The Harmony in the Highlands Concert Series Kicks off in Middleville
- Barb
- Mar 17
- 2 min read
by Barb Young
The old saying ‘hard work pays off’ rang true in Middleville this past Sunday afternoon as HNN, together with Harmony Concerts, kicked off the first concert in a six-concert series at the community hall.
There is something to be said for acoustics in old buildings with high ceilings. Built in the late 1800s, not too long after the Scottish and Irish settlers first arrived in the Lanark area in the early to mid 1800s, the hall certainly did more than its part to enhance the experience.
While the weather outside was rather rainy and dismal, the atmosphere inside was anything but for the 70 attendees from the northern Lanark Highlands who came out to usher in St. Patrick’s with a topnotch Glengarry-based Celtic band, Hadrian’s Wall. With Neil Emberg singing lead and playing guitar, Ewen McIntosh on the mandolin and singing backup vocals, and Ashely McLeod-McRae on the fiddle, they hit us with the best for a couple of hours - tunes like Whiskey in the Jar, Galway Girl, Sonny’s Dream and the Fields of Atherney to name just a few.
Did they know the tunes and how to play them! Please don’t take my word for it. Click on the link below to Harmony Concert’s YouTube channel and see for yourself.
Neil mentioned that they also know lots of Christmas tunes, making it hard not to think that we should try to find it in our budget to add just one more concert.
For now, we move on to the next concert in the series. Anna Ludlow is a Nova Scotia-born, Ottawa-based musician. She combines traditional Cape Breton and Scottish-style, Celtic fiddle music with contemporary sounds and will be playing her tunes at the 2nd Annual Volunteer Appreciation Event on April 26th in Clayton. Last year, we honoured those from the past who made extraordinary contributions to our communities. This year, we look forward to honouring those currently serving. Keep an eye on your inbox for the official invitations coming soon.
Happy Matters so keep happy everyone!
