Cliquot Trio

Clicquot Trio played Thursday night at the Creamery Courtyard for SUPPER AND SONG on August 29th, 2024. It’s worth mentioning that this was directly tied into the BUTTERMAKER’S HOUSE ARTIST RESIDENCY with Claire Butler, and we’re thrilled that Reuben Grendus and Stefano Valdo could join her on stage!

Since 2017 Clicquot Trio has been playing in Calgary with performances of classical/jazz fusion repertoire. Members Claire Butler, Stefano Valdo and Reuben Grendus are all professionally trained classical musicians and as a trio explore a variety of genres.

Past performances include ‘Bach to Brubeck’, Latin and Love Songs’ and ‘An Evening with Cole Porter’ at the Engineered Air Theatre. They have been guest performers in two of Heritage Park’s ‘Music in the Plaza’ concert series and are regularly invited to perform at private events. Come and enjoy a mix of jazz/classical fusion including music from Oscar Peterson’s Canadiana Suite.

  • Claire Butler on piano • Stefano Valdo on bass • Reuben Grendus on drums

From Claire’s artist bio: My name is Claire Butler and I am from Yorkshire, UK. I am a music specialist at Montessori School of Calgary and I am also a professional musician. I studied piano and violin at the Royal College of Music 1993-97. Since then, I have enjoyed a varied career as director, educator and musician living in London, Greece and Bermuda.
I have lived in Calgary since 2012 with my husband Jamie Parkinson who is a teacher and my daughter Nathalie who is now 12 years old.
As a musician I love how my life is always full of new people and experiences. I love to share my music and am excited to explore the historic hamlet of Markerville while bringing my love of music to it’s community.

Clicquot Trio also entertained at the SGSIS 50th Anniversary Gala September 2024

Buttermaker’s House Artist Residency is supported by Red Deer County and Alberta Foundation for the Arts. An award is available to qualified applicants, sponsored by INLNA (Icelandic National League of North America).

https://www.historicmarkerville.com/buttermaker-house.html

Tomas Jonsson

Saturday, August 24th, 2024 was the last day of Tomas Jonsson’s residency stay at the Buttermaker’s House. He was heading to Calgary next but made time to have another visit with the locals and visitors during morning coffee, and to share a little bit on his project and his process.

Tomas had a box of items beside him on a small table. It contained his grandfather’s audio cassettes of family conversations, old photos of a family property in Sweden, along with legal documents and other items. “Following the passing of my father, in whose name the land is held, our relationship has adopted a different role as we untangle the personal and financial ties that bind us to the space.”

Tomas had written a letter just yesterday to a new acquaintance and decided to read it out to us, to hopefully provide insight into the unravelling of history and understanding he is working through. Here is a portion of that letter:

“I had a lot of help from my grandfather who recorded all our conversations over the phone, sometimes surreptitiously. That’s what I’ve been doing while I’ve been here is going through these materials and also reading books that are here in the community.

“I’ve had the pleasure of joining in on the daily coffee gatherings in the community. I’ve enjoyed listening to the stories and conversations while also being a bit apprehensive of what I should contribute. Most of my time here I’ve been absorbing, being in the Buttermaker’s House, occasional walks in the town and campground, and reading.

“I knew about the work of Stephan G. Stephenson and was pleased to encounter other writers such as his daughter Rosa and his grandson Stephan Benediktson. I was also glad to meet and read the accounts of Frank Sigurdson. At the same time I was digitizing and listening to the cassette archive which my family received from my grandfather.

“A few weeks ago my partner Jesse and I were on a road trip and started talking about the pending residency. Somehow it occurred to me to record the conversation and the seed of an idea to use it as a method to bring this work into some sort of shape. I started to make short videos mostly in and around the house and using the recorded tapes as soundtracks.

“This was intuitive but a system started to appear. I also channeled my grandfather and recorded, with permission, people here and friends which became soundtracks to other videos. I sent these around to get feedback and the general consensus is that I’m on a good path.”

Inside the Kaffistofa, Tomas had set up a presentation of videos he’d created so far, “In Whose Name the Land is Held.” Here is the link to his video presentation on Vimeo

Some photos from August 24th presentation and coffee gathering:

Here is a link to a blog post which was the result of his chance encounter and conversation with a couple visitors to Markerville on August 23, which had also inspired him to write the letter he read to us.

Tomas Jonsson is an artist, curator, and writer. He has curated, presented, and performed work in Canada and internationally. Tomas’ family came to Montreal from Denmark in 1969, living and travelling west until eventually deciding to stay in Calgary, where he was born in 1975. A large part of Tomas’ practice has been unraveling and understanding this trajectory, and his relation to a place he now also knows as Mohkinstsis, among other names. Tomas is currently living in oskana ka-asasteki, also known as Regina.

Buttermaker’s House Artist Residency is supported by Red Deer County and Alberta Foundation for the Arts. An award is available to qualified applicants, sponsored by INLNA (Icelandic National League of North America).

https://www.historicmarkerville.com/buttermaker-house.html

Honey Jalali

d’Arcy Gamble was one of the attendees at Honey Jalali‘s presentation in the Creamery Parlour this past week. She captured some great photos during the art talk and workshop on August 17th, 2024 that Honey gave as a windup to her residency stay at the Buttermaker’s House.

Honey Jalali is an Iranian contemporary activist artist based in Calgary, Alberta. With a master’s degree in visual arts from the Art and Architecture Azad University of Tehran, she brings over 15 years of teaching experience in Visual Arts at the university level. With the art talk she shared some insights into her artistic journey and discussed her latest project on snails; exploring their unique self-care mechanisms and how they embody resilience in the face of environmental challenges.

The workshop was fun, and encouraged self-expression through the creation of snail-inspired art!

Buttermaker’s House Artist Residency is supported by Red Deer County and Alberta Foundation for the Arts. An award is available to qualified applicants, sponsored by INLNA (Icelandic National League of North America).

https://www.historicmarkerville.com/buttermaker-house.html

Jyn-Ting Ying

Above: Artist Portrait by Jordon Hon provided by Jyn-Ting Ying

Jyn-Ting Ying is heading home to Edmonton tomorrow, and held a composition workshop at the historic Church in Markerville on August 2, 2024. This was rounding out a week spent in the Buttermaker’s House, part of the Artist Residency program, focusing on a first album release they have scheduled for the fall.

Inspiration for this music project has come from “Unearthings” by Wendy Chen, a poetry collection that’s “unafraid to confront the complexities of cultural, ancestral, and familial inheritance…[e]xploring her identity as an Asian American woman.” This is a personal topic dear to Jyn-Ting. They spent the week in our quiet hamlet working on one of the last songs for the album; even recording the sounds of the Buttermaker’s House, some of which will be incorporated into the music.

Jyn-Ting played some music live on piano that will be on the album, and also played partial recordings of the more complex pieces that have multiple instruments and vocals that couldn’t be performed during a one-person presentation.

The workshop portion of the presentation delved into examples of the role musical composition can play in affective experience; the important part it can play in conveying how an audience should feel.

This was an entertaining and thoughtful afternoon well spent!

About the Artist: Besides working on the album project, Jyn-Ting has also done sound and songs interpreting other people’s projects: movie soundtrack work, music for game apps, and a composition for a photography gallery display. They are also part of an improv group that will be performing at the Edmonton Fringe this summer.

Buttermaker’s House Artist Residency is supported by Red Deer County and Alberta Foundation for the Arts. An award is available to qualified applicants, sponsored by INLNA (Icelandic National League of North America).

https://www.historicmarkerville.com/buttermaker-house.html

Jim Martin

Jim Martin and Blair Thorson booked the Buttermaker’s House for July 19 to 21, 2024 to display their artwork and perform demonstrations of cottonwood bark carving for the public.

Jim decided he would take the opportunity to present “Stories with a Smile”, introducing and promoting the art of oral storytelling for adults through his affiliation with Storytellingalberta.com which has Chapters throughout Canada. It’s existed for 40 years, is a nonprofit, and its goal is to promote the art of oral storytelling. There’s a chapter in Calgary, in Edmonton, another one in Strathcona, and just recently one was formed in Red Deer.

From Jim’s presentation, which took place over two days, July 20 & 21, 2024:

“And what is a story? Well… It can be anything you want it to be.

“Usually people start with personal stories, things in their life or events that other people might be interested in, and it gives an advantage in that you already know the story. You lived it; so you don’t have to study up on it much.

“It could also be a folktale. There’s a lot of folktales that’ve gone through hundreds of years and the poor ones have been edited out. They’re a great source of stories, and they really give you a message at the end as well.

“You can have an epic story about history; or a poem, which is just a story that rhymes. It could be a song, because songs are a story with music. A story can be anything you like, and you can either write it yourself, or you use an existing one from a book or online. Out of respect for the author, you usually acknowledge the author of the story. And if you’re telling for profit, you should really contact the author and get their permission to tell the story.

“So stories have three elements: The story, the teller, and the audience.

“The story has got to be relevant to the audience; have some meaning for them and be memorable.

“The story teller, if he hasn’t written that story himself or herself, can take that story and manipulate it and make it fit their presentation style. And they present it to the audience.

“The role of the audience is first to be attentive to the teller, because unlike music where there’s lots of noise, if somebody is talking over top of the teller or using cell phones or the like, it really disturbs him. The second roll is to give reactions to the story. A good story teller is always watching the audience to see how they’re reacting. He may find that they aren’t reacting the way he thought they would. So next time he tells the story a bit differently.”

Buttermaker’s House Artist Residency is supported by Red Deer County and Alberta Foundation for the Arts. An award is available to qualified applicants, sponsored by INLNA (Icelandic National League of North America).

https://www.historicmarkerville.com/buttermaker-house.html

Suzie Vinnick at Fensala Hall

Above: Photo of Suzie Vinnick provided by the artist for promotional material

SUZIE VINNICK took the stage in Markerville on April 20th, 2024. The last show of the season for Fensala Hall Concert Series was a packed house, and Suzie captivated the crowd with her exciting mix of original songs and covers. The stage was set up on the east wall of the Hall, and when the bass guitar came out she was “shaking the ceiling” with her stand-out performance.

On Saturday, April 20th, Canadian Folk Music award winner Suzie Vinnick led the audience on a musical adventure – with stories, original songs, and covers – for our final concert of the season in Fensala Hall. Suzie’s gorgeous voice and impressive command of guitar and bass turned the evening into a delightful and enduring memory for all.
Here are some more photos from the evening.

Photos by Byron Nilsson

A Saskatoon native transplanted to the Niagara Region of Ontario, Canada, Suzie Vinnick is the proud owner of a gorgeous voice, impressive guitar and bass chops and an engagingly candid performance style. Suzie has won 11 Maple Blues Awards, one Canadian Folk Music Award and is a three-times Juno Nominee. She has also twice won the International Songwriting Competition – Blues Category. She released her seventh solo album entitled “Fall Back Home” in September 2022.

Sponsored in part by Red Deer County and Alberta Foundation for the Arts!

John Hewitt Trio at Fensala Hall

Above: Promotional photo of John Hewitt, submitted by the artist

The popcorn is all swept up and tables and chairs are put away, but my, oh my, what a great concert thanks to John Hewitt (Acoustic guitar, vocals, harmonica); Patrick Hughes (Electric guitar, vocals); and Connor Miskiman on Upright Bass.

Our fourth concert of the season was held March 16, 2024 at Fensala Hall in Markerville with a full house of music lovers enjoying the show. The John Hewitt Trio played several original songs from their albums, and sprinkled in a pinch of John Prine and a dash of stories from life on the road.

And when asked for some audience participation where we chimed in on a tune’s chorus, it turns out Markerville has one of the best group of singers for MILES around! Who knew?

Photos by Byron Nilsson

John Hewitt is a force not seen since the end of the 70’s. There are bands, artists and songwriters that mimic and imitate but John Hewitt absorbs and reimagines. From folk clubs to house concerts, festivals to halls John is a master of storytelling, arranging, producing and a painter of poems scarcely seen in today’s musical climate.

Since his early teens taking in the powerful sounds of the Beatles, Tom Petty, Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Van Morrison and the Grateful Dead he has been wandering, searching and yielding a crop of new ideas from the old world. A multi-instrumentalist from Sault Ste. Marie Ontario and being Alberta bound since 2018 John’s mark on the Western music scene is impossible to go unnoticed. Performing over 150 shows per year (From Alberta and British Columbia to Montana, Colorado, California and beyond), covering 20,000 miles per annum and releasing upwards of 3 albums in that same timeframe there is no comparison to the work ethic, the attitude and the drive that John has as an artist.

Fronting the New Americans and touring solo most of the year his output impresses the young and the old, the folk and the rock, the country and the town and the only thing left at the end of the night is a feeling you won’t get anywhere else.

Sponsored in part by Red Deer County and Alberta Foundation for the Arts!

Brooke Wylie at Fensala Hall

Above: Promotional material for Brooke Wylie Band concert in early 2024

What do you get for your $30 TICKET?
Coffee and Dessert is included! FREE Popcorn! Door Prizes! Bar Service is available! And of course you get to enjoy an incredible concert with the BROOKE WYLIE BAND on February 10th, 2024 while supporting Stephan G. Stephansson Icelandic Society in their ongoing projects.
— Facebook Post from February 6, 2024

Pre-show and halftime. Their great sound and fun and relaxed stage presence made for a night to remember. It was all that and “Garth-Brooke”

Photos by Byron Nilsson

Below: “Another wonderful night of music at historic Fensala Hall in Markerville with the Brooke Wylie Band.” — Photos by John McKechnie

Brooke Wylie is a uniquely Canadian roots singer/songwriter born and raised in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Boasting three full length albums under her belt to date, Brooke and her Calgary based band released a brand new handful of songs, in an EP called “Part One”, on September 13, 2019 These songs were arranged by The Brooke Wylie Band, welcoming Paul Holden (Lethbridge, Alberta) on bass for the recording.

The powerful musicians making up The Brooke Wylie Band currently includes Garth Kennedy (keys), Jay Bowcott (lead guitar), Ben Jackson (drums) and newest member, Curtis Glas on bass!

Sponsored in part by Red Deer County and Alberta Foundation for the Arts!

SGSIS Newsletter’s logo, 1989

Looking through the archives of older SGSIS NEWSLETTERS recently, via “the binder” kept in the Creamer Archives of hole-punched printouts starting in 1989, has been quite interesting.

The first thing to catch my eye was some of the timeless artwork displayed in many of the issues. A quick check with Marie Sveinson revealed that both Creamery images were created by her mother, PHYLLIS JOHANNSON. Bernice Andersen confirmed the newsletter’s first logo with the Stephansson house artwork was designed by Les Johnston. I’m posting scanned images of photocopied papers, so the reproduction quality is not the best. The artwork is wonderful, and I feel worth sharing again!

— Facebook post from February 2, 2024

John Wort Hannam at Fensala Hall

Above: Promotional photo supplied by the artist

It was a wonderful evening of music and stories at Fensala Hall in Markerville on November 11th, 2023. It began with Hamo on his accordion and keyboard reliving EuroVision, a fun way to start the evening. Then John Wort Hannam and Scott Duncan regaled us with stories and songs. The sold-out crowd thoroughly enjoyed the wit and wisdom of the musical numbers and went home fully satisfied with the performance of two craftsmen. — Photos by John McKechnie

In 2001, John Wort Hannam quit his teaching job and spent 10 months depleting his savings while sat at his kitchen table, wearing a lucky hat, writing his first ten songs. Those songs would become his first recording Pocket Full Of Holes, released in 2003.

Eighteen years later, the Alberta musician has released seven full-length recordings and has a few feathers in that lucky hat. Feathers that include a JUNO nomination, a Canadian Folk Music Award for Best Album of the Year, A CBC Galaxie Rising Star Award, a Kerrville Texas New Folk win, and numerous Western Canadian Music Award and Canadian Folk Music Award nominations.

Recent years have seen a great deal of change in John’s life – becoming a Dad, turning 50, a move to the big city (Lethbridge), a marital reckoning, a long, deep bout of depression, and episodes of losing his singing voice. But John has emerged a better songwriter, a better singer, and a better player. On Acres Of Elbow Room, John has further found his lyrical style and has landed squarely on his niche in the folk/roots world. He’s spent years learning the craft of songwriting and is taking those tools to write some of his most personal songs. He has, quite literally, found his voice.

These days John Wort Hannam has the same lucky hat but a new sound, a new band, a new confidence, and a ton of new songs. And it’s coming across loud and clear in his live show. With his firecracker band – Jason Valleau on upright bass, Jon May on drums, Scott Duncan on fiddle, and Stephen Fletcher on keys – John is making waves in a new soundscape.

Sponsored in part by Red Deer County and Alberta Foundation for the Arts!