Opening Act: Brontae Hunter
Desboro Music Hall 2017 Concert Series
All Ages Doors Open: 7pm, Music Starts: 7:30pm
Tickets: Advance: $20 ($17.70 +HST), Regular: $25 ($22.12 +HST)
*Advance tickets are only available up to the Box Office hours the weekend before the show or we run out (Note: there is a limit of 25 advance price tickets)
James Hill & Anne Janelle
Four strings and a favourite chocolate bar: that’s all James Hill – “possibly the best ukulele player in the world” (Waikato Times) – and Anne Janelle – “a cellist of true beauty” (Ottawa Citizen) – had in common when they first met. It was more than enough. Today, they’re an award-winning, “utterly world-class” singer-songwriter-ukulele-cello duo (Paul Symes, The Blacksheep Inn). It’s true: opposites attract. James grew up playing folk, jazz and blues on his ukulele while Anne was exclusively a classical cellist. But the pair’s differences quickly became their biggest asset. The uke is high, the cello is low; the uke plays short notes, the cello long bow strokes; the uke is all about strumming while the cello radiates melody. Like shadows and light in an old photograph, these contrasts are complementary. “We’re like a pair of dancers who can’t step on each other’s feet,” jokes James. Flash back to 2008. Anne was working on her Master’s degree in cello performance at the University of Ottawa while James was wowing crowds with his ukulele wizardry at festivals across North America, on a mission “to prove beyond the shadow of a doubt that in the right hands the uke can be a formidable axe” (Ann Arbor News). And then, one email changed the course of their musical lives. James and Anne were selected to record a track for a compilation album called Classical Ukulele for release in Japan. “If it weren’t for that recording project,” confides Anne, “I don’t think we ever would have started playing together. It just wouldn’t have occurred to us.” Often the most obvious thing is the thing that’s most easily overlooked. “We chose Schubert’s Ave Maria and arranged it for ukulele and cello. We recorded it in a tiny practise cubicle at the university!” The result? “Absolutely brilliant” (The Folk Diary). Naturally the next step was to release a duo album and, so, True Love Don’t Weep was born. The album garnered a Canadian Folk Music Award for Best Traditional Album of the Year in 2009. A mixture of traditional tunes with “fresh vitality” (Country Music People) and, for the first time, original songs, True Love Don’t Weep showcased the duo’s ability “to capture the soul of a song.” (Folk World). By this time, Anne had completed her degree and the pair were performing regularly, bringing their “instinctive musical interaction and contagious enthusiasm” (Ottawa Citizen) to audiences across five continents. Since True Love Don’t Weep, James and Anne have each released two solo albums each (James’ Man with a Love Song and The Old Silo; Anne’s Beauty Remains and So Long at the Fair) and toured in over 15 countries, making their mark not only as accomplished instrumentalists but also as some of the finest songwriters of their generation. 2016 marks the return of the duo in full force. “We walked our separate musical paths for a while, but I think we both came to realize, each in our own way, that the duo is our strongest musical offering. There is passion, there is diversity, there are many levels with which an audience can engage with our music when it’s not one or the other but both of us.” reveals Anne. Together, James and Anne craft a sound that is intricate, enchanting and engaging: “a crystal clear sound filled with warmth” (Bob Mersereau, CBC). In concert, James is “a dazzling performer with a genial, low-key sense of humour” (Edmonton Journal) and Anne brings her “gorgeous syrupy voice” (Acoustic Magazine) to songs that are “inventive, entertaining, beautifully written and brilliantly performed” (R2 Magazine). In short, a night out with James Hill & Anne Janelle is “the perfect evening of tunes, stories and musical virtuosity” (Wellington Dominion-Post).
James & Anne Website
James & Anne Facebook
James & Anne Twitter
James and Anne Photos by Ed Boulter Photography
Brontae Hunter
Brontae Hunter is a performing artist who currently lives in Stratford, Ontario. Although she concentrates on acting, she is passionate about the live arts and what they bring to our quickly evolving culture. Previous projects she is most proud of include directing Innocence Lost: a play about Steven Truscott, producing and performing in The Women of Broadway and Beyond in Stratford’s factory 163, playing at Summerfolk along with the youth discoveries, and curating the performance collective For Our Stolen Sisters to raise funds and awareness for the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Woman crisis. In the fall, she plans to attend a conservatory style acting program. She looks forward to pursuing a career, in hopes of enriching the lives of others and starting important conversations through the medium of the performing arts. Check out her video and an original song on Facebook
We welcome the Harmony B’s for our Canada Day Celebration at Desboro Music Hall. It all happens between the Strawberry Supper and the Fireworks. PWYC (Pay What You Can). We’ll have lots happening:
~ Join us for a little Open Mic between sets from 7 – 8pm, 8:30 – 9:00pm-ish, 9:30 – 10pm-ish. We’ll have a guitar and piano. You bring your singing voice and songs or whatever you want to perform. Please sign up when you arrive.
~ The Harmony B’s play at 8pm & 9pm and the dance floor will be open.
~ Our Concession Stand will be open for snacks and drinks.
HAPPY 150th CANADA!
Please join us for a Winter Chamber Music Concert. We have always thought the acoustics in the Hall would be perfect for a small quartet. Interro Quartet is a string quartet featuring violin, viola and cello.
Interro Quartet combines passionate performances with a curiosity to explore new sounds and venues in chamber music. The group’s repertoire includes works of classical music giants, as well as new compositions by emerging and established Canadian composers. Featuring award-winning graduates of University of Toronto, the Interro Quartet includes violinists Adam Despinic and Steve Koh, violist Maxime Despax, and cellist Sebastian Ostertag.
The mission of the Interro Quartet is not only to make quartet music accessible to those who seek it but also to broaden the spectrum of audiences through diverse programming. To complement this mission, members of the Interro Quartet are also avid educators and clinicians, dedicated to supporting education programs that encourage new ways for artists and listeners to share, experience, and incorporate chamber music into their daily lives.
Interro Quartet Website
Interro Quartet Facebook
Interro Quartet Instagram
Individual bios:
Adam Despinic, violin
Steve Koh, violin
Maxime Despax, viola
Sebastian Ostertag, cello
Private Rental
![Harmony B's and Friends: A Tribute to the Batterman Orchestra @ Desboro Music Hall](https://desboromusichall.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/81850014-300x155.jpg)
Harmony B’s and Friends
A Tribute to the Batterman Orchestra
Come join us for an afternoon of storytelling and music and learn the history of the Batterman Orchestra and Harmony B’s.
RSVP ONLY. There will be no tickets at the door.
Limit 100 people.
Pay What You Can at the door
Doors Open 2pm, Music at 2:30pm
Join us in between the Strawberry Supper and the Fireworks for a PWYC concert (suggested donation of $20) with Paul J McInnis. You may remember him from our very first Season at the Desboro Music Hall. Come enjoy some music from 7:30 – 9pm at the Hall.
BIO
If he were alive 100 years ago, Paul J McInnis would have been found strumming on a street corner, singing his songs about roads, girls, and small towns. His closest friends would have been pickers, singers, poets and painters. He would have enjoyed a simple life surrounded by the things he loved. Today, 100 years later, not much is different. If you look for him, Paul can be found strumming on a street corner in some small town, singing songs about roads, girls, and the things he loves. He may slip into his local pub on the way home for a pint with some old friends. It`s a simple life. Paul J McInnis’ music is his own. It is literate, joyful, melancholy, and timeless. He prefers to play in the moment; recording live off the floor with open mics and no overdubs. Mistakes happen, he’ll say, but so does magic. The resulting albums are collections of some of those magical mistakes, all written and arranged by Paul and performed beautifully with some of his closest friends on mandolin, harmonica, accordion, cello or whatever instrument is close by. It is what Paul believes music should be: simple and real.
To remind you of his music, here is the video clip of Paul’s last visit to Desboro Music Hall:
Opening Act: David Stone
Desboro Music Hall 2018 Concert Series
All Ages
Doors Open: 7pm, Music Starts: 7:30pm
Tickets:Regular: $25
CITIZEN JANE
DYNAMIC CHAMBER FOLK-POP DUO, CITIZEN JANE, PUSHES BOUNDARIES FOR STRING INSTRUMENTS IN POPULAR MUSIC.
CITIZEN JANE is a Canadian folk-pop duo that lovingly crafts songs about our society’s potential to evolve in the current political climate (though the occasional love song is inevitable). Percussive and lyrical bowed strings marry with rhythmically driven guitar and powerful, interwoven vocal harmonies to create a sound that is two parts daydream; one part grunge.
The duo’s upcoming album, High Tide (June 2019), infuses their organic folk sound with subtle electronic flavours, colouring traditional influences with a contemporary pop aesthetic.
Hailed a “delight” by Folk Radio UK, Reenie and Lea spark a uniquely intimate connection with all audiences, and love including layered sing-alongs in their live performances.
Their debut album, In the Storm, was released in the fall of 2017, to exciting reviews:”exquisitely performed… an accomplished chamber folk-pop album of grace and elegance”
– Folk Radio UK
“diverse and multifaceted”
– Curve Magazine
“In the Storm illustrates an effortless take on folk-style music. Their honest poetry and musicianship… makes for brilliant artistry.”
– Permanent Rain Press
The duo consists of married couple Reenie Perkovic (vocals, guitar, mandolin) and Lea Kirstein (viola, cello, vocals), who met while studying classical music on the west coast. The ladies have since made a home in Toronto’s vibrant music scene, while continually touring across Canada and the States, with upcoming tours in Europe.
Reenie grew up in the Toronto area, after her family escaped the civil war in her birthplace, Sarajevo, Bosnia. She went west to study percussion and composition at UVic, where she wrote contemporary classical works that were read by the Victoria Symphony. While studying, she continued to play guitar and lead pop bands, touring locally and playing festivals. Reenie was a semi-finalist in the 2016 UK Songwriting Contest, and has released 3 solo albums. She has opened for Juno-nominated Alysha Brilla, and Annabelle Chvostek (Wailin’ Jennys).
Lea is an acclaimed violist and fiddler, who grew up in Victoria, BC, where she studied viola and music education at UVic. Classical musician by day and fiddler by night, Lea discovered new ways of melding the two styles into one. Her passion for these genres took her across Canada & the U.S. with the Folk Arts Quartet. She has recorded with Juno-nominated artists Oliver Schroer and Teresa Doyle.
The duo is passionate about building community & education, and frequently offers workshops at schools, camps, and festivals.
Citizen Jane Website
Citizen Jane Facebook
Citizen Jane Twitter
Citizen Jane Instagram
DAVID STONE
David Stone is a Canadian singer/songwriter and musician, born and raised on the shores of Georgian Bay, Ontario.
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“David Stone’s songs are carefully written and could easily stand alone as poetry. The fact that he can accompany them with strong melodies that lend themselves to sing-alongs, a voice just this side of gravelly, and delicate guitar work when the occasion calls for it makes Stone a quadruple-threat.” – Rachel Cholst (Adobe and Teardrops).
Main Act: The Unseen Strangers
Opening Act: David Lum
Desboro Music Hall 2020 Concert Series
All Ages
Doors Open: 6:30pm, Music Starts: 7:30pm
Tickets:Regular: $25
THE UNSEEN STRANGERS
The Unseen Strangers have ambitiously cultivated a musical identity shaped by good old-fashioned bluegrass, the limitless barrage of contemporary musical influences, and a curious sense of humor.
Newgrass ambassadors, The Unseen Strangers favor innovation over convention. For their newest album, Stranger Places (April 1st, 2016), the band challenged the limits of what they are capable of, exploring the gamut of what can be done with strings. The result is a collection of fun, stunning songs featuring inimitable instrumental performances.
The seven-part instrumental kick off “Ice Jam” launches the listener on an expansive journey through nine original songs, including the three-piece horn section funkiness of “Old City Jail” and the psychedelic newgrass epic “Square Trance”. The Strangers also pay homage to their bluegrass roots on “Wicked Lover” and the freight train inspired barnburner “New Railroad Blues”.
For Stranger Places, the band simplified their approach to the studio with quick, concise live off the floor sessions. The band teamed up with Toronto, ON based engineer and producer Andrew Collins (Creaking Tree String Quartet; Foggy Hogtown Boys), recording the album over several months in 2015.
The band was started in 2008 by Adam Shier, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and driving force behind The Unseen Strangers. Adam fell in love with the sound of Bluegrass while attending college in Halifax and was soon recruiting his best friends to be in a Bluegrass band. The band quickly recorded an album and were excited to win a Music Nova Scotia Award in 2009 for Bluegrass/Country Album of the Year. The group has grown immensely from these small beginnings but a similar goal remains, to play new energetic bluegrass music with respect to the incredible lineage of its tradition.
The Strangers approach to bluegrass is open-ended yet inclusive; they’ve been on the roster for several forward thinking festivals, including Delfest (hosted by bluegrass legend Del Mccoury), where they won the band competition in 2013. The Unseen Strangers continue to add to their diverse festival resume while consistently developing their sound both onstage and in the studio.
“They have music that engages all the senses and leaves listeners longing for more.”
~ Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine
“Stellar mandolin, guitar and banjo shredding that sounds straight out of Tennessee”
~ Exclaim! – ON, CANADA
“These guys are good”
~ CBC Radio –
“The Unseen Strangers aren’t pretending to be cowboys. They’ll interrupt themselves for an instrumental breakdown of I Like To Move It…”
~ The Globe and Mail – ON, CANADA
“Unseen Strangers pushes the limits of stringed jam-band wildness to new heights. ”
~ The Aquarian – NJ, USA
“The expressiveness heard in their lovely ensemble brings a natural quality to their sound, forming a honest and genuine relationship with the listener.”
~ KAOS Radio – WA, USA
“At their most creative, the music is nearly irresistible, leaving you wondering what’s next and always coming through with a new turn to relish.”
~ Grayowl Point
“Interesting Music”
~ Pete Wernick – “Dr. Banjo”, Hot Rize
“Bluegrass Band Competition Winners 2013”
~ Delfest – MD, USA
“Country/Bluegrass Song of the Year 2012”
~ International Acoustic Music Awards
DAVID LUM
Born and raised in Vancouver, David made his way across Canada, spent a decade in Winnipeg before settling in Hamilton. Infusing a blend of contemporary folk and roots, his influences include renowned Canadian singer/songwriters such as Bruce Cockburn and James Keelaghan, as well as American blues artist Keb ‘Mo and folk-rock duo The Indigo Girls.
His songs are as varied as the landscapes he has travelled through, and his versatile guitar style traverses folk, blues, pop and everything else in between. His intimate voice will draw you into his world, filled with tales of quiet desperation, longing and triumph of the human spirit.
![Jesse Corrigan & The Neustadt Sound with JD Crosstown @ Desboro Music Hall](https://desboromusichall.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/meta-eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ.jpg-200x300.webp)
Summer just isn’t summer without a night full of country music! If you’re in need of some sweet, sweltering fiddle, high & lonesome harmonies and twangin telecasters you’re in the right spot. Two singersongwriters backed by two awesomebands bring you two amazing sets of home grown, soul stirring music.
Doors open at 7 and music gets going around 7:30!
A little about the artists:
J.D. Crosstown is a Canadian Folk Singer who’s passion is in telling stories with his own words. Ones that captures the poignancy of a time and a place, of heartbreak, loss, hope, love, adventure and friendship.
Heavily inspired by the stories embedded in traditional folk, country, and blues songs, Crosstown has developed his own unique style that reflects all of these genres. From country waltzes to finger-styled blues, Crosstown always keeps people guessing on what he’ll play next.
Having many hopes and aspirations, Crosstown’s main concern is that his songs can give people a place to lean back on for a moment or two.
Jesse Corrigan:
That’s right, folks, if you’re looking for something simple, honest and pure, you’ve come to the right place. Jesse Corrigan is the real deal: no pretense, no posturing, no claims of transcendental artistry here. It’s just simply good music. Together with some of the hottest country players in southern Ontario, Corrigan puts on a show full of harmony-heavy heartbreak ballads, narrative filled songs of adventure, and telecaster fueled foot-to-the-floor barnburners.
**Please Note: Tickets are available through Jesse Corrigan or the above ticket link at Eventbrite, not our website***
Tickets are $25 online and $30 at the door