Tuesday 7 July 2015

Canterbury Folk Festival in Ingersoll, July 10-12

Garth Hudson of The Band is the headliner on Saturday night
Admission is free to see dozens of great musicians / singers

By Mark Schadenberg
INGERSOLL – It must have been at least 20 years ago – or close to it.
The Band once played the grandstand at the Woodstock Raceway during the Woodstock Fair. It was likely sometime around 1998.
CANTERBURY FOLK FESTIVAL
Ingersoll

Robbie Roberston, Garth Hudson, Levon Helm, Rick Danko and Richard Manuel were The Band.
The legendary group started out as the backup musicians for Ronnie Hawkins, but quickly outgrew that billing as The Hawks.
The Band appeared at Woodstock in 1969.
Richard Manuel passed away more than 30 years ago, Danko died in 1999, and Helm died in 2012.
The icon Canadian group The Band were inducted in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, based in Cleveland, in 1994. It was an important year at the inductions as The Band were honoured along with the Grateful Dead, Elton John, John Lennon, Rod Stewart and Bob Marley. The Band was inducted or introduced by Eric Clapton.
The Band was inducted in the Juno Hall Of Fame in 1989.
In the mid-60's, the quintet sojourned onward as The Band and went on tour as an opening act for Bob Dylan. Rock / folk music lore tells the tale of The Band as playing an obvious key role in Dylan's evolution to electric guitar.

As time and music moved forward, The Band became both noteworthy and fabled until announcing that their last performance would occur in 1976. A film crew captured The Band and the final product was music documentary 'The Last Waltz' – a show at the famed Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco, which was a movie directed by Martin Scorsese. Hawkins, Dylan, Clapton, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Neil Diamond, Ringo Starr, Emmylou Harris, Van Morrison, Muddy Waters and others would be part of the super band for this rock-u-mentary.
You can search through many sources to research great material about The Band, but listening to their music is the best research.
Rock music buffs under the age of 40 will remember Robbie Robertson for a hypnotic-like solo hit called Somewhere Down The Crazy River, but many years earlier The Band had compiled a huge roster of hits for a concert set list, including Up On Cripple Creek, The Weight, The Shape I'm In, The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down, I Shall Be Released and This Wheel's On Fire.
Hudson plays any type of keyboard, including an organ or piano on stage. A story noted below in the Sentinel-Review stated that he would have five so-called keyboards on stage on Saturday night in Ingersoll at the Canterbury Folk Festival. Hudson is also known for the saxophone.
Hudson, who is now 77, will headline the annual Ingersoll folk festival on Saturday night at 10 p.m. along with his wife Maud.
Hudson has many connections to this area as well as he grew up near London and graduated from the rural Medway High School in Arva.

Other Canterbury performers include the Mudmen, Tia McGraff, Magna Carta, Red Moon Road, Allen Family Reunion, and master of ceremonies Magoo. The annual tradition includes Ingersoll mayor Ted Comiskey and area singer / musicians such as m.e. law, Bob Breen, Denal Soares, Margo Does, Jim Gonder and others, including area dancers such as Embro-based Sim School of Highland Dance.
Free admission is the first reason you should attend the Canterbury Folk Festival this year and every July.
The Mudmen appeared in Woodstock just a few days ago at the Renaissance Festival, and are a 6-member band of Celtic rock with bagpipes, guitars, and drums.

Check out the www.canterburyfolkfestival.on.ca site for more details and an up-to-date schedule of who appears on which stage at what time.
The folk festival is also a great time to simply check out the Town of Ingersoll and its downtown merchants as the festival's gazebo stage is on the main street.
Another highlight is on the Friday night (5 p.m.) when you can enjoy a pork roast feast for just $12.
On Saturday morning there is also a breakfast in the park. There are many other food vendors in the park, including freshly made kettle popcorn.
The list of crafters and vendors with displays to peruse includes candle makers, pottery, artists, coffee, jewellery and woodcrafts. Did I mention coffee? You can also purchase cold drinks too, including a beer garden.
It's easy to find the Canterbury Folk Festival as your exit off the 401 is Highway 19 (ElmHurst exit) and your entrance to the park is soon on your left.
The Ingersoll Community Foundation, Town of Ingersoll, Bell-Camp Manufacturing, additional sponsors, and a long list of volunteers create this three days of free music, but be sure to bring some cash as they will be passing around a hat.

LINKS:
www.tourismoxford.ca

Oxford County is a great place to visit
and a great place to live
Mark Schadenberg, Sales Representative
Senior Real Estate Specialist (SRES designation)
Royal LePage Triland Realty
757 Dundas St, Woodstock
(519) 537-1553, cell or text
Email: mschadenberg@rogers.com
Twitter: markroyallepage
Facebook: Mark Schadenberg, Royal LePage Triland

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1 comment:

  1. The snacks here had a smooth taste with a bit of cheese and lime juice. To start, we got pork rinds at party venue rentals place; they were really flavorful with a spicy kick and smooth taste. Plus, it was a large fresh bag too, place is worth the price.

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