COMMON GROUND

Matilda Murdoch
Matilda is a member of the North American Fiddle Hall of Fame, the New Brunswick Country Music Hall of Fame and is the 2002 recipient of the Stompin Tom Connor East Coast Music Award. She was awarded the Order of New Brunswick in 2004. Her style of playing has been admired and studied by fiddlers from throughout North America and recently from Ireland. In the 1970’s, Matilda was asked to record two albums of her own compositions for step-dancing teacher Buster Brown of the Ottawa Valley. These albums were the first produced specifically for step dancing and are still being used today across Canada in step dance competitions. Her compositions number in the hundreds, show a variety of styles and tempos and have been played and recorded by Don Messer, Graham and Eleanor Townsend, Reg Hill, Ned Landry, Earl Mitton, Ireland’s legendary Eugene O’Donnell and Mark O’Connor from the U.S., to name a few. Over the years Matilda has been asked, and always accepted, to judge fiddle contests throughout New Brunswick, Ontario and Quebec.

Roy Johnstone & Steve Sharratt (PEI)
Described as a pair of musicians who can lift off a room with the "energy of a 747", Johnstone and Sharratt have performed at folk festivals, small cafes, major concert halls and even small outports in the Inner Hebrides. Roy is an ECMA nominated and award winning fiddler with five CDs who writes, performs and teaches as well as operate his own recording studio in his century old farmhouse near the sandy beaches of P.E.I.'s southern shore. Steve is an award-winning writer and multi instrumentalist who plays guitar, mandolin, and usually anything else with strings. He finally released his own solo CD in 2004 after years of having his songs recorded by many other well known artists. Johnstone and Sharratt say they are exploring the marriage of fiddle tunes and old country blues to nurture a musical concept they like to call "reel blues".    (Roy's Website)     (Steve's website)

Mary Jane Lamond (Nova Scotia)
Mary Jane Lamond is a sharer of songs, stories and spirit and has garnered numerous Juno and ECMA nominations, critical acclaim and a worldwide audience. She has just released her fourth recording Òrain Ghàidhlig (Gaelic Songs of Cape Breton), a traditional recording dedicated to the fine Gaelic singers of Cape Breton. On the North Shore of Cape Breton Island, the rich heritage of the region’s Scottish settlers was kept alive through song. While enrolled in Saint Francis Xavier University’s Celtic Studies programme, Lamond released her first album, Bho Thir Nan Craobh, a collection of traditional material that introduced her unique singing voice and a then unknown fiddler named Ashley MacIsaac. The two talented Maritimers then collaborated on the award-winning radio smash Sleepy Maggie.  Mary Jane Lamond took time-honoured Gaelic songs to the next level on Suas e!, which combined classic texts with contemporary pop sounds. The success of Suas e! contributed to an explosion of interest in Celtic culture and Lamond took the songs on the road with a live band. Her experiences on the stage directly influenced the sound of Làn Dùil, spell-binding renditions of treasured Gaelic songs fused with original arrangements using a variety of instruments, from the familiar fiddle and bagpipes to Indian tabla. Ultimately it defined a new style of world music unique to Mary Jane Lamond - timeless music for a modern age.    (website)

Ray and Greg Walsh (Bay de Verde, Newfoundland)
Since CBC's ALL AROUND THE CIRCLE, Ray Walsh's accordion playing has been found on TV and radio shows, numerous recordings and at frequent appearances throughout Atlantic Canada. Hailing from Bay de Verde where Ray's father and grandfather were well-known fiddle players, Ray and Greg perform a blend of Newfoundland/Irish/Scottish traditional music and songs.  Greg is an accomplished multi-instrumentalist, playing the fiddle, mandola, banjo, and piano accordion as well as singing. As member of the RAY WALSH FAMILY BAND and THE NAVIGATORS, he has gained a great deal of experience playing festivals throughout Atlantic Canada and recording a number of popular CDs.

A Crowd of Bold Sharemen (Newfoundland)
Take a pair of veteran performers who have appeared at major folk festival across Canada, add Newfoundland & Labrador’s most renowned flute and tin whistle player and two of our fastest-rising young stars of traditional music, and you’ve got A CROWD OF BOLD SHAREMEN. The band consists of Jim Payne, one of the province’s best songwriters; Fergus O’Byrne (RYAN'S FANCY, TICKLE HARBOUR), one of our most recognizable voices; flute player Gerry Strong (TICKLE HARBOUR) with his vast knowledge of traditional tunes; noted fiddle player and actor Daniel Payne and accordionist Corey Clarke. Each is an accomplished performer in his own right, and together they provide an unbeatable musical experience. Their repertoire consists of Newfoundland & Labrador material - virtuoso playing and strong vocals with sweet harmonies, entertaining stage banter, and polished performances.   The band takes its name from a traditional Newfoundland song of the sea. With a line up of musicians that represent every region of the province, they perform a wide variety of traditional songs along with a healthy proportion of modern pieces, many from ECMA nominee Payne.     (website)

The Montague Family (Labrador)
North West River, Labrador has been home to dozens of Montague musicians. Collectively these three have been making music for close to 130 years with an ancestral music-making history dating back for centuries. SHIRLEY MONTAGUE is a respected singer/songwriter who released her sixth recording, Montage, earlier this year. LESTER MONTAGUE has been dubbed Labrador's fiddle champion and continues to delight audiences with his energetic approach. RAY MONTAGUE is a dynamic rhythm guitar player whose percussive style comes from his other life as a drummer.

Their performance will consist of traditional songs, original works by Shirley and some old-time fiddle music to get your toes tapping.