by CONNIE TABBERT
Editor
WESTMEATH — There were two standing ovations Saturday night following two performances at the Westmeath Communmity Hall.
The Enright and Donohue young fiddle players and stepdancers from the Douglas area entertained before a large crowd. Their performance was followed by Beolach, a Celtic/Irish playing band, originally from Cape Breton, but who now live from one end of the country to the other.
The event was the Festival of Small Halls. This festival is about sharing a love of music in a beloved place. Brought to you by the Team Behind Bluesfest, the Festival of Small Halls brings exceptional Canadian musicians to small venues across Eastern Ontario. On Saturday, this event was in Westmeath.
The Enright / Donohue performers enterained with fiddles, piano, guitar, penny whistle, drums, accordions and step dancing.
Mom Siobheann Donohue thanked the organizers for inviting her children and the Enright children to be a part of this Festival of Small Halls.
At one point, she explained that accordion players Isaac Enright and Mhari Donohue are both left-handed. While one of them performs right handed, the other turns the accordion upside down, and yet, still manages to play it left-handed.
“I don’t know how they do that,” she said, bringing cheers from the crowd.
Following their performance, they received a standing ovation from the crowd.
Cathy Williamson, emcee for the evening, said, “Now we have with us, yjr Sydney Crosby of band music. You are stars.”
She then introduced the members of Beolach: Mairi Rankin, Wendy MacIsaac, Matt Rankin, Max Cormier and Mac Morin.
Joking, she said, “They gave me hell. They said, why not put us on first before you put on the kids. Now’re they feeling old,” bringing laughter from the crowd.
Ms. MacIsaac said Beolach means lively youth.
Laughing, she added, “We’re trying to figure out the gaelic word for middle aged lively youth.”
Recalling the band’s history, she said they formed in 1998 after meeting at the Celtic Colours Festival, which happens all over Cape Breton Island beginning Thanksgiving weekend and running for nine days.
Over the next 11 years, they toured “pretty hard,” eventually going their own ways and doing their own things, including having families, Ms. MacIsaac said.
She noted it’s been eight years since they’ve had copies of their second album created, but for Festival of Small Halls, they had them created and available for sale, as well as other CDs they created individually.
Throughout the performance, they spoke about their band, noting Matt is a world champion piper, a song or two were written for specific people, including Matt’s sister who was getting married and Ms. MacIsacc’s husband Steve.
Follwoing a set, Ms. Rankin said, “Sometimes you walk into certain venues and you get a bad feel or a good feel.
“Definitely walking in here just felt like it’s going to be a great night tonight,” she said.
“This this hall reminds me of a hall 10 years ago,” she said. “It was packed to the rafters.”
Then Ms. Rankin told a story about the time Max performed a solo on the piano. She recalled how he got the crowd going crazy and they were “hootin’ and hollerin” with how he tickled the ivories. During intermission, a “lovely old lady, about 80, dressed in a suit and pearls, walked right up to him, looked him in the eye, and said, God, I wish I was a piano.”
It was a few minutes before she could talk again, because the Westmeath crowd was laughing so hard.
Near the end, Ms. MacIsaac said, it’s sad they don’t play together as much as they used to, because tonight was spectacular.
“We are so happy you guys asked us to come here and play for you,” she said. “This is the most fun we’ve had. As a band, we have the most fun together.”
Mr. Morin took the opportunity to thank the organizers, but most of all, those who provided the meal for them prior to going onsitatge.
“That was an amazing meal,” he said. “We ate like royalty.”
Following an encore presentation, Ms. Williamson said Festival of Small Halls organizer Mark Monaghan better keep Westmeath on the list for another event
While the band was packing up, Ms. Williamson recalled how Festival of Halls came to be in Westmeath.
She received a phone call from Mr. Monaghan, asking if Westmeath wanted to be a part of the Festival of Small Halls. Without hestitating, she said, “Absolutely. Count us in. We want to do it.”
A committee was then formed with members from Westmeath District Recreation Association (WDRA) and the Riverview Social Club.
Knowing the kind of music Beolach performs, it was just a natural to ask the Enright / Donohue kids to perform, she said.
The hall was filled with a “real cross section of people from all over the place,” Ms. Williamson said. “Tonight was a real success.”
A week ago, Elvis was in the building, and that night was also a success, she said.
“We are an active community,” Ms. Williamson said. “We’re trying to gather people to have fun. Music is culture and culture is life.”
The next event is Octoberfest on Oct. 24. Information about this event is not yet all together, but when it is, the public will be kept informed.
She did admit, “There will be lots of polkaing. It will be a great night.”
Mr. Morin said it was a busy dy for the members of Beolach, with some of them arriving only the morning of the event.
“We really enjoyed our time here,” he said. “Everybody is incredibly kind. They made us feel welcome.
“The crowd was amazing and everybody is so warm and genuine and into it.”
From the Festival of Small Halls web site:
Every small community has one: a treasured building that brings people together for town meetings, yoga classes, bingo games, local theatre, white elephant sales—and the list goes on.
These buildings have rich cultural histories and countless stories to tell. No two are alike. During the festival, communities across Eastern Ontario will throw open the doors of their small halls for an unforgettable night of music. Some of Canada’s best musicians will step off the big stage and hit the scenic back roads to perform in legions, schools, churches, or town halls. They will receive a warm, small-town welcome from communities of music lovers who are eager to show off their treasured halls and their hospitality, all in the name of excellent music.
Small Halls festivals are popping up around the world. What started in PEI has spread to Australia, and now to Ontario. The Festival of Small Halls is proud to join this international community dedicated to showcasing first-rate music in intimate venues.
The Festival of Small Halls is about sharing big music in small, cherished places. It’s about settling into the heart of a community, and then experiencing music with heart.
