AlgomaTrad 2020 Staff Concerts, August 11-13

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AlgomaTrad 2020 Annual Camp Staff Concert will be presented in a series of 3 one-hour evening concerts from Tuesday, August 11 to Thursday, August 14, at 8pm on the AlgomaTrad YouTube channel. Each concert will feature nationally- and internationally-renowned performers who are teaching online as part of this year’s camp. Viewing is free and open to the public, donations accepted! Links for all concerts will be posted on this website as well as on the “AlgomaTrad” Facebook and Instagram pages.

Tuesday, August 11, 8pm

Kyle Burghout is an award-winning Canadian fiddler with a beautiful, rich tone who has established himself as one of Canada’s best young fiddlers. Kyle and his music have been featured on CBC radio and television, as well as in Irish Music Magazine and The Canadian Fiddler. His many awards include North American Irish Fiddle Champion, runner-up at the Canadian Grand Masters Fiddling Championship, and three-time finalist at the All-Ireland Fiddle Competition.  In September 2017, Kyle released his first solo album “The Prism Within”, featuring both traditional tunes and many of his own compositions for which he was named a winner of the 2017 Canadian Songwriting Competition.

Ian Robb and James Stephens – Ian has one of the great voices on the Canadian folk music scene, and was the recipient of the first Canadian Folk Music Award for “Best Traditional Singer” in 2005.  He co-founded Ottawa’s Old Sod Folk Music Society, and toured extensively across North America and in the UK with harmony trio Finest Kind. His most recent project is a transatlantic collaboration with English folk luminaries Jess and Rich Arrowsmith, the Arrowsmith:Robb Trio.

James has been part of AlgomaTrad since the beginning and is an accomplished fiddler, guitarist, singer, bass player, and more! A well-respected teacher of fiddle, James has also recorded a who’s who of Canadian traditional music at his recording studio in Chelsea, QC.

 

Sophie Lavoie & Fiachra O’Regan are a duo playing traditional music from Ireland and Québec. Sophie is a Québecois fiddler and singer and Fiachra, from Ireland, is an all-Ireland Champion of the uilleann (Irish) pipes and Irish-style tenor banjo. They released their CD “Portraits” in 2019, which garnered Sophie a nomination for Best Traditional Singer at last year’s Canadian Folk Music Awards.

Wednesday, August 12, 8pm

Martha Cooper & Sam Allison – Martha is a dance caller, singer, and flute and banjo player, and has been part of the AlgomaTrad staff on numerous occasions. Sam is a banjo player, singer, and multi-instrumentalist who has also taught at AlgomaTrad, and has toured extensively both as a solo artist and with the group Sheesham, Lotus and ‘Son.

 

Ian Bell – Multi-instrumentalist, singer, artist, historian, and all round bon vivant, Ian Bell has performed across Canada and in the United States since the late 1970s. On his own and with a number of different ensembles, he has appeared at numerous folk festivals (Winnipeg, Mariposa, Edmonton, Ottawa, Yellowknife, Owen Sound, Lunenberg , Montmagny, and others) and in concerts and dances in venues ranging from The Lincoln Center to the finest Ontario barns.

Kerry Fitzgerald & Alanna Jenish – Kerry is a member of “The Fitzgerald’s“, an internationally renowned family band who hale from Bancroft, Ontario. Kerry plays fiddle, mandolin, and bodhran, and has been backing her sister and brothers for years on the piano. In addition, she is an Ontario Open Champion step dancer.

Alanna is another musical virtuoso born out of the Ontario old-time fiddle and stepdance world.  She has toured with the Scott Woods Band, The Fitzgeralds, and The Great Canadian Fiddle Show, and maintains a busy schedule freelancing for numerous bands and solo artists. In the fall of 2019, Alanna was honoured to be named Fiddle Player of the Year at the Central Canadian Bluegrass Awards for the second consecutive year.

Thursday, August 13th, 8pm

Louis Schryer and Andy Webster – Virtuoso Canadian fiddler Louis Schryer is an 8-time Canadian Open and 4-time Canadian Grand Master Champion and one of the famed and Sault Ste. Marie-grown Schryer Triplets. He is also a respected fiddle contest judge and influential fiddle teacher who performs with Erin Leahy and Timi Turmel in the group Cécilia. They will be releasing their first CD this year. Louis will be accompanied by Scottish guitarist and mandolin player Andy Webster, who lives and teaches in Nova Scotia. Andy is a greatly accomplished player of most things fretted and an avid arranger of all things Celtic. His music has led him to stages in France, Italy, Belgium, Estonia, the Netherlands, Denmark, Turkey, Russia, England, Wales, the USA and Canada. His powerful and varied guitar and bouzouki playing has backed many leading acts, including Dougie MacLean MBE and a number of JUNO award winners.

Martine Billette was born into a family of great traditional fiddlers from Ste-Barbe, Québec and put on her first pair of dancing shoes at the age of four while taking lessons with Serge Mathon.  After spending a couple of years with Serge, Martine continued to learn the art of dancing from other notable dancers including Martin Duheme and Gilles Roy. With a strong foundation established from years of hard work, Martine has become one of the most respected professional Quebec step dancers. Martine will be joined by dancer/choreographer Mario Veillette.

Joseph Phillips, sometimes known as Al-Joe-maTrad, has been working his Bass and Guitar magic for AlgomaTrad learners and audiences for years. Joe performed regularly with the Pierre Schryer Band and the London Symphony Orchestra and tours with Jayme Stone’s Folklife, amongst many other musical projects. Joe will feature some special guests including the fabulous and phenomenal Canadian fiddler Shane Cook.

The O’Schraves are an award-winning family group made up of  AlgomaTrad founders Julie Schryer, piano,  and Pat O’Gorman, pipes, flute, and whistles, with Zach Lefebvre, guitar, cello, and vocals, Benoit Lefebvre, fiddle, mandolin, vocals and foot percussion, and Áine Schryer O’Gorman, fiddle and vocals – you could almost say they are the AlgomaTrad house band as the kids have grown up with the organization and the Camp.

Friday, August 14, Online Camp Auction Closes

Don’t forget to register for the online Camp Auction, which runs all week from Monday to the Friday night at 9:30pm, right after the Camp Variety Night.