Opening Day in Markerville is always a lively event, and Saturday, May 17th, 2025 was no exception! The day began at Fensala Hall for Pancake Breakfast with staff and volunteers ready to greet the many visitors that began showing up at 9 am. With sausages, ham, scrambled eggs, watermelon; and pancakes with syrop, berries and whipped topping, there were tasty offerings – including gluten free options – to please everyone.
As breakfast was winding down, staff were already finishing preparations for the Kaffistofa and Creamery Museum opening at 11 am and ready to serve up some ice cream this long weekend!
Icelandic Ladies Aid, better known as Vonin, recently met at Fensala Hall to practice traditional Icelandic baking. This spring’s gathering saw a wonderful turnout, with 22 people in total! We were delighted to welcome summer staff from the Creamery Museum and the Stephansson House, as well as some lovely friends from the community who came to learn and lend a hand.
Everyone found a job, and together we made many batches of delicious flatbread and pönnukökur. These will be featured on the menu at the Creamery Kaffistofa this summer, so be sure to try them! Last week, Vonin members made vinarterta, which can be enjoyed when you come for coffee in Markerville.
Above: Sol James and Aaron Shorr on April 12 at Fensala Hall. Photo by Roberta Fetch.
Our final concert of the 2024/2025 season was held April 12th, 2025 at the Fensala Hall in Markerville, and it was a fantastic, high-kicking sold-out season finale if ever there was one! Sol James (aka Heitha Forsyth) brought along her long-time friend Aaron Shorr, and the duo broke ground with “Big Sky” and captivated the audience. The night was filled with her original songs and some covers; she kept us laughing and listening, took some requests, and even coaxed the crowd to sing along a couple times.
The sets were comprised of lively tunes, with a couple of personal and heartfelt numbers by Sol including a song she wrote for her Icelandic grandfather, along with some marvellous guitar solos by Aaron for good measure. Time vanished and before we knew it the duo was closing with “Me and Bobby McGee” for their encore.
Here are some photos from the evening.
Winnipeg-based Sol James is a force to be reckoned with, with a voice to match. She has completed two degrees, A Bachelor of Music (Jazz Studies) and a Bachelor of Music Therapy. Beyond her busy performing career, Heitha has been teaching the art of singing to students of all ages and stages through the Manitoba Conservatory of Music and Arts, The University of Manitoba Preparatory studies as well as private lessons.
A unique take on roots/blues with a soulful flair, her music is joyful and honest, leaving audiences smiling, dancing, and celebrating the great stuff of life. Sol’s stage presence calls out to even the meekest of souls, breaking down walls and bringing the light in. She does this with a dependable dose of hilarity; you can hear a Sol James audience laughing a mile away.
Aaron Shorr began playing guitar as a young teenager, and developed an interest in jazz through his grandmother’s record collection. He studied at Humber College in Toronto, The University of Manitoba, and privately with international jazz icons like Jonathan Kreisberg, Miles Okazaki, and Bruce Forman. He has performed with William Bonness, Derrick Gardner, Nial Cade, and Curtis Nowosad, to name a few.
Sponsored in part by Red Deer County and Alberta Foundation for the Arts!
Above: Photo of Ryan McMahon provided by the artist for promotional material.
The March 8th, 2025 Fensala Hall concert with Ryan McMahon had ENERGY: with stories, Dad jokes, and of course GREAT music that made the evening soar! He brought his old lamp and comfy kitchen chair and welcomed us all to join him for an evening of heartfelt music and laughter!
Ryan played a couple of covers including “Old Man” by Neil Young. During his performance we were treated to original songs; many from his latest album “Live Now”, plus his just released “Used to be You”.
Ryan “lost an hour” in Markerville, staying overnight in the Buttermaker’s House. He joined the Kaffistofa coffee gang on Sunday for a few more stories and laughs to start the day, and had a photo taken with Marie Sveinson and Frank Sigurdson for good measure!
Ryan is a third of the way through his LEARNING TO SHINE: 25 Years in Music tour. He plays Ponoka on March 10th, and then it’s on to Saskatoon and Wynyard. His tour takes him to Manitoba and Ontario; hitting Alberta again for several shows, and finally BC for even more during the last week of March and onward!
After spending 2023 recording & releasing his seventh studio album and touring as Burton Cummings’ & Tom Cochrane’s support act, Ryan McMahon is spending his 2024/2025 on the run once more. No stranger to Canadian highways, Ryan will be embarking on several months of tour dates between Sept 2024 & April of 2025.
A 25-year veteran of Canada’s musical landscape, Ryan has long been a genre fence-sitter, blending the boundaries of folk, rock, roots & country. He’s shared the stage with everyone from Mother Mother to Lisa Loeb to Aaron Pritchett, and at the age of 44 has just begun writing music for his next album. Equally at home fronting a full band or playing solo like so many folk troubadours before him, Ryan’s sincere songwriting & dynamic delivery resonates with any audience.
Sponsored in part by Red Deer County and Alberta Foundation for the Arts!
Above: Photo of Shaye Zadravec and Tim Leacock provided by the artist for promotional material
On November 9th, 2024, Fensala Hall was brimming with the great sounds of Shaye Zadravec and Tim Leacock during the second offering of the Fensala Hall Concert Series 2024/2025 season. Playing to an almost full house, the duo delivered some great classic country along with Shaye’s own ballads. — Photos by John McKechnie
Hailing from Calgary, AB, Shaye Zadravec, a strong vocalist and passionate performer, continues to develop and pursue her career in music.
Since beginning in 2011, she has released an EP, “Norway”, and a full length album, “Now and Then”. Both recordings reached audiences within Canada and overseas which has since led to two European tours throughout the Netherlands.
Accompanied by seasoned musician, Tim Leacock, the pair weave originals and carefully chosen material in their set. Shaye flourishes in the art of interpretation and draws influence from a wide variety of artists and genres carrying her audience on an emotional musical journey.
Sponsored in part by Red Deer County and Alberta Foundation for the Arts!
Above: Image provided by The Travelling Mabels for promotional material
FENSALA HALL CONCERT SERIES presents THE TRAVELLING MABELS! October 5th, 2024 was a fun-filled evening with great music, free popcorn, prize draws, free dessert, a few tears, and lots of laughs! The standing ovation brought the band back for three more terrific tunes! Here are photos from the much enjoyed Saturday evening!
Photos by Byron Nilsson
The Travelling Mabels are an award-winning folk/country group from southern Alberta. For more than fifteen years, they have brought their own unique brand of harmony, humour and musicianship to audiences from coast to coast, performing at venues ranging from folk clubs and community halls to big festivals. They have shared the stage with many notable artists including Ian Tyson, Tom Jackson, The Elvis Imperials and Gene Watson. They have also collectively written and recorded four CDs which have enjoyed extensive airplay on radio stations such as CBC and CKUA.
As an ardent fan once humorously stated “If the Eagles and the Trio (Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris) were a family, then surely their children would be The Travelling Mabels”.
Their song release, Alberta Blue, has been a long time fan favourite and features a cameo vocal performance by the legendary Ian Tyson.
Their latest album titled “Take Me Home” features 11 songs, comprised of mostly original music, a Billy Joel instrumental cover and a remix of their most popular song “Alberta Blue”. Additionally, the lyrics to Alberta Blue have been featured in an award winning Children’s board book titled “Alberta Blue – A Prairie Sky Lullaby”.
Sponsored in part by Red Deer County and Alberta Foundation for the Arts!
Claire Butler, a recent resident artist staying at the Buttermaker’s House, held a Music Workshop for Kids at Fensala Hall on August 30th, 2024.
While parents visited outside, inside the hall Claire introduced a mix of song and play to 11 children and helped them relax and have some fun.
After they all took a break to enjoy the playground equipment and play with soap bubble kits they had received, everyone went back inside. The kids then demonstrated some of the sitting games, and the standing/running circle game called “Cut the Cake” to show the parents what they had learned.
Lots of fun and laughter, and a great little adventure on a Friday morning!
The MUSIC WORKSHOP FOR KIDS was a FREE event with no experience required. It was open to kids of all ages 4 years and up. A free fun hour of music games and songs with musician and educator Claire Butler!
For more information on Shine Music Camp in SW Calgary, including program details and pricing, visit https://shinemusiccamp.ca/
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).
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!
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!
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!
