Events

Opening Act: Brontae Hunter

Desboro Music Hall 2017 Concert Series

All Ages Doors Open: 7pm, Music Starts: 7:30pm

Buy Tickets

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

Brontae Hunter Facebook

Opening Act: John Muirhead

Desboro Music Hall 2018 Concert Series

All Ages Doors Open: 7pm, Music Starts: 7:30pm

Tickets:Regular: $25

DYLAN MENZIE

The fact that PEI’s Dylan Menzie his own harshest critic is simultaneously a struggle and the very trait that’s propelled him up the ranks of the Canadian music scene, and considering all he’s accomplished in a relatively short amount of time, it’s clear that stagnation just isn’t his strong suit.

With a sprawling vocal range and compelling approach to composition, Menzie made an indelible mark in the talent-rich Atlantic Canadian music market with his debut EP, Heather Avenue, in 2013. Its success spurred high-profile performances throughout the Maritimes, including opening slots for City & Colour and Ron Sexsmith.

In 2016, Menzie was a finalist in CBC’s annual Searchlight competition on the back of his breakout single, “Kenya,” which then spent two weeks at number one on CBC Radio 2’s Top 20 leading up to the release of his 2016 album Adolescent Nature.

Drawing clear influence from the likes of My Morning Jacket, Fleet Foxes, Radiohead, and Joel Plaskett without being derivative of any one, the quality of these songs heavily belies the young artist’s age.

Since Adolescent Nature’s release, Menzie has been in even higher demand, earning one of two spots in the inaugural East Meets West collaboration between the ECMAs and BreakOutWest as well as slots at prestigious events like the Edmonton Folk Festival, Canadian Music Week, Folk Alliance International, and others.

But even as excitement behind his breakthrough continues to mount, Menzie already has his sights set on what’s next, and if he continues on his current trajectory of each new song, each new release eclipsing its predecessor, he’ll soon be impossible to ignore.

Everybody has an opinion – especially when it comes to music – but few are as critical as Dylan Menzie, and that’s worked out for him pretty well so far.

Dylan Menzie Website
Dylan Menzie Facebook
Dylan Menzie Twitter
Dylan Menzie Instagram

JOHN MUIRHEAD

With stories and songs that kindle late-night Canadian campfires, John Muirhead’s heartfelt indie-folk sound will move you in more ways than one. From fingerpicked folk confessionals to upbeat roots-rock jams, John’s eclectic song collection reflects the highs and lows of love, ambition, and being a young travelling musician. While he is based in London, ON, John is a a troubadour by nature and has played in living rooms, theatres, moving trains, and folk festival stages across Canada.

With influences including Joel Plaskett, Frank Turner, The Weakerthans, and Julien Baker, John’s primary goal is to change the lives of listeners the way music has changed his. In the two years since the release of his debut EP Yesterday’s Smile, John has been nominated for a Canadian Folk Music Award, given an honourable mention in the Canadian Songwriting Competition, graced the stages of legendary festivals including The Winnipeg Folk Festival and Home County Music and Arts Festival, and released a follow-up EP, Foundational.

On November 9th 2018, John released a brand new single titled I Can Sleep Anywhere, an appreciate, eyes-wide-open ode to roughing it on the road as an indie musician. The song was met by positive reviews by critics and featured on a variety of CBC programs, as well as SiriusXM and community radio across Canada. In February 2019 John will embark on the “Song Circle” Tour with fellow London based act Ben Heffernan with the goal of collaborating with local artists from across the country in songwriter’s circles as well as showcasing at Folk Alliance International in Montreal. This will be followed by tours of the West coast and East coast of Canada

John Muirhead Website
John Muirhead Facebook
John Muirhead Twitter
John Muirhead Instagram

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

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 1^st, 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