Once again, Ragtime Weekend comes to the country town of Fergus, Ontario. Starting the last Friday in September, and continuing through Sunday, this small Canadian town has a habit of going off-beat. It gets syncopated.
The 300-capacity concert hall, known as The Theater on the Grand, is the centerpiece of the town. Here we see the main stage, equipped with a pair of concert grands, manned by Bob Milne and Sue Keller, who appeared solo, in duet, as well as with the ragtime quartet in a stage within the stage. Friday and Saturday night concerts were both sold out. |
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The Royal City Saxophone Quartet features Soprano, Alto, Tenor, and Baritone saxophones. Band members Tim Hoher, Bradley Moggach, Peter Wendell, and Ernie Kalwa regularly appear in Guelph, Kitchener's Center in the Square, Ontario Place, as well as the duMaurier Downtown Jazz Festival in Toronto. |
Fergus Ragtime Weekend organizer, John Snowdon, is the artistic director of the Theater on the Grand. |
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He relocated to Fergus from the bustling city of Toronto some 15 years ago and brought a little bit of culture with him. |
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Sue and Bob at the Fergus Market. Somebody looks like they're just having too much fun! |
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The town of Fergus, as well as much of the surrounding countryside, was populated in the early 1700's by settlers from Scotland. The marketplace, village squares with their quaint shops, Scarlett's Restaurant (with its array of single-malt Scotches), the Breadalbane Inn, and the Elora Mill Country Inn, not to mention the warm and friendly citizenry, all combine to transport you right back to the heart of Scotland.
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If you were wondering why they call it the Theater on the Grand, here's what's just out the back door. Views from the foot bridge leading from the theater to the marketplace. |
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This is the only annual ragtime event in Canada. Organizer, John Snowdon, says he hopes to continue and perhaps expand it in future years. Next year, however, they're having no rain.
