This summer, award-winning fiddler Julie Patriquin-Johnstone and Celtic and country recording artist Greg Langille will be putting the tour in tourism along Nova Scotia’s North Shore.
The talented pair will be bringing a kitchen party flavour of traditional music to several communities settled by their ancestors centuries ago.
“It means so much for us to play here,” said the nationally acclaimed fiddler.
“This is where our family roots are, this is where our ancestors cleared and tilled the land, and built these communities.”
She continued, “Each of the stops on this tour were selected for a very specific reason. For example, we are launching our tour in River John not only because it is where my ancestors first settled, but because in many ways I credit the community of River John with helping to launch my career in the early years.”
Johnstone’s connection to River John and Tatamagouche goes back 11 generations when Jean Frederick Patriquin arrived in the province after a long, harrowing sea journey from Rotterdam with Montbeliards onboard the ship Betty in July 1752.
He settled on a Des Barres land grant in 1783 in Tatamagouche, however, two years later he moved his family to River John. In 1790 he returned to Tatamagouche joining other early European settlers with the family names of Langille, Millard, Tattrie, Mattatall, Joudrey and dozens more that are still present today.
The village of Tatamagouche will celebrate 300 years of settlement this summer and Johnstone felt hosting a tour to bring traditional music home would be a fitting tribute to the many pioneers who shaped the landscape of Nova Scotia’s picturesque northern coast.
While their family connections run deep on the North Shore, Johnstone and Langille both now reside in the Truro area, and are excited to be supporting many non-profit groups and community organizations with their Over The Mountain Tour 2010.
“Greg and I have both had successful musical careers,” said Johnstone.
“It was important to us that we not just go and put on concerts but that we use our talent in support of the communities that were gracious enough to welcome us back. These are the places that launched our careers in the beginning. I have never forgotten the support that I received from these communities in my early years of performing and I am so excited to be able to give something back.”
During the Tuesday night concerts, community-based organizations will raise funds for their own projects by selling refreshments, snacks and desserts, holding 50/50 draws, raffles, or fundraising other activities. Everyone is encouraged to come out and enjoy the music as well as support the partnering organizations whose volunteers are the backbone of their communities.
Each show will include a little bit of trivia related to each specific community. There will also be door prizes, special guests and lots of fun surprises in store for concert-goers.
For more information on this event visit Facebook at Over The Mountain Tour 2010.