Orillia Lightfoot Days honours the legend

[jj]

Lightfoot Days honours the legend through music, memorabilia and comraderie....including over 15 hours of live performances ...the celebration finishes today at the church where it all started for Gord.... Bev's son will perform with us.. The Sundown album was performed note for note live at Lightfoot Auditorium...Meredith performed at the market... There is a full list on an event poster ..I can't post images here any longer

No info or updates on his Hometown Festival here? Is all the activity now at facebook? Agh

I hope the site lives on... And that any residual members are well

[johnfowles]

Originally Posted by jj

I can't post images here any longer

Waddya Mean Jimbo
I have just spent a lot of effort trying to tell/remind everybody how the insert image system works did you miss it?? Other people did not
including a pair of pranksters from the UK The O'Malley feller was rude, and Jim the Exerciser was quite quixotic!!

[charlene]

http://www.orilliapacket.com/2015/11...wntown-orillia

Organizers of Orillia's Lightfoot Days cut the official cake Sunday at St. Paul's Centre. Part of the reason Lightfoot Days is held in November is to celebrate the birth of Gordon Lightfoot.

[charlene]

http://www.simcoe.com/news-story/608...ff-in-orillia/

Nov 06, 2015
Gordon Lightfoot is the focus of a four-day tribute featuring musical performances by local artists. In addition to performing, Lightfoot’s nephew, Steve Eyers, is organizing a memorabilia display at the Orillia Public Library.
Orillia Today
By Frank Matys

Steve Eyers will be performing triple duty during this weekend's musical tribute to Gordon Lightfoot.

A nephew of the iconic singer/songwriter, Eyers will delve into the Lightfoot catalogue along with Eric Kidd during an appearance on Saturday afternoon at Apple Annie's Café.

Later that evening, Eyers joins a performance of the album 'Sundown', mounted by Classic Albums Live at the Orillia Opera House.

On Sunday Eyers lends his guitar and voice to a group at St. Paul's Centre.

“It is going to be a busy weekend,” he says.

In addition to his role as a performer, Eyers is coordinating a display of memorabilia at the library for the third annual 'Lightfoot Days'.

“I have some pictures, I have a gold record, some old albums, some sheet music, some books,” he said, adding visitors will also have an opportunity to view a replica of the Edmund Fitzgerald, the doomed ship that Lightfoot famously immortalized in song.

Now in its third year, the Nov. 5 to 8 event kicks off Thursday evening at 5 p.m. with an open stage musical event in The Den at Georgian College, where staff and students will perform.

Swanmore Hall at the Leacock Museum hosts '50+ Poems For Gordon Lightfoot' starting at 7 p.m.

Both events are open to the public and admission is free.

“The appetite in Orillia for a festival in celebration of Lightfoot is insatiable,” said Karen Hilfman-Millson, a member of the organizing committee. “It is his hometown, his birth place where his story all began more than 70 years ago.”

On Friday night, tribute group 'The Circle is Small' pays homage to Lightfoot at Brewery Bay, followed by a full slate of events on Saturday beginning at the downtown farmers' market.

Nearby, Sunshine Ukuleles hosts a ukulele workshop of Lightfoot songs at the library at a cost of $20.

To register for the workshop, email sunshine.ukuleles@gmail.com.

On Sunday, St. Paul's Centre has scheduled a Lightfoot-inspired worship service with music by the John Stinson Band at 10:30 a.m., followed by a 'Railroad Trilogy'-themed lunch.

Tickets are $15 and are available at St. Paul's or by calling 705-326-7351.

A cake provided by Mariposa Market, along with live music, is offered free at the church starting at 1 p.m.

Tickets to the Classic Albums Live performance at the opera house are $37.50.

For more information, go to www.orilliaoperahouse.ca.

A full schedule of events and ticket information is available at http://www.downtownorillia.ca/event/...lightfoot-days.

[imported_Next_Saturday]

Now those "Lightfoot Days" shirts are the kind of nicely designed merchandise GL should be selling on his e-Store...

[charlene]

http://www.simcoe.com/news-story/608...ff-in-orillia/

[jj]

i agree, imported next saturday... what design team came up with the fonts for those GL t-shirts at the e-store? (maybe there is an old thread about all that)

I will check out the tutorial, John... thanks as always, my friend

great links. char... good stuff... it was good to see ron jones and mr. bartlett

kenyon said it was wonderful to hear live strings (cello, violin) during the live performance of all Sundown album songs... very fine bass and leads as well!

no video has surfaced from the banquet hall concert...just a snip from the stage (where Gord first performed almost 65 years ago) ... in the sanctuary, John Stinson sang wonderful versions of Sit down Young Stranger, Too Late for Praying, Home from the Forest, Song for a Winter's night, Rainy Day People, Second Cup of Coffee, Black Day in July, Canadian Railroad Trilogy plus we really nailed Patriot's Dream ...The Lost Children was recited and a piano and vocal version of Don Quixote was performed... the 'stew and bad whiskey' lunch was terrific ...there were 3 tuned pianos as well... i.e.) the venue was Heavenly

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmvFjO-Yxjw

[jj]

.

[jj]

i wonder how many fonts they considered before landing on this one?

doesn't look my my head would fit through that opening... need a XXXXXXXL

the women might order one as a turn on... looks like Gord may have slept in it

[lighthead2toe]

An exceptionally memorable weekend it was indeed.

The little town of Orillia was alive with the sound of Gordon Lightfoot music and the townsfolk had everything perfectly in place for this huge celebration.

Our friend and musical partner Paul Bartlett and I arrived on the Saturday and stayed over coming back to Toronto on the Sunday afternoon.

Upon arrival we made our way to "Apple Annie's Cafe" where "The Circle is Small Band" was setting up to perform and we were received with a warm greeting from the guys and hung out there for a bit before heading to "The Hog and Penny," a quaint little English style pub close by. My son Liam and granddaughter, Zaira met us there for lunch and it was great to see them. I love my family. All the venues are within walking distance and the Orillia weather was pleasant and delightful.

The "Hog and Penny" featured "Don James," a name unfamiliar to us up till this point but boy, did he roll out one heck of a great show!

Don is a one man band with an elaborate set up up of high tech equipment which among other great sounds, produced a female harmony to compliment his own powerful voice. He knew the tunes and performed them well. Watch for his name if he comes you way.

Then it's on to Marcel's, a fine dining establishment but they do have a bar so we sat there and enjoyed the sweet sounds of Jane Lewis and my good friend Eve Goldberg. These two women produce a wonderful combination of sound. They have many Gord tunes in their repertoire and shared several with us. Thank you ladies.

From Marcel's we're off to the final round of the day; the impressively turreted "Orillia Opera House."

The show here features Gord's nephew, Steven Eyers together with Eric Kidd as the main vocal and also lead guitar. Eric was trained by Red Shea, Gord's original lead guitar player.
Backing Steve and Eric up was a very fine sounding, well seasoned band called "Classic Albums Live." Some really sweet cello sounds complimenting those great Gord tunes here. They treated us to a wonderful two set performance.

During the intermission we were pleasantly surprised to meet up with Kenyon Wallace and his beautiful Johanna. Kenyon is an all round Lightfoot musician and they are a lovely young couple raising their little daughter. Busy times for Johanna and Kenyon.

After a good night's rest we're off to St Paul's Church for the Sunday morning service which included a musical performance with John Stinson on vocal, six and twelve string guitar, Steven Eyers on bass and harmony, Eric Kidd on lead guitar, harmony and Jimmy Jones on keyboard. What a band!

The service was beautiful with St. Paul's former Church Minister and friend of Gord's, Karen Hilfman Millson sharing her stories and quotes between songs. St Paul's was the Church Gord attended.

Also as part the service the local Church choir performed a most beautiful rendition of "Pussywillows, Cattails." It's clear that they took this project seriously. The choir was a combination of young voices up to the senior ones and they each sang their respective parts with ultimate precision. It was a very moving performance.

From their own congregation St. Paul's also provided the sound and several members made a significant contribution providing percussion, piano and vocal. "Don Quixote" was a big highlight for me! Thank you friends.

Following the service the band moved downstairs to the banquet hall where lunch was being prepared and the music continued in style.

John Stinson's repertoire is extensive which includes one of my faves, "Ballad of the Yarmouth Castle," an earlier shipwreck song, and following a brief explanation he did a most passionate version of this mournful ballad.
The song ended with a "Jimmy Jones elongated chord" on his keyboard that would leave a lump in anyone's throat. Thank you JJ. Now I can't eat my cake.

One final stop before we head back and that's to hear "The Circle is Small Band" at the Mariposa Market.
These fellows are the local Orillia Tribute Band and a fine bunch of guys they are. They know all the tunes and play them well. Their lead guitar player, Jack Nicolle also was trained by Red Shea.

A very fulfilling Orillia weekend it was and now our sights are focused on the "Gordon Lightfoot Tribute" shows scheduled for mid January at Hugh's Room in Toronto.
Can't get much better than that, eh?

[charlene]

Had I not been in Niagara Falls NY seeing the real deal I'd have gone with you Ron! Sounds like a great weekend filled with awesome music!