NEWS RELEASE
COULSON CONCERTS
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The Coulson Concerts are back this year with an exciting lineup of Canadian musical artists.
This folk and roots series is presented in a quaint historic church in Oro-Medonte, located in the hamlet of Coulson at 301 Horseshoe Valley Rd. W., and hosted by local singer-songwriter Anne Walker.
The venue: This little white church has stood watch at the top of Coulson hill on the Horseshoe Valley Road for over 140 years. The church, built in 1881, was closed as a place of worship in the 1960s and recently restored preserving many original features, including an ornate Victorian tin ceiling, pews, plank flooring, a cast-iron and nickel-plated stove, and the original pulpit. Coulson Church provides an enchanting setting in which to enjoy authentic Canadian music.
Information and tickets available at annewalker.ca/the-coulson-concerts.
Concert calendar (detailed descriptions below)
Sunday, April 28 (2 p.m.), Emily Jean Flack
Sunday, May 26 (2 p.m.), Jowi Taylor with Six String Nation
Sunday, June 23 (2 p.m.), Tannis Slimmon and Lewis Melville
Sunday, July 28 (2 p.m.), Wendell Ferguson
Sunday, Aug. 25 (2 p.m.), Anne Walker
Sunday, Sept. 29 (2 p.m.), Blair Packham
Sunday, April 28 (2 p.m.), Emily Jean Flack
Emily Jean Flack’s artistic journey defies convention, marked by her bold fusion of traditional Celtic elements with modern sounds. Her live performance is dynamic, seamlessly blending original songs with traditional Celtic instrumentals and the percussive magic of step dancing. Emily’s voice has an undeniable quality that carries a raw and emotive power resonating deeply with listeners as she crafts a spellbinding experience that leaves audiences captivated.
Emily’s foray into the world of music started at home with her mother, Denise, the principal singer of the group Leahy. Gifted with a natural ability to sing and dance, Emily followed her desire for music and has become a unique and dynamic artist in her own right. She has performed at Summerfolk, Goderich Celtic Roots Festival, Ottawa Bluesfest, and has toured extensively throughout the U.K. and Europe.
Sunday, May 26 (2 p.m.), Six String Nation with Jowi Taylor
Jowi Taylor is a multiple-award-winning writer, broadcaster, consultant and cultural entrepreneur. Six String Nation, conceived in 1995, took 11 years to bring to life and is centred around a single acoustic guitar nicknamed Voyageur. This unique instrument has been crafted from 64 pieces of wood, bone, metal, stone and horn, representing a variety of cultures, communities, characters and events from every province and territory of Canada. The project combines music, media, community engagement, and the dynamics of Canadian history and multicultural identity.
Six String Nation is a multimedia presentation that is informative, entertaining, inspiring and profoundly moving for Canadians of all backgrounds. The show distills stories of Canada’s diverse cultures, communities, and characters. Jowi’s presentation goes beyond Canada’s cultural clichés, galvanizing audiences with a story that is as deeply personal as each individual in the room and as vast as the country itself. Voyageur is an object that is at once a touchstone, a talking stick and a living instrument that will be brought to life through performances by guest artists: Patti McLaughlin, Anne Walker and John Prince.
Sunday, June 23 (2 p.m.), Tannis Slimmon and Lewis Melville
With musical roots firmly planted in the soil of the Canadian Prairies and a passion for lyrical vocal harmonies, Tannis Slimmon has been singing, songwriting, recording and touring for over 35 years. She has three solo albums and numerous guest vocal appearances on others, including those by Willie P. Bennett, Valdy, David Francey and Rheostatics. In fact, her name appears in the credits of over 100 recordings. Through the years, Tannis Slimmon has been involved in The Bird Sisters, The Lucky Sisters, Boreal, Ondine Chorus, Essentia and has been described as “a breathtaking vocalist with a bright and angelic disposition.”
Lewis Melville is a Guelph, Ont., composer, producer, recording artist, and multi-instrumentalist (guitars, banjo, pedal steel, mandolin). His musical adventures have taken him across Canada, North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa with Canadian bands Skydiggers, Rheostatics, and others. His playing can be heard on scores of albums by other artists including the multimillion-selling album, Gordon, by Barenaked Ladies.
Sunday, July 28 (2 p.m.), Wendell Ferguson
Wendell Ferguson won the Canadian Country Music Association’s Guitar Player of the Year Award so many times (seven) that he is no longer eligible to receive the honour.
From the first time that he heard Chet Atkins’s recording of Mister Sandman, he was hooked, and only one thing ever held his interest — the guitar. He’d already been taking lessons for three years when The Beatles came on the scene and he was soon hard at work lifting their licks, along with Ventures, the Stones, Les Paul and, of course, the aforementioned Mr. Atkins.
Years of touring, radio and television appearances and recording with some of the biggest names such as Shania Twain, The Wilkinsons, The Dixie Chicks, Chely Wright, Deana Carter, Gary Allen, Patty Loveless, Tracy Byrd, Gordon Lightfoot, Sylvia Tyson along with many more have given Wendell’s songwriting a unique perspective.
Sunday, Aug. 25 (2 p.m.), Anne Walker
A haunting voice that is strong, clear and expressive. Well-crafted songs that range from deeply moving to downright funny. This is singer-songwriter Anne Walker. A gifted storyteller, her songs have a timeless quality that draws the listener in. Anne’s rich voice lends itself well to the variety of her material — a pleasing blend of folk, country, ballads and blues. And humour. A powerful voice delivering beautiful songs, she will engage your heart strings and your sense of humour. Raised on a small farm in Ontario, Anne’s rural roots are evident in the beauty of her music and the quiet strength of her words.
Sunday, Sept. 29 (2 p.m.), Blair Packham
In pursuit of the perfect song, Blair Packham is usually up to something cool. Influenced by everyone from Elvis Costello to John Prine, Blair Packham long ago found his own voice as a writer, and loves sharing his songs — and some laughs — with audiences everywhere. First and foremost, Blair is a storyteller. The Toronto-based performer’s songs themselves are stories of joy, triumph, heartbreak and loss; in between songs, Blair reliably adds something funny or quirky to the narrative.
Blair has been writing songs for over 40 years. For the past 15 years, he has taught songwriting at Toronto’s Seneca College, and via SongStudio, his annual songwriting workshop. Blair’s band, The Jitters, crossed Canada countless times in the 1980s, headlining, and opening shows for legends like The Kinks, Heart, Huey Lewis and the News, The Beach Boys, or sharing stages with Blue Rodeo, Gowan, and the Northern Pikes.
More recently, Blair has placed songs in TV and film soundtracks, such as Dawson’s Creek, Beyblade, Spliced and many more. Zombie Town, the 2023 feature film starring Dan Aykroyd and Chevy Chase, showcases Blair’s song, Lucky Me.
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