The Opera House at Enosburg Falls presents a Vermont/Canada Arts Collaboration in a concert on Sunday evening [June 30]. Canada's famed Barachois and Vermont's Michele Choiniere will come together on the Opera House stage to celebrate the Acadian and Franco-American cultures and music. The concert is part of the venue's 2002 Mentors Series. FROM LINCOLN CENTER TO ENOSBURG FALLS
Douglas Racine and Jean Cherest will introduce the concert and talk about Canadian-American cooperation. Mr. Racine is Lieutenant Governor of Vermont and a candidate for Governor. M. Cherest is the sitting member for Sherbrooke, leader of the opposition, and a candidate for Premiere.
The award winning and internationally known Barachois is a Canadian national treasure. The quartet step dances into new interpretations of the Acadian heritage and will create a soiree full of warmth and surprises, all rooted in tradition, song, dance and pure fun.
Traditional Acadian music has a rhythmic, high-voltage style born in a culture nurtured across the centuries on Prince Edward Island, Canada. Some of the first settlers in North America brought these songs from France and infused them with Scottish and Irish fiddling. The heartbeat of the music has been passed down generation to generation by way of kitchen parties and community gatherings. It is a musical genre all its own, filled with passion and life.
The Enosburg soiree will have driving foot rhythms, piano, home made percussion instruments, close harmonies, laughter seasoning and the occasional brass.
Michele Choiniere will open the "house party" with Fabio and Lucille Choiniere, Martha Pellerin's youngest son Eric Drury, fiddler Frank Heyburn, and guitarist Kristina Stykos. "I will be step dancing while Frank and Kristina play," Michele Choiniere said.
Barachois is the performing family of Albert Arsenault, vocals, dance, fiddle, bass, and assorted percussion; Hélène Arsenault-Bergeron, piano, vocals, dance, reed (pump) organ, guitar, foot percussion; Louise Arsenault, fiddle, vocals, dance, harmonica, guitar, foot percussion; and Chuck Arsenault, vocals, guitar, harmonica, dance, sousaphone, trumpet. Their music dishes up equal portions of dance, humour and innovation, the perfect recipe for a good time. They have performed at Lincoln Center, as well as the Philadelphia Folk Festival, International de Louisianne, Canada Day on Parliament Hill, the Vancouver Folk Festival, and the Celtic Connections Festival in Glasgow, Scotland.
The group's first album, Barachois, received three nominations at the 1997 East Coast Music Awards and won the Francophone Recording of the Year. The band has just released Encore, its second album.
Michele Choiniere is a Franco-American folk singer, songwriter, musician, and teacher. The Vermont Arts Council juried artist perfoms at festivals throughout New England, Quebec, and France and is featured on a Smithsonian Folkways release, on Vermont Public Television, and in Yankee Magazine. She will also headline the Alburg Heritage Festival on July 4. She is a visiting artist in Vermont schools and the Opera House Franco-American festival director.
Son of renowned Prince Edward Island fiddler Eddy Arsenault, Albert Arsenault began to play the fiddle at age 12 and the drums at age 14. He has toured Canada as a children's entertainer, participated in a wide variety of bands and musical groups, acted as a comedian in national theater productions, and does commercial work for television.
Hélène Arsenault Bergeron is one of Canada's finest step dancers. She tours Canada, the U.S., Europe and Japan as a dancer, children's entertainer and musician. Daughter of the renowned Island fiddler Eddy Arsenault, Ms. Bergeron grew up step dancing and accompanying her father on guitar, eventually adding traditional piano and pump organ playing to her skills. She also plays fiddle, sings, choreographs dance and has co-written comedic plays as well as the Confederation Centre production "Racines acadiennes" with her brother Albert Arsenault.
Louise Arsenault began to sneak her father's fiddle out of its case at the age of seven. She has developed a distinctive fiddle style, Prince Edward Island with an Acadian "swing," and is widely experienced in acting, step dancing, playing fiddle, guitar, and harmonica.
Chuck Arsenault earned a music degree from U.P.E.I. and has performed as a stand-up comic, acted and sung in stage productions, and played in the P.E.I. Symphony. In a rediscoverery of his Acadian roots, he has recently returned to traditional music.
The son of a Quebecois fiddler and a Quebecoise dance pianist, Fabio Choiniere was the first of his family to be born in Vermont. He began learning his father's fiddle tunes on harmonica at age 12. Known for his unique harmonica style, he plays festivals throughout New England and has recorded an archival family collection of Franco-American music and is featured on a Smithsonian Folkways release.
Franco-American singer Lucille Choiniere was born in St Remie, PQ, but immigrated to Vermont at age 10. She learned the tradional songs as a child from relatives who came to her parent's kitchen parties. She performs at festivals throughout New England and Quebec.
The youngest son of the late Franco-American folklorist Martha Pellerin, Eric Drury has been exposed to traditional folk music since the cradle. His family heritage is Acadian/Franco-American and he brings mandolin skills from the younger generation of Franco-Americans in Vermont.
Although born in Kentucky, Frank Heyburn is well known as a New England fiddler playing Quebecois, Scottish, and Irish styles. He lives in Waterville, VT with his wife Michele Lajoie and two children. He is a beekeeper and sells his honey throughout Vermont.
Guitarist Kristina Stykos' unique and driving right hand style brings excitement to this traditional show. She is also known for her explorations into the rich territory of fiddle music on mandolin and guittern, a New England made instrument in the bouzouki family. Her style evokes the celtic spirit with its energy, joy and simplicity. She resides in Chelsea, Vermont.
"The Mentors Series presents well-established professional artists from a variety of performance arts disciplines," said Jon Scott. "These performances serve as an inspiration to the young people of our community who may be considering a career in the arts, while at the same time bringing a wide range of entertainment of the highest quality to our stage."
The Vermont/Canada Arts Collaboration of Barachois and Choiniere is presented by the Opera House at Enosburg Falls, 123 Depot Street, on Sunday, June 30, at 7:30 p.m. Admission is $12 for adults, $10 for seniors or students, and $5 for children under 12. Save a buck on advance sale tickets at the Merchant's Bank and Spears Pharmacy in Enosburg Falls, Swanton Rexall, and at Better Planet and at the Kept Writer in St Albans. Call 802-933-6171 for more info.
123 Depot Street
Post Office Box 1250
Enosburg Falls, Vermont 05450
802.933.6171
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