a big splash in McDonalds Corners and Maberly last weekend, and all the rest of the concerts scheduled for Lanark and Renfrew Counties this soming weekend are sold out, including one at the ABC Hall in Bolingbroke featuring Bealoch and Tichborne fiddle whiz Jessica Wedden.

Taking its cue from similar events in Prince Edward Island and Australia, the organizers of City Folk in Ottawa sponsored a series of concert featuring nationally known roots musicians in some of the unique local halls in Eastern Ontario. In each case the major acts were paired with some of the best local musicians around.

On Saturday night (September 19) at the McDonalds Corners Agricultural Hall the Long Sault Trio (Linda Grenier – guitar- from Watson's Corners, Victor Maltby – fiddle - from Carleton Place and Dave Tilston – guitar - from Maberly) opened the show. Each of the three members of this band are songwriters, and in their show the sound varies from swing to bluegrass to celtic to all of the above. The trio has been playing together for several years and it shows in the smooth interplay they have developed and the serious speed they bring to some of their bluegrass and celtic inflected numbers. They set the stage well for Gordie MacKeeman and his Rhythm Boys.

Gordie MacKeeman has a personal website called Crazylegs.ca and it did not take long to see why.

He started off the show by tapping at break neck speed, legs flying every which way or so it seemed, and then he started playing fiddle at the same time.

The Rhythm Boys, who all come from PEI, did not fade into the background either, taking turns singing and playing lead on guitar, double bass, drums and banjo. They performed a varied mix of styles just as the Long Sault Trio had, from Bluegrass to Celtic to Rockn'roll. The dance floor was active from the start of the set, which the band appreciated, and the music never wavered in its dynamism throughout. MacKeeman has an infectious, mischievous energy, and great skill with the fiddle. There was no let up right to the end of the set.

The Festival of Small Halls concert at the Maberly Hall the next afternoon, September 20, was sold out.

It opened with The Unspoken Rests, an eight member youth ensemble made up of players aged 8-16, all members of the Blue Skies Community Fiddle Orchestra and led by Cindy McCall. McCall said she formed the group “as a way to challenge the younger students in the orchestra and give them a chance to play faster, tighter and with more harmonies in a smaller ensemble setting.” The group enchanted the audience with their a line up that opened with “Swinging on the Gate” and included the famous Ottawa Valley tune “Pig Alley Rip” and “St. Anne's Reel”. The group received a thunderous, heart felt and well deserved standing ovation following their set, which no doubt may have inspired a few listeners to answer McCall's recent advertisement for a new “absolute beginner” fiddling group, which will have a maximum of 10 players and will start up on October 21. Call Cindy at 613-278-2448 or email her at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more information.

The concert then continued with the East Pointers, the full throttle traditional PEI Celtic trio comprised of fiddle player Tim Chaisson, banjoist Koady Chaisson and guitarist Jake Charron, who also got the crowd to their feet with their rousing set, which nearly blew the roof off the Maberly hall.

The three, who are each talented players in their own right, have come together in this trio, and they demonstrated in their original tune, the title track of their new album titled “Secret Victory”, how they love to play all out. The album will be released on October 9. This tune has them slowly increasing their intensity, only to be silenced abruptly for a beat, then come right back in louder, harder and faster than before. These songs are what inspired the many listeners to jump to their feet and swing along. While the trio's all out Celtic swings and stomps are what they are likely best known for, they are also diverse in their repertoire and they nailed some more sombre and reflective tunes like the original “The Wreck of the H.M.S. Phoenix”, a sad tune based on the true story of a P.E.I. ship wreck, and their funkiest song of the show, their cover of Gotye's “Hearts a Mess”.

They also sing gorgeous harmonies together and their a capella original titled “Blainey's Laughing Eyes” was pitch perfect, seamless and perfectly weighted. Tim's virtuosic abilities on the fiddle are mesmerizing; Koady's fingers can pick out the quickest and most precise leading lines on banjo; and no matter how fast and hard the playing gets, Jake Charron can hold down the lower end and keep everyone in check with his solid rhythm guitar.

Every small community has one: a treasured building that brings people together for town meetings, yoga classes, bingo games, local theatre, white elephant sales - and the list goes on. The Ontario Festival of Small Halls is about sharing a love of music in a beloved place. Brought to you by the Team Behind Bluesfest, the Festival of Small Halls brings exceptional Canadian musicians to small venues across Eastern Ontario.

These buildings have rich cultural histories and countless stories to tell. No two are alike. During the festival, communities across Eastern Ontario will throw open the doors of their small halls for an unforgettable night of music. Some of Canada’s best musicians will step off the big stage and hit the scenic back roads to perform in legions, schools, churches, or town halls. They will receive a warm, small-town welcome from communities of music lovers who are eager to show off their treasured halls and their hospitality, all in the name of excellent music.

Small Halls festivals are popping up around the world. What started in PEI has spread to Australia, and now to Ontario. The Festival of Small Halls is proud to join this international community dedicated to showcasing first-rate music in intimate venues.

The Festival of Small Halls is about sharing big music in small, cherished places. It’s about settling into the heart of a community, and then experiencing music with heart. Advance tickets may be purchased at www.thefestivalofsmallhalls.com or see below.

• On Saturday, Sept. 19 at 7:30pm, Gordie MacKeeman and his Rhythm Boys with Long Sault Trio will perform at the McDonalds Corners Agricultural Hall. A community dinner will be provided at the hall from 5-6:30pm. The dinner will be a $15 buffet and includes dessert, tea or coffee. Show and dinner tickets are available at The Hill Store in McDonalds Corners or from Sally Andrews, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

• Sunday, Sept. 20 at 4pm, The East Pointers with The Unspoken Rests will perform at the Maberly Community Hall.

• Sunday, Sept. 27 Beòlach from Cape Breton with Jessica Wedden will perform at the ABC Hall in Bolingbroke at 3pm. Note: this concert is sold out.