A Family Friendly Afternoon Filled With African-Inspired Music and Fun

Singer-Songwriter Garth Prince Shares His Namibian Heritage with Spruce Grove on March 14

Born in South Africa and raised in Namibia, Garth Prince spent his youth immersed in a cornucopia of 14 languages. Growing up in a unique country that boasts both desert and pristine ocean playgrounds - where lions, giraffes, and elephants roam in harmony - he is extremely proud of his African heritage. This multiple award-winning songwriter now resides in Edmonton, and with the help of 6 other local musicians he is bringing the stories, sounds, and culture of his own childhood to children in his new home country. Garth Prince and his band are happy to be the third and final show in Horizon Stage’s 14/15 Family Matinee Series on Saturday, March 14 at 2 p.m.

Garth's musical skills were honed at a young age when he became a soloist in the prestigious, internationally recognized, Mascato Youth Choir, and toured Africa, Europe, and Canada. But, it was his tenure as a lead vocalist and co-founder of Afroshine, one of Namibia's most popular vocal groups that skyrocketed his career to new levels. With Afroshine, Garth performed for tens of thousands of adoring fans, made appearances on national television, and toured the African continent. The group’s music charted in the number one position on South Africa’s “Coca-Cola Top 10” and had high rotation on MTV Africa. Afroshine received multiple award nominations and won the Best Music Video Award at the televised National Film Awards in Namibia.

Since moving to Alberta, Garth has assembled a band of exceptional Edmonton-based musicians that includes Joel Forth (guitar and vocals), George Koufogiannakis (guitar and traditional string instruments), Elise Reneau (vocals and percussion), Karen Porkka (saxophone, melodica and vocals), Roya Yazdanmehr (vocals and mbira), Thom Bennet (drum kit and percussion), and Keith Rempel (bass and vocals). Together, they have performed in a multitude of traditional and non-traditional venues including festivals, theatres, and corporate events. Their week-long artist-in-residence gigs at many local schools have included grand finale performances with the students, for the general public, teachers, and families.

Garth’s engaging live performances entertain, educate, and share the wonders, visuals, joy, culture and beauty of his African roots in song, stories and audience participation. They include authentic dance and dress, genuine traditional vocal techniques (clicks/chants/calls), cultural expressions, and lyrical elements. His self-titled debut solo album was released in December 2012, and it garnered him a nomination for Best R&B/Soul Recording at the Edmonton Music Awards. A dedicated songwriter, he and his team are now creating new material for his highly anticipated second Canadian album release. Also a humanitarian, Garth’s work to help fight the AIDS epidemic in Africa, and in Canada, is another testament to his willingness to share his positive energy and give back to those in need.

Tickets to see Garth Prince at Horizon Stage on Saturday, March 14 at 2 p.m. are $20 for adults, and $16 for children and seniors. Tickets may be purchased at the City Hall Ticket Centre (315 Jespersen Ave) or by phone at 780-962-8995 or 1-888-655-9090. Tickets can also be bought online at www.horizonstage.com by clicking on the ‘Tickets’ link. Free preshow crafts start at 1 p.m. This performance is recommended for audience members aged 4 and up.
 
This performance is proudly sponsored by The Horizon Stagelighters, Ticketpro.ca, Travelodge Inn & Suites, Canadian Heritage, and The Alberta Foundation for the Arts.              

Three Great Artists Connect for an Intimate Evening of Country Music

The Troubadours - Duane Steele, Jake Mathews, and Wyatt Easterling - at Horizon Stage - March 7

How often can you see not just one but three chart-topping, award-winning, highly acclaimed country musicians performing together in an intimate local venue? Horizon Stage is pleased to offer just such an opportunity by presenting The Troubadours on Saturday, March 7. Duane Steele, Jake Mathews, and Wyatt Easterling are each respected country singer/songwriters in their own right. Together, they are The Troubadours, offering an Up Close and Personal evening of song, storytelling, and fellowship.

Duane Steele has been part of Canada’s country music scene since 1984. Hits like “Anita Got Married”, “Stuck on Your Love” and “Two Names on an Overpass” won him the hearts of country music fans in the mid-90’s. He won two Canadian Country Music Awards, and was nominated for multiple Juno Awards. Duane’s pure voice and natural stage presence make his live shows a must-see.

Also a multiple award-nominee, Jake Mathews has been a fixture of the Canadian Country Music scene for over a decade. He has released three solo albums and toured with his brother Gil Grand to raise money for Ronald MacDonald House Charities. Jakes songs “A Woman and a Song” and “Beer Necessities”, climbed the charts in 2013 and still receives generous air-play on radio stations across the country. His newest single, "In Our Own Backyard", is now in rotation on CMT.

Wyatt Easterling is a Nashville singer, songwriter, and producer with deep folk and Americana ties. His career has spanned four decades and has been filled with chart-topping songs - including cuts with Dierks Bentley, Joe Diffie, Billy Joe Royal, Paul Thorn, Neal McCoy, Sons of the Desert, and Robbie Hecht. Wyatt is now focusing his energy on bringing his music and stories directly to his audience. His intricate guitar work and smooth voice draws in listeners as his songs take them through poignant moments pulled from the world that surrounds us.

Join Duane, Jake, and Wyatt for an intimate and refreshing evening of country music. This special songwriters circle will showcase their individual material and styles while still leaving room for musical spontaneity, informal interplay, and camaraderie among performers and their audience members. Throughout the evening they will take turns lending their voices, varied experiences, and observations to create a fun and friendly concert atmosphere.

Spend an unforgettable night with The Troubadours at Horizon Stage on Saturday, March 7 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are just $35 for adults and $30 for students and seniors and may be purchased at the City Hall Ticket Centre (315 Jespersen Ave) or by phone at 780-962-8995 or 1-888-655-9090. Discounts are available for groups of 10 or more. Tickets can also be purchased online by visiting www.horizonstage.com and clicking on the ‘Tickets’ link.


This performance is proudly sponsored by Canadian Heritage, The Alberta Foundation for the Arts, CFCW, Servus Credit Union, Travelodge Inn & Suites Spruce Grove, and Ticketpro.

John Worth Hannam Brings Narrative Folk and Roots Music to Horizon Stage

John Wort Hannam is a powerful singer whose melodic songs are matched with a narrative writing style and laden with lyrical hooks.  His winsome, lonesome style of acoustic roots reveals a woven textile of metaphor, phrasing, irony, and rhyme that reads with ease like well-written prose. Horizon Stage is thrilled to be presenting John Wort Hannam on Saturday, February 28 at 7:30 p.m.

“Mr. Wort Hannam” used to teach grade 9 language arts on the largest reserve in Canada - the Kainai Nation, part of the Blackfoot Confederacy. But, in 1997 he heard a Loudon Wainwright III record and was hooked by the music and the stories. In 1998 he bought a guitar and learned some chords, and in 2002 he quit teaching completely to pursue his dream of becoming a working musician.

A prolific song-writer, John independently released his debut CD, pocket full of holes, in 2003 and his second CD, Dynamite and ‘Dozers, in 2004. His third CD, Two-Bit Suit, was released by Black Hen Music in the spring of 2007, and in 2009 John went back into the studio to record Queen’s Hotel. In 2011, John was commissioned to write the official Alberta Winter Games song, “Like the Northern Lights”, and in 2012 he wrote the official song for the 100th Anniversary of the Empress Theatre in Fort McLeod. His most recent CD, Brambles and Thorns, was recorded in 2012 with producer Leeroy Stagger in Lethbridge.

In his 12 years as a working musician, John has received a Juno nomination for Best Traditional/Roots Album, a Canadian Folk Music Award for Album of the Year, and 7 other grand prize/first place awards for his songwriting. His music has taken him from his home in Alberta, to his birthplace on the Isle of Jersey in the UK, and to festivals around the world. He has performed in Trafalgar Square in London, and at the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C.

John looks a little like Billy Bob Thornton, hails from rural Alberta, and does roots-country like no one’s business. He is one of the new torch-bearers of a vast songwriting tradition in the styles of John Prine, Louden Wainwright III, and Steve Earle but he’s also very proudly Canadian.  His narrative songs speak of life on the prairies with an eloquence similar to that of Sinclair Ross, W.O. Mitchell, Margaret Laurence, or Sharon Butala.

Enjoy an intimate evening with John Wort Hannam at Horizon Stage on Saturday, February 28 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are just $35 for adults and $30 for students and seniors and may be purchased at the City Hall Ticket Centre (315 Jespersen Ave) or by phone at 780-962-8995 or 1-888-655-9090. Tickets can also be purchased online by visiting horizonstage.com and clicking on the ‘Tickets’ link.

This performance is proudly sponsored by Canadian Heritage, The Alberta Foundation for the Arts, CKUA, Servus Credit Union, Spruce Grove Travelodge Inn & Suites, and Ticketpro.

Meet One of Alberta’s Own “Bomb Girls” in Never Let the Crew See You Cry

Acclaimed Fringe Play Tours to Horizon Stage in Spruce Grove - February 13

The Horizon Stagelighters, Theatre Alberta, The Arts Touring Alliance of Alberta, and Fringe Theatre Adventures are please to present Northern Sabbatical Productions/MAA & PAA Theatre's production of Never Let the Crew See You Cry by Linda Wood Edwards at Horizon Stage on Friday, February 13 at 7:30 p.m.

This is the heart-warming story of 17-year-old Ethel Wood who lies about her age and leaves the family farm to chase her own dream of being a pilot. She finds friendship, and romance, along the way. Rosie the Riveter has nothing on Ethel who becomes a flight line mechanic at Elementary Air Training School in De Winton, just south of Calgary. Ethel works on maintaining planes during the war and she helps to train nearly 2000 pilots - making an indelible impression on both the airmen and her fellow workers.

During World War II, many women left their homes to join the workforce to become mechanics all across Canada.  Alberta's "Bomb Girls" were trailblazers, forging a new path for themselves, their daughters, and granddaughters. Never Let the Crew See You Cry is a hilarious, touching, and (almost) all true coming-of-age story that speaks to, and for, this entire generation of Canadian women.

Playwright Linda Wood Edwards proudly brings her own mother’s story to the stage in this fast-paced, 70-minute production directed by David Cheros and starring Laura Raboud, Alex Mackie, and Judy McFerran.  Presented first at the 2013 Edmonton Fringe Festival, Never Let the Crew See You Cry received rave reviews, and performed to packed houses. The show is now touring Alberta as part of Theatre Alberta’s ‘Picks of the Edmonton Fringe’ program.

Enjoy an intimate evening of theatre, including a talk-back after the show with Never Let the Crew See You Cry’s author and cast, at Horizon Stage on February 13 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are just $30 for adults and $25 for students and seniors and may be purchased at the City Hall Ticket Centre (315 Jespersen Ave) or by phone at 780-962-8995 or 1-888-655-9090. Tickets can also be purchased online by visiting horizonstage.com and clicking on the ‘Tickets’ link.

“…a charming and light romp through an era that made heroes of ordinary men and women, and celebrates the tales of those behind the scenes who were just as dedicated to fighting the good fight as those on the front lines.”
- Edmonton Journal

“…the dialogue was wonderfully written, with plenty of laughs and plenty of singing along from the audience.”
- Retro Reporter

“…a riveting production worthy of a packed audience.”
- St Albert Gazette

This performance is proudly sponsored by Canadian Heritage, The Alberta Foundation for the Arts, The Arts Touring Alliance of Alberta, Theatre Alberta, Fringe Theatre Adventures, CKUA, Servus Credit Union, and Ticketpro.