In the spring of 2017 the NICS board of directors asked their audience to look through a list of the Concert Society’s past performers and indicate who were some of their favourites.
The board then went out and hired as many as possible of these favourites to create a terrific season of much-loved performances.
The Concert Society is also celebrating Canada’s 150th birthday by starting off with a tribute to Canadian popular music, and by featuring all Canadian performers, and actually mostly BC performers.
The opening concert is called The Great Canadian Songbook, and features Ken Lavigne (tenor who has appeared for the NICS twice), and also features The Tiller’s Folly, long a favourite with North Island audiences with their infectious Celtic-styled roots and folk tunes featuring the history of BC.
Also in the Songbook is Diyet, a great singer from the Yukon with Tutchone, Japanese, Tlingit, and Scottish roots.
All together, these great performers present the hit songs of Canada’s last few decades: Gordon Lightfoot, Stompin’ Tom Connors, Anne Murray, Buffy St. Marie, Leonard Cohen, Stan Rogers, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Bare Naked Ladies, and more, and also perform some of their own original songs.
The second concert on December 2nd is Vivace, a group of classically trained singers who perform everything from pop to opera.
Vivace features Melody (Mercredi) Courage, who is originally from the North Island.
The third concert is something new – a talented group of musicians from BC’s interior who are bringing some old-time country music with The Songs of the Southern Belles - it will be great revue of hits made famous by the great ladies of the Grand Old Opry.
The annual dinner show is right around Valentine’s Day as usual, and this year by request Dockside Drive from Victoria is bringing back their great big band and vocalists to present another great night of dancing and music to follow dinner.
The Grand Finale of the anniversary season is the return of veteran bluesman Jim Byrnes, this time appearing with his back-up band AND the one and only Sojourners, the great gospel group originally formed as his back-up singers.
Tickets are available as season ticket packages or individually at the following:
Café Guido, Port Hardy Museum, Flora Borealis in Port McNeill, and from Gail Neely in Port Alice. For further information please call 250-949-7778.
