Gil’s Hootenanny begins with a procession of performers marching down the aisles toward the stage, singing and encouraging the audience to join in. This year’s opening song is a well-known protest song, We Shall Not Be Moved. With lyrics based...
Continue reading...Tickets for Gil’s Hootenanny
Tickets are on sale for the 15th annual Gil’s Hootenanny. Buy Tickets now then join us for the concert at 7:00 pm on Wednesday, May 1, at the First Unitarian Congregation, 30 Cleary Avenue, Ottawa.
Continue reading...“Bread and Roses” at Gil’s Hootenanny
The song “Bread and Roses” is often a feature of the Gil’s Hootenanny repertoire. Coming out of the successful 1912 textile strike by immigrant women workers in Lawrence, Massachusetts, “Bread and Roses” is an anthem of both the women’s...
Continue reading...Annie Patterson: Spreading Joy Through Music
Annie Patterson will headline Gil’s Hootenanny 2024, bringing her powerful voice and incredible song knowledge and repertoire to the 15th Annual May Day sing-along. Annie is a multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter and master song interpreter with an infectious stage presence that...
Continue reading...Gil & Helen Levine’s Legacy: Changing the World Through the Power of Song
When Gil Levine died at 85 in 2009, three words in his obituary, “…plan a hootenanny”, were the beginning of Gil’s Hootenanny, an Ottawa tradition now into its 15th year and getting stronger. Held each year on May Day, this...
Continue reading...What is a Hootenanny?
Gil’s Hootenanny, Ottawa’s annual community singalong, celebrates songs of hope and protest with exuberant audience participation. While the word “hootenanny” may not be in everyone’s lexicon, Gil’s Hootenanny is hell-bent on reviving this form of entertainment for folks of all...
Continue reading...Annie Patterson to Headline Gil’s Hootenanny 2024
Singer-songwriter and legendary song leader Annie Patterson will headline the 15th Annual Gil’s Hootenanny 2024 on Wednesday, May 1st at the First Unitarian Congregation of Ottawa, 30 Cleary Avenue. Described as a performer who “could get a roomful of store...
Continue reading...Odetta’s “Freedom Trilogy”
Gil’s Hootenanny’s 2023 program included a tribute to Odetta by Ulyn Georgette. In this video clip, Ulyn sings Odetta’s “Freedom Trilogy” accompanied by musician and Gil’s organizing team member Patricia Reynolds. Enjoy!
Continue reading...Big Sing! 2023
On the bleak rainy afternoon of October 22nd, 75 of us gathered at the Westboro Masonic Hall for the Big Sing! 2023 with Evemarie Brunelle of Montreal. It was the third Ottawa Big Sing! (and the first since COVID) sponsored by...
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