Each year Michele Amy and Will Elliott host the Kenosee Lake Kitchen Party, a music camp open to all ages during the summer. World class musicians teach fiddle, guitar, mandolin, piano, banjo, and this past year even included the cello.
There is a children's camp and two subsequent weeks open to all. It is considered a wonderful family event, which brings people across the southeast and from even further together.
In order to give everyone an opportunity to attend the camp Amy and Elliott hold, The Big Red House Concert Series. Holding the concert series is a way to raise funds for a bursary to the Kenosee Lake Kitchen Party.
"We bring in the best examples of musicians and people we can find. They have to be great musicians, but need to be really fantastic human beings too," Amy explained about the music camp.
The camp was and continues to be a way to develop a music community in the southeast.
"It's a labour of love, something we're really passionate about," Amy stated.
The bursary fundraiser was held on Friday, Nov. 23 at 7 p.m. at the home of Amy and Elliott with a conglomeration of extremely talented musicians. Matt Contois an instructor at the Kitchen Party camp arrived from Winnipeg to participate. He is the Grand North American Fiddle champion and ranked 11th in the Canadian Grand Master's last year, just missing out on the top ten; but, having walked away with the People's Choice Award.
He had the approximately 40 people in attendance whooping and hollering as he played his fiddle. Accompanied by Amy on the piano for a few songs, everyone was amazed by the talented artist who also played a couple songs on a guitar. The toe-stomping tunes were well received throughout the evening.
After Contois finished his session, Solace took to the stage accompanied by Yvan Huriet on percussion and Anthony "Buzz" Bzdell on guitar. Solace is a two-person group made up of husband and wife team Aaron and Jacquie Walbaum.
The group played a number of well known tunes as well as original tunes written by Jacquie. The Walbaum's are often found at the Happy Nun in Forget during the open mic nights at the bar. The absolutely amazing talent of the four showed through as they worked together in creating phenomenal music.
During the night the Walbaum's brought up their three young daughters to sing a couple of songs as well. Still very young, the girls were a great hit as their parents have already helped them embrace music, which has been aided by the Kenosee Lake Kitchen Party.
The night concluded with a standing ovation as Solace and their accompanists performed. The chairs were then cleared and a number of people stuck around to partake in a jam session, with individuals bringing their instruments.
Amy was also selling raffle tickets and CD's in order to raise funds for the Canadian Grand Master's competition. This fiddling competition has always been hosted in Ontario, but will be held next year in Saskatoon and those involved in the fiddling community are dedicated to making it a success.
