Live music, homegrown talent
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Tillsonburg Celtic Music Club’s annual Christmas concert, featuring local musicians and cloggers, entertained a crowd of approximately 60 people at the Otter Valley Playhouse Saturday night.
“This is our fifth year doing the winter show,” said club member Paul Weaver before Saturday’s concert. “We’re performing most of the songs that are on the CD released earlier this year, plus a variety of different Christmas songs that people can sing along with.”
Christmas favourites and popular celtic tunes, including Christmas in Killarney, Jingle Bells, and Deck the Halls, were part of the repertoire.
Weaver noted the annual event showcases a combination of homegrown talent and live music – something that doesn’t get a lot of exposure in today’s markets.
“That’s really what the club is all about. Too much of music today has become what’s on the TV or on the radio, and now there’s so many different avenues and electrical appliances that can bring music in. The fun of music is live and tonight we’re going to share that.”
The Tillsonburg Celtic Music Club has members of all ages and music abilities, and encourages younger generations to get involved. Saturday’s Christmas concert highlighted a set in the second half performed by some of the club’s youth – Ethan Wall, Stephanie Kotiuk and Justine Lemaich.
Club member Barbara Crossley said the concert is a great family event for everyone to enjoy.
“It’s a sharing of music that I think has gotten lost a little bit. When I was growing up in London we always had a Christmas concert somewhere to go to. When we started this concert in Tillsonburg, we were a little surprised because people now look forward to having the Christmas concert – they go to dinner before they come and they’ve made it an outing. We’re really quite pleased that we can offer that to people.”