Acoustic Harvest ~ Our Story
IN 1996 THE LATE, LEGENDARY MUSICIAN RICK FIELDING, along with his wife Heather, bought a house in Scarborough. As they settled in, Rick established his music practice and got to know the neighbourhood; he loved almost everything about it, but one thing was missing. There was nowhere to go to hear acoustic music in a listening venue. So Rick decided to start his own folk club, and typical of Rick he decided to do it with a Fielding twist.
Most acoustic venues catered to a specific musical taste; you could go to hear old time or bluegrass or traditional folk, country, blues or songwriters, but there was no venue that presented all of them. Rick, who was an expert in all of these styles and more, thought that if people liked one, they'd probably like others if they were introduced to them. His club would feature fine players in all styles.
That decided, he set about finding a venue and some people to help. The first recruit (after Heather, of course) was the Reverend James Allman, a banjo player and student Rick had come to know quite well. James was the minister at Greenwood United and that's where the first meeting was held and subsequently the first concert. In April 1997 The Scarborough Acoustic Music Society began with a concert by Norman and Betty MacDonald.
Rick was the inspiration and the instigator; he got the 'ball rolling' and then passed on the artistic direction and running of the club to Lillian Wauthier who recruited Sue Goldberg, Dave Gallagher and Matthew Shuster to join her after James Allman moved away from Toronto a year later. The name was changed to Acoustic Harvest and over the past 16 years there have been a few changes; when renovations began at Acoustic Harvest's venue, the Birchcliff Bluffs United Church, Acoustic Harvest moved a block east to St. Nicholas Anglican church and after Dave and Matthew left for other projects, Sue Goldberg asked Lucy Bowers to join the committee which grew to include Heather Fielding, Topaz Dawn, Jennifer Sutton, Doug Campbell, baker Tricia Hurst, Brian Short and Robert Fyfle.
The current Team is Lillian, Tomek Kniat, Duncan Robertson, Judy Fink, Alex Sinclair, Topaz Amber Dawn, Fran Van Leeuwen, Ron and Karen Lynch, Debbie Potts, Heather Fielding, Brian Short, our Baker Janet Forbes and our soundman extraordinaire, Jason LaPrade.
THE MANDATE OF ACOUSTIC HARVEST is to present a monthly concert series featuring the finest local, national and international acoustic roots music in Toronto - to the East end communities of the Beach, the Scarborough Bluffs, greater Scarborough and beyond; indeed, we get audience members coming from all parts of both Toronto and Ontario (and sometimes even further afield). We are blessed to have a steady stream of virtuoso performers grace our stage, enriching us with a cornucopia of music ranging from Traditional and Contemporary Folk to Blues, Celtic, Bluegrass, Old Time, Appalachian, Singer-Songwriter and World. And all in a lovely, cozy setting that fosters the building of friendships, community spirit and a love of music and the arts.
Most acoustic venues catered to a specific musical taste; you could go to hear old time or bluegrass or traditional folk, country, blues or songwriters, but there was no venue that presented all of them. Rick, who was an expert in all of these styles and more, thought that if people liked one, they'd probably like others if they were introduced to them. His club would feature fine players in all styles.
That decided, he set about finding a venue and some people to help. The first recruit (after Heather, of course) was the Reverend James Allman, a banjo player and student Rick had come to know quite well. James was the minister at Greenwood United and that's where the first meeting was held and subsequently the first concert. In April 1997 The Scarborough Acoustic Music Society began with a concert by Norman and Betty MacDonald.
Rick was the inspiration and the instigator; he got the 'ball rolling' and then passed on the artistic direction and running of the club to Lillian Wauthier who recruited Sue Goldberg, Dave Gallagher and Matthew Shuster to join her after James Allman moved away from Toronto a year later. The name was changed to Acoustic Harvest and over the past 16 years there have been a few changes; when renovations began at Acoustic Harvest's venue, the Birchcliff Bluffs United Church, Acoustic Harvest moved a block east to St. Nicholas Anglican church and after Dave and Matthew left for other projects, Sue Goldberg asked Lucy Bowers to join the committee which grew to include Heather Fielding, Topaz Dawn, Jennifer Sutton, Doug Campbell, baker Tricia Hurst, Brian Short and Robert Fyfle.
The current Team is Lillian, Tomek Kniat, Duncan Robertson, Judy Fink, Alex Sinclair, Topaz Amber Dawn, Fran Van Leeuwen, Ron and Karen Lynch, Debbie Potts, Heather Fielding, Brian Short, our Baker Janet Forbes and our soundman extraordinaire, Jason LaPrade.
THE MANDATE OF ACOUSTIC HARVEST is to present a monthly concert series featuring the finest local, national and international acoustic roots music in Toronto - to the East end communities of the Beach, the Scarborough Bluffs, greater Scarborough and beyond; indeed, we get audience members coming from all parts of both Toronto and Ontario (and sometimes even further afield). We are blessed to have a steady stream of virtuoso performers grace our stage, enriching us with a cornucopia of music ranging from Traditional and Contemporary Folk to Blues, Celtic, Bluegrass, Old Time, Appalachian, Singer-Songwriter and World. And all in a lovely, cozy setting that fosters the building of friendships, community spirit and a love of music and the arts.
Special thanks to Terry O’Donaghue for the generous donation that helps us provide the best experience for our artists and audience.
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Left ~ Lillian Wauthier, Artistic Director
Right ~ Jason LaPrade, Live Sound & Recording Engineer (Crystal Clear Sound), and Photographer Quilt by Pat Armour |
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