The songs that emerged from the period of slavery in America had an enormous influence in shaping today’s blues, jazz, rap and much other popular music. In the first of this two-part essay, sociologist of music Stephen Richer looks at...
Continue reading...Hollis Morgan
Happy Holidays from Gil’s Hootenanny
We invite you to join Maria Dunn in singing “God Bless Us Everyone”, a song that she sang with us at the Gil’s Hootenanny 10th Anniversary sing-along in 2019. Written from the perspective of Tiny Tim Cratchit in Charles Dickens’...
Continue reading...A Remembrance Day Message from Gil’s Hootenanny
“Down by the Riverside” is an African-American spiritual and anti-war song that pre-dates the American Civil War. The sentiments in the song’s chorus originate with a Biblical verse from the Book of Isaiah: “nation shall not lift up sword against...
Continue reading...Labour Day 2021
September 6th marks Labour Day in Canada – a holiday to celebrate the importance of unions and workers’ rights. This year, Canadians have a deep understanding of the value and importance of the work of front line workers in services...
Continue reading...Be Sure to Catch ‘WPBS Weekly: Inside the Stories’ tonight at 7:30 pm
Gil’s Hootenanny will be a feature story on the new WPBS current affairs program, ‘WPBS Weekly: Inside the Stories’, tonight (Tuesday, April 27th) at 7:30 pm. A 5-minute segment features Tamara Levine sharing the history of Gil’s Hootenanny and plans...
Continue reading...Gil’s Hootenanny Releases Final List of Musicians Featured in New Video “Singing Together Apart”
For immediate release(Ottawa, April 26, 2021) Gil’s Hootenanny has issued the full list of performers featured in the 2021 sing-along video “Singing Together Apart”, to be released on May 1st at 4pm at https://gilshootenanny.ca/. “Gil’s Hootenanny 2021: Singing Together Apart”...
Continue reading...Gil’s Hootenanny Featured on PBS
For immediate release:(Ottawa, Tuesday, April 13, 2021) Gil’s Hootenanny to be Featured on New WPBS Current Affairs Program, “WPBS Weekly: Inside the Stories” Gil’s Hootenanny is proud to announce that it will be a featured story on the new WPBS...
Continue reading...Gil’s Hootenanny to Release Retrospective “Sing-Along” Video on May 1st
For immediate release(Ottawa, April 8, 2021) The video “Gil’s Hootenanny 2021: Singing Together Apart”, a retrospective of highlights of past Hootenannies along with some exciting new songs, will be released on May 1st at 4pm at https://gilshootenanny.ca/. Since the first...
Continue reading...Ten Songs That Made a Difference
With permission of author Stephen Richer and The Society for the Preservation of Wild Culture. Source: Ten Songs That Made a Difference | The Journal of Wild Culture What kinds of songs inspire people to change their minds about something,...
Continue reading...