BY WENDY ELLIOTT
Kings County Register
Swift on show in Berwick
Winner of the 2008 Canadian Maple Blues Award for New Artist of the Year and the 2008 East Coast Music Award for Blues Recording of the Year, Thom Swift will perform in support of his debut solo CD, Into the Dirt, at Berwick’s Union Street Café May 31 at 9 p.m.
Released in the summer of 2007, Into the Dirt also garnered Swift the 2008 CBC Galaxie Rising Star Award.
From the brawny groove of the title track, “Into the Dirt,” which takes a dark look at the inevitable cycle of life; to the infectious ragtime-inspired guitar work showcased on “Hackett’s Cove Rag” to the country-roots feel and dobro highlights of “Crying Shame” to the uplifting stride piano piece “My Sweet Baby You,” this album delivers a distinctive blend of folk, blues, country and rag style music.
Alongside his solo career, Swift is a member of the 2007 Canadian Maple Blues Award-winning and East Coast Music Award-winning group Hot Toddy.
Tickets are $10 in advance and $12 at the door.
www.thomswift.com
At the market
May 31 at the Wolfville Farm Market, Stable Country “unplugged” will play an easy-going mix of bluegrass, old time and classic country songs. They have been performing in a number of Annapolis Valley venues.
Old-style country
The annual Wilf Carter and Old Time Country Night takes place May 31 at 7 p.m. at the Lions’ Hall in Canning.
The concert will feature yodelling singer Andy Bowes from Carlton Place, Ont.; Johnny Gold, Valley Thunder and Caroll Edwards.
The concert is a Fieldwood Heritage Society fundraiser for the Wilf Carter Room at the Canning Library and Heritage Centre.
Doors open at 6 p.m. Tickets are $10, available at the door and at Cochrane's Pharmacy in Canning and Wolfville.
Audra’s here
May 31 at the Al Whittle Theatre in Wolfville, Audra and The Elliotts are performing.
Audra Raulyns & The Elliotts joined forces in last fall and this is their first tour. The tour is also a fundraiser for Silent Witness Nova Scotia,
www.silentwitnessnovascotia.org. Ticket price is $ 20 in advance or $25 at the door.
The tour includes a music workshop in the afternoon and a full evening performance. Tickets are available at Cochrane Pharmacy, Wolfville, 542-3624 or 542-5790
Living room concert
Join Jess Clemons and Don Brownrigg for an evening of music at the home of Ron and Sarah Hayes in Kingsport June 1. Music will run from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Feel free to bring food or drink to share, and $10 is the suggested donation to the artists.
After her sold-out CD release show in Wolfville in early 2007, lots of touring and travelling, Clemons returns to share some new songs and stories.
Reserve a seat by emailing: ron@artcan.com, jessclemons@gmail.com, or by calling 582-7071.
Young Valley voices
The Annapolis Valley Honour Choir’s year-end concert, “Watching the Apples Grow,” will be held at Acadia University’s Manning Memorial Chapel June 1 at 3 p.m.
A freewill offering is requested toward the choir’s trip to Europe this summer. The choir is currently preparing for a performance tour to Paris and Prague in July.
On screen
Fundy Film’s summer series will start with a screening of The Counterfeiters.
In 1936, the Nazis set up the largest counterfeiting operation in history to wreck the Allies’ economies. Salomon Sorowitsch is hand-picked to lead a secret forgery unit in a Nazi concentration camp. Despite the privileged life his team receives, “Sally” must eventually choose between collaboration or sabotage. The film won a Best Foreign Film Oscar.
It will screen at the Al Whittle Theatre, Wolfville, June 1 at 8 p.m. Tickets ($8) are available 30 minutes before screening.
www.fundyfilm.ca or 542-5157
Try out
Auditions for the next Fezziwig Family Christmas Frolic will take place June 4 and 5 between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. at the Wolfville fire hall.
The Fezziwig Society is seeking children and youth ages nine to 18. Auditionees should prepare one song from the musical theatre repertoire no more than two minutes in length. Accompanying movement is also welcome.
Please bring sheet music for the song or a CD to sing with. An accompanist will be provided. To arrange an audition, call 678-1700.
Valley Spare Parts plays
One of the Valley’s top cover bands, Spare Parts, plays the Kings Arms pub June 7, 9 p.m.
These good ol’ boys from Kingston always get the crowd rockin’ with their renditions of hits from the 1960s through to today.
Night Kitchen
Andy Flinn is promising an outrageous musical event for Night Kitchen, coming up June 7.
Among the performers lined up for the concert are Trillium, Thieves of Dagdad, Nick Timpney, Jamie Loughead and Bob Connon.
After this Night Kitchen, the popular event will take a break until August. Tickets are $8 and the show starts at 8 p.m.
Carew in concert
Stan Carew and the Magpies will be in concert June 8 at 3 p.m. in Hall's Harbour at the Fundy View Community Centre.
Homemade treats will be on sale before the concert and during intermission. Funds raised will support the Hall's Harbour Community Centre, operated entirely by volunteers. The hall enjoys a fine reputation for its warm, welcoming ambience and for the enjoyable suppers, teas, concerts, plant sales aand other activities.
Tickets are $18 and are available at: R.D. Chisholm, Kentville, Absolutely Fabulous, New Minas, Al's Fireside Cafe, Canning and Acadia Cinema, Wolfville.
Group voices
Wolville music teacher Susan Dworkin is organizing two special vocal workshops for this summer.
Along with Dworkin, Masami Suzuki will act as accompanist and Robert McCarthy will be lecturing.
Two weeks have been set aside, either the week of July 28 or August 4, for the week-long, intensive classes for high school, university students or adults interested in improving their singing technique.
Register before July 7, 542-0649.
Coming up
May 31
AC/ DC tribute “Powerage,” Kings Arms Pub, 9 p.m.
June 1
The Pack A.D., Kings Arms Pub, 4 p.m. No cover
Trinitarian choir, St. John’s Church, Port Williams, 3 p.m.
Annapolis Valley Honour Choir, Manning Chapel, Wolfville, 3 p.m.
June 7
Spare Parts, Kings Arms Pub, 9 p.m.
Night Kitchen, Al Whittle Theatre, Wolfville 8 p.m.
June 8
Jan Coates, Heather Price & Julie Heyer, Irving Centre, Wolfville 3 p.m.
Until June 22
Tony Myers’ exhibition, Ross Creek Centre for the Arts near Canning
Until June 30
Acadia Print Series’ from the permanent collection, Acadia Art Gallery, Wolfville
