These days, we are so bombarded with highly-produced commercial music that we’ve lost the experience of singing for ourselves. But right here in Almonte there is a monthly session that revives the tradition of folks gathering around the kitchen table or in a local pub to sing and play for their own pleasure
We emphasize simple traditional songs with choruses so that others can join in – work songs, sea shanties, old gospel tunes and the like – most often unaccompanied. The stronger singers lead and sing the verses and everyone joins in on the choruses.
To lead a song, you should pretty much know it by heart and the first couple of rounds are reserved for those who have prepared a chorus song. In later rounds, if there is time, we will hear the occasional ballad or other solo piece. Most of the songs come from the British Isles and North America but we welcome songs from other traditions as well contemporary classics that follow the traditional idiom.
What: Almonte Trad Songs
When: 2-4 PM Sunday 23 October 2022
Where: Barley Mow Almonte, Upstairs Parlour
For more information about the Trad Song session, including a brief discussion of what makes a song ‘traditional’, see the FAQ or call David (613) 355-5552.
