Mosey Over to Horizon Stage for some Agriculturally-Oriented Western Music

Ben Crane Combines Cowboy Songs and Cheeky Artwork to Create a Unique Concert Experience on February 6

From the Alberta ranchlands just east of Rocky Mountain House comes western country singer and songwriter Ben Crane. His love for the west-country and the outdoors comes through not only in his music, but in his original artwork as well. Ben’s musical stylings are rooted in traditional country, with hints of bluegrass, jazz, blues, and swing, and range from old cowboy ballads, to recently-written songs of the western lifestyle, and straight-ahead gospel songs that pack a punch; all delivered with conviction, a warm personality, and a touch of cheeky humour. Mosey over to Horizon Stage on Thursday, February 6 at 2 p.m. and warm up with a generous helping of Ben Crane.

Music has been keeping Ben busy for over 25 years. With six albums of his own, and countless others under his belt in various capacities as producer, engineer, arranger, session player, or vocalist, he is making a significant mark in the western music field. Several of his projects have been nominated for awards in the U.S. where western music's current resurgence is at an all-time high, and these same albums are receiving airplay as far away as Europe and Japan.

Ben is also an accomplished artist, recognized on both sides of the border, and one of only a few Canadians drawing for the famous greeting card company Leanin' Tree. A founding member of the Cowboy Cartoonists International, he has won many awards, and has been a standard at western festivals and art shows all across western North America, including Oklahoma City's National Cowboy Hall of Fame, the Calgary Stampede, C. M. Russell Museum and annually in Las Vegas during the National Finals Rodeo. His art has also graced many books and magazines, as well as private collections in many parts of the continent and overseas.

A Ben Crane concert is agriculture-oriented and full of clean rural humour. His screen-projected original artwork adds a unique element to his show, while his daughter's accompanying fiddle and vocals illustrate his family values. Horizon Stage is looking forward to presenting Ben on Thursday, February 6 at 2 p.m.  Tickets are just $25 for all ages and may be purchased at the City Hall Ticket Centre (315 Jespersen Ave), by phone at 780-962-8995 or 1-888-655-9090, and online through Ticketpro.ca.

"Super combination of visual and performing art."

-Hudson Bay Allied Arts Council

"Ben Crane never fails to deliver with off the wall humour, clever concepts and some memorable serious songs

that reach deeply into the heart of everyone who loves the west."

-Hugh McLennan, Spirit of The West syndicated radio show.

Tiny Islands Want to Introduce Your Kids to Classic Jazz Standards

Wiggle and waggle along with irresistible tunes by Louis Armstrong, Cab Calloway, and Fats Waller on February 1

There’s no more exciting way to introduce kids to a variety of musical instruments than through the upbeat, can’t-sit-still jazz of the 1920s and 30s. Hailing from a musical family, Tim Sars, veteran leader of Vancouver’s popular Carnival Band, has over a decade of experience entertaining and engaging children and their families with fun spirited music. When Tim teams up with his brother Nathan on multiple brass instruments, a double bass player, and a drummer the quartet becomes Tiny Islands. Together they’re aiming to get everyone up and dancing at Horizon Stage on Saturday, February 1 at 2 p.m.

 

Tiny Islands engages young people, and the young at heart, with irresistible tunes by jazz greats like Louis Armstrong, Cab Calloway, and Fats Waller. Every song has an audience participation aspect, from knocking on the door to swimming in the deep blue sea. From classics like “When the Saints Go Marching In”, to a family-friendly version of Clarence Williams’ “My Bucket’s Got a Hole in It” that changes beer to lemonade, the music they play will make you want to wiggle, waggle, and sing along and that’s encouraged. Residents of Spruce Grove and surrounding area may remember when Tiny Islands entertained crowds at the City’s 2017 Canada Day Celebration. Horizon Stage staff loved them so much that they jumped at the opportunity to invite them back to perform as part of this 2019-2020 Family Programming series.

A natural musician in every respect, both of Tim Sars’ parents were professional musicians so it was inevitable that he would follow in their footsteps.  When not performing with Tiny Islands he also works with a trio, a quartet, and a carnival band! Tim's fluent and deeply melodic saxophone style draws on a spectrum of inspirations - from Afrobeat, New Orleans, Ellingtonian jazz, Balkan Brass, Funk, and Latin jazz. He also plays, piano, clarinet, and flute. In his recent self-produced album you can hear his skill as a composer and arranger of various styles of jazz, pop, and funk.

Start February 2020 off on a happy note - literally. Bring your kids, grandkids, or nieces and nephews to enjoy Tiny Islands in concert at Horizon Stage on Saturday, February 1 at 2 p.m.  Tickets are just $12 for all ages and may be purchased at the City Hall Ticket Centre (315 Jespersen Ave), by phone at 780-962-8995 or 1-888-655-9090, and online through Ticketpro.ca. Free preshow activities will run in the lobby from 1 - 1:45 p.m.

Exultation is an Intoxicating Music and Storytelling Collaboration

Multi-talented Pianist and Spoken-Word Artist Breathe Life into Rachmaninoff and his Compositions at Horizon Stage on January 28 

An intoxicating music and storytelling collaboration, Exultation is a stirring and unique exploration of the music of Russian composer Sergei Rachmaninoff. Award-winning classical pianist Sarah Hagen performs all 13 preludes of Rachmaninoff’s Opus 32 while spoken-word artist and former Canadian SLAM champion, Brendan McLeod, intersperses stories and poems. The result is a narrative journey that focuses on Rachmaninoff’s life -  from his exile from Russia to his battle with depression, tireless work ethic, and dedication to beauty - in order to examine the estrangements, losses, and redemptions at the heart of contemporary political and social life. Centered by Hagen’s intricate and passionate performance and McLeod’s intense torrent of words, Exultation will build into a powerful crescendo at Horizon Stage on Tuesday, January 28.

Horizon Stage audiences will remember Sarah Hagen from her previous performances featuring the works of Robert and Clara Schumann, and Brahms. She has performed across Canada and in Europe and been heard on radio broadcasts throughout North America. Her interpretations have been  described as “outstandingly inventive", ”played flawlessly”, and “with great sensitivity and heart.”. An avid collaborator, Sarah has performed with many other musicians and appeared as a soloist with the Victoria Symphony, the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony, the West Coast Symphony Orchestra, the Symphony Orchestra of the Pacific, and the Nanaimo Chamber Orchestra. As a First Prize Winner in the 2013 Bradshaw & Buono International Piano Competition, she was awarded the opportunity to perform solo at New York City’s Carnegie Hall in May 2013. Her debut solo album, Glass House Dancing, was nominated for Classical Recording of the Year at the 2009 Western Canadian Music Awards and she released her second album, Devoted: Music of Robert & Clara Schumann, in 2013.

 

Brendan McLeod is a Toronto-based writer, spoken word artist, and singer. He’s the author of one novel, The Convictions of Leonard McKinley, a one woman play, The Big Oops, and three monologues — including his award-winning piece on consciousness, Brain, and Exultation. Brendan is the founder of The Fugitives, a folk group that tours internationally who have been nominated for multiple Canadian Folk Music and Western Canadian Music Awards. Brendan was the 2012 Poet of Honour at the Canadian Festival of Spoken Word and the 2015 Poet of Honour at the Victoria Spoken Word Festival. He is an active youth arts educator who has served as a writer in residence at dozens of secondary schools across Canada, the US, and Europe, and taught a spoken word class at Langara College for two years. Brendan has an MA in Philosophy from the University of Waterloo.

Allow yourself to be swept away by Sarah Hagen and Brendan McLeod’s intensity and dramatic flair. Enjoy Exaltation, a classical music and poetry pairing like you have never experienced before, at Horizon Stage on Tuesday, January 28 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are just $35 for adults and $30 for students and seniors. Tickets can be purchased at the City Hall Ticket Centre (315 Jespersen Ave), by phone at 780-962-8995 or 1-888-655-9090, and online through Ticketpro.ca.

“Hagen is one of the most expressive piano players that I have ever seen perform…”

- The Guardian (Charlottetown)

“McLeod is a smart, his rapid fire delivery so clean and confident, his wit so casual, copious, and reassuring.”

- The Georgia Straight

Take a Scoop of Toe-Tapping Tunes, Add a Dash of Silliness, Then Rattle and Strum

That’s The Recipe for Fun at Horizon Stage’s Munchkin Matinee on January 27

                                                                                                                                                      

 The recipe for fun?  We take a scoop of toe-tapping tunes, add a dash of silliness, then rattle and strum until we’re ready to fall over. Rattle and Strum gets kids dancing, singing, and having fun.  With Heather on guitar and Steve on drums, this highly interactive Calgary-based band leaves nobody out, and is known for original music that parents enjoy too. Bring your toddlers, preschoolers, and kindergarteners to experience Rattle and Strum, Horizon Stage’s Munchkin Matinee on Monday, January 27 at 10 a.m.

Rattle and Strum’s self-titled first children’s album was released in 2013. It received a prestigious Parents’ Choice Gold Award, their highest stamp of approval, along with nominations for a Western Canadian Music Award and a Canadian Folk Music Award. Their second album, Ants in My Pants, was released in 2018. It included exciting new original tunes about wild turkeys, marshmallows, sneezing, pocket contents, the mysterious superhero Meatball Man, and of course, ants in pants!

Armed with their catchy tunes, great grooves, visual props, and an incredible sense of fun, a Rattle and Strum concert is an experience that children, and their grown-ups, won’t soon forget! The husband and wife duo has performed many times at the Arden Theatre and the International Children’s Festival in St. Albert. In 2019 they played on the Community Stage at Spruce Grove’s Canada Day Celebration and we’re excited to welcome them back!

Rattle and Strum is not a show that kids need to sit still and be quiet at; dancing and singing along is encouraged. Come play with Rattle and Strum at Horizon Stage on Monday, January 27 at 10 a.m. Their concert will be 50-60 minutes long and is recommended for everyone age 6-and-under and adults who are young at heart. Tickets are just $12 for adults and $6 for children and discounts are available for daycare, preschool, and school groups. Tickets can be purchased at the City Hall Ticket Centre (315 Jespersen Ave), by phone at 780-962-8995 or 1-888-655-9090, and online through ticketpro.ca. Seating for this concert will be general admission.

“Awesome music makers!!” - Facebook Fan

“Great songs & great recordings. Such a great voice!”  - Fellow Artist

“Fresh and exciting children’s music at its best 10/10” - HerScoop Blog

“… effortless child appeal, quirky humour and irresistible melodic flare…” - Parent’s Choice Awards

“I find myself singing about ants in my pants daily now… We love it!!!” - Parent & Daycare Director