Matthew Hornell and Andrew Sneddon will explore the music they love, when they perform at the Cugnet Centre for the Communithon Concert Jam on Saturday, October 21. They will share their love of timeless traditional ballads, Old Tyme, bluegrass and evocative original songs
Matthew Hornell provides the lead vocals and a driving rhythm guitar and Andrew Sneddon offers up a silvery counterpoint with his Dobro guitar and smooth tenor harmony that blends perfectly with Matthew’s rich melodious baritone and lead vocals. Despite the pair focusing mainly on traditional songs and tunes, they’re not content to live in the past musically. They treat their sources with respect, but they like to move the music forward, by way of sophisticated arrangements, and a deft telling of tales old and new.
“Our inspiration comes from many different places, and many different landscapes of Canada itself,” said Andrew. “There is a lot of East Coast influence in our music, because that is where we grew up.”
Matthew was born and bred in Newfoundland, where the directness and charm of centuries of storytelling, isn’t just an art form, it’s a lens through which the world is viewed. His lyrics, sometimes wry and amusing, are just as often as stark as the craggy shores of eastern Newfoundland. Andrew, raised in the fertile farm country of Nova Scotia’s Annapolis Valley, brings a rural musical feel and keen melodic sense to his resophonic guitar playing. Whether accompanying a song or leading the way through traditional fiddle tunes and original instrumentals, his playing is exciting and evocative.
Both Matthew and Andrew come to the music honestly, both born of the same Scottish/Irish lineage and raised in the lea of the northernmost reaches of that ancient mountain range. They feel influenced by older music, include Old Tyme, bluegrass, and folk and fiddle music.
Hornell and Sneddon create a very personal show, with off the cuff humour and interesting stories they have gathered from years of touring and performing together. After seeing just one show you will leave with a true understanding of these performers both as people and musicians.
“Our favourite place to create music is in a live environment, you get the chance for experimentation and improvisation,” said Andrew. “That live environment is a moment in time, when you create a connection between yourself and the audience.”
“One of our favourite parts of the job is getting to travel to new places, meeting new people, and hearing new perspectives while performing in those communities,” said Andrew. “There is a great diversity of geography and people here in Canada.”
“Saskatchewan itself is a way different place than what we had expected, and in a way it is very similar to the Maritimes. The people there are very hospitable and very kind and welcoming.”
The opportunity to perform at the Communithon Cugnet Centre had allowed Hornell and Sneddon to build a whole tour, which will include several other communities in Saskatchewan and Alberta. Details of that tour is available on their website at www.andrewsneddonmusic.com. They will be releasing a new album in the fall of 2017.
The 36th annual Communithon will be held at the Cugnet Centre on Friday, October 20 and Saturday, October 21. The Friday portion of Communithon will feature local talent and will be televised live on Access 7. The Saturday portion will feature seven different Canadian bands and the cost to attend is $50.
There will be food and liquor offered during the Communithon Concert Jam. Tickets are sold online at www.weyburnunitedway.com, and in person at the Weyburn Police Station, Prairie Sky Co-op Food Store and the Weyburn Review/Weyburn This Week office.
