The applause was loud and heartfelt for the music and dance performances at the popular Joe Hill Coffeehouse on Sunday night.
The Golden City Fiddlers opened rowdily with seven fiddles, three guitars, a mandolin, banjo, tin whistle, and a piano playing foot stomping folk tunes.
Clay Gouin’s artful finger-picking guitar was backed up by Art Abrahams on bass.
Cydney Streadwick and Jill Amantea of Kootenay DanceWorks and the RSS Dance Academy performed beautifully, Streadwick dancing ‘La Crowe’ with music by Bell Orchestre and Amantea dancing ‘The Storyteller’ to music composed by the Medieval Baebes.
Singer-songwriter Jen Jellet was another highlight. Visiting from Kaslo, she got understanding laughter to her original, ‘All you want to do is watch the news,’ an ode to her partner’s odious compulsion to glue himself to media coverage of the world’s wars and disasters.
Local favourites Janet and Terry Marshall played an Irish lineup to celebrate St. Patrick’s day. After some quick instruction, everyone joined in a lively chorus that chronicled the trials of living in Northern Ireland with a Protestant father and a Catholic mother.
Local folkie Marti Daniel sang richly with deft fingerwork on his guitar, while Dan Charron crooned to his guitar and a percussive guitar back-up by Pierre.
Salmo local Kyla Hanna left silence behind her in a stunning solo act with clear, true vocals. Hanna invited musicians to come visit the new community studio that she and others have recently opened in Salmo.
The RSS Drama Club were in London, living on the spoils of many evenings selling treats and refreshments, so Rossland’s Radio Co-op filled in with a spread of delectable treats. The co-op’s Alissa Arnason — also the vivacious Dandelion of Dandelion and the Ditchweeds was pleased radio volunteers pulled together for the last minute fundraiser so soon after their big game show event last weekend.
Arnason was joined by ditchweeds Jordan Barca on banjo, Buzz Reed on mandolin, and Andrew Bennett on fiddle to end the coffeehouse with a set that moved from jigs to heartsongs to bluegrass old timey.
Organizer Michael Gifford put out an open invitation to the community to take part in staging the coffeehouse.
Those interested are invited to a potluck to discuss the future direction it could take — contact Gifford for details at 362-7170 or write giffmus@telus.net.