Lomond Sound Traditional Music & Dance Presentation 2024
About Lomond Sound - reviews and bios
Lomond Sound is a folk arts collective that performs and gives workshops throughout the province, including at the Vinland Music Camp.
For the 2024 School Touring Program four members of the group – Rosemary Lawton (fiddle), Ian Foster (songwriting), Catherine Wright (traditional dance) and Julianne Meaney (ukulele/singing) – will be touring the Placentia and St Mary’s Bay area April 8-12, 2024..
The second group – Hugh Scott (songwriting), Maddy Mouland (ukulele/singing), Carole Bestvater (fiddle) and Heather Patey (traditional dance) – will be visiting the Southern Shore April 22-26.
As well as performing in concert, Lomond Sound will be offering workshops in singing, fiddle, ukulele, traditional dance and songwriting. Workshop participants develop performance skills, compose a song, and learn about the history of our folk music as well as various approaches to interpreting it.
Reviews
(Comments from Lomond Sound’s past presentations at schools throughout the province)
STP 2023
… thank you for an absolutely amazing music filled day. Our students made fantastic memories with the members of the group. The students were fascinated and thoroughly engaged in each workshop that the group members adapted to each grade level involved. …..The comments and feedback from the students were very positive and the look on some of the students faces were of pure delight. – C. S., Music Teacher, Anthony Paddon Elementary
Thank you, we absolutely enjoyed the day to the fullest. The staff commented on how wonderful it was, engaging and uplifting! It was a wonderful variety of workshops and the length of the workshops was perfect. Thanks so much for the sound clips of the songs...totally awesome!!! – L. H., Principal, Woodland Elementary School, Dildo
… fantastic workshop! Our students and staff thoroughly enjoyed the musical learning and performing – even some of our teachers got in on the action! The musicians were kind, friendly and interacted really well with our K-6 population. I can really appreciate the time and planning that goes into this program on all ends, so thank you for doing what you're doing for music education in NL. – C. B., Music Specialist, Acreman Elementary
STP 2022
“I took part in the presentation from the Lomond Sound Traditional Music group in Lamaline last year and was absolutely captivated! It was, without a doubt, one of the best experiences I've ever had”. – T. H., Intermediate Teacher, St. Joseph's Academy, Lamaline
“One of my grade 4 students said to me today ‘I can’t believe it, I learnt how to play the ukulele today!’ ” – M. B., Music Teacher, Twillingate Island Elementary
“We had a fabulous day with your group, the children were so happy and so interested in learning to play the instruments. Your patience with them did not go unnoticed. We do plan to take what you taught the children and share it with the others as well as build in it. Hopefully we may get to have you visit us for another day next year.” – M. B., Music Teacher, Christ the King School, Rushoon
“Yesterday's presentations were awesome!!!! Absolutely fantastic! My children loved the day. The teachers were so pleased with the workshops and how well the presenters worked with the students. It was great all the way around”. – J. F., Music Teacher, Sacred Heart Academy, Marystown
Biographies
Rosemary Lawton
Rosemary Lawton is a musician and educator who focuses on bringing traditional music into the schools as well as advocating for marginalized groups with her work. A classically trained violinist, with her roots firmly set in Newfoundland, her determination to learn and grow in her traditional heritage has shaped her music. Through her creativity and positivity she is striving to make the world a better place – one song at a time.
Rosemary completed a BMus at Memorial University and has performed extensively, including with the Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra (2015-Present), Memorial University of Newfoundland Chamber Orchestra (2012-2016), Opera on the Avalon (2015) and New York Summer Music Festival (2011-2014), Tuckamore Music Festival (2013-2014) and The Celtic Fiddlers (2009-2016).
Her recordings have won awards from MusicNL and have received several ECMA nominations.
Hugh Scott
Hugh Scott is an award-winning singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist based in St John’s , NL. He has been a professional musician since 1977, playing in many bands and as a solo performer.
Hugh has opened for many notable musicians such as Liam Clancey and Tommy Makem, and The Yetties (from Dorset, England). His songs have been covered by The Ennis Sisters, Fine Crowd, Brown Ale, Celtic Wind, Chris Murphy, Dicey Reilly and Heather Cameron.
In 1996 , Hugh was honoured with the Music NL SOCAN song of the year for “Theresa Maria”, recorded by Fine Crowd. Since 2001, Hugh has worked with the Soundbone Traditional Arts Foundation as a songwriting instructor at the Vinland Music Camp. He has also accompanied other Lomond Sound members for school tours throughout the province.
Hugh now performs with Gerry Strong and Dave Panting in the traditional band Cotillion; he also performs solo.
Madison Mouland
Madison is a singer and guitarist from Musgrave Harbour, Notre Dame Bay. She has a Bachelor of Music at Memorial University. Although trained in classical music, Madison is a folk musician at heart and typically performs traditional music from the ages. Madison has been singing and playing guitar for many years, performing at a variety of venues throughout the province. In her spare time, she also loves to paint and make crafts. She plans to be a school music teacher in the future, sharing her love of music with children.
Ian Foster
Ian Foster is a Newfoundland songwriter, music producer and filmmaker who has toured in Canada, the U.S. and Europe since 2007. An East Coast Music Award (ECMA) and MusicNL award winner, he has released nine albums since 2006, and has had his music played on radio internationally.
A finalist for The International Songwriting Competition (ISC), he has co-written with various artists, including the legendary Newfoundland artist Ron Hynes. Ian's story and character driven lyrics mix with a modern musical sensibility and have been described as “a great example of what a 21st century folk performer should be doing” (CBC Radio).
Julianne Meaney
Julianne Meaney has been singing, performing, and writing music for as long as she can remember. Hailing from Torbay, Newfoundland, Julianne grew up as a passionate performer of folk, pop, and musical theatre. She went on to study voice at Memorial University's School of Music where she discovered a love for opera and classical music. Highlights include her performance as Alice in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland in 2019, as well as winning the prestigious Senior Vocal Rose Bowl Award in 2018 for the top performance by a senior vocalist in the Kiwanis Music Festival. Julianne's love of so many musical genres has helped her create her own unique style of performing and songwriting that takes inspiration from pop, folk, musical theatre, and even opera. Off the stage, she is a passionate music educator, teaching private voice, ukulele, and piano lessons at the Music Collection in St. John's, as well as facilitating the Creative Expressions Music program at Easter Seals.
Catherine Wright
Catherine Wright has been a practicing NL artist and arts educator for over 30 years. She has presented extensively at schools, festivals, theatres, galleries and community spaces. Her multidisciplinary performance works interweave storytelling, dance, voice, visuals.
Catherine has facilitated a broad range of arts projects, including traditional folk dancing, in provincial schools since the inception of the ArtsSmarts program in 1998. She is delighted to be touring with Soundbone this year. Traditional dancing is a great way to learn about our past, to engage our bodies and brains, connect socially and have fun!
Catherine is past president of St John’s Storytelling, NL representative for Storytellers of Canada and president of Royal Scottish Country Dance Society – St John’s Branch.
Carole Bestvater
Carole Bestvater is a freestyle fiddle player based in St. John’s, NL. She is at her happiest when playing and singing a wide diversity of different music, and is equally at home performing a variety of folk and classical genres. Carole is an in-demand session player, performer, and music educator, always striving to share her joy of music making with those around her.
Most often, Carole can be found collaborating in bands such as Youngtree & The Blooms, The Craig Young Band, Crooked Stovepipe, or LadyLike. Carole is also deeply passionate about sharing the transformative power of music, which she does through her work with the Strong Harbour Strings Program, and as a Suzuki-method educator.
Heather Patey
Heather Patey has been dancing in squares, lines, and circles, and amassing dance tunes for her fiddle, for nigh on twenty years now. She has studied Newfoundland instrumental music, dance, and song with Christina Smith, Jane Rutherford, and Jean Hewson respectively, and has taken part in numerous workshops and courses with other tradition-bearers.
Heather has led Newfoundland music- and dance-workshops and classes for children (2015-present) with the Suzuki Talent Education Program (“STEP”), the STEP Fiddlers, Newfoundland and Labrador Folk Festival, and Young Folk at the Hall; and at schools and youth groups around the province. She enjoys sharing the fun of Newfoundland musical traditions with young dancers and players, and is excited to visit your school with Lomond Sound in 2024!