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 has been hell-bent on reviving this form of entertainment for folks of...
Continue reading...Kathy Kennedy
Tickets now on sale
Ken Whiteley, a prolific songwriter, gifted and versatile musician and powerful singer, will headline the 17th annual and final Gil’s Hootenanny. Whiteley delights his audiences with his participatory humour, grace, and energy. His music communicates themes of freedom, love and...
Continue reading...Ken Whiteley to Headline Gil’s Hootenanny 2026
Ken Whiteley, a prolific songwriter, gifted and versatile musician and powerful singer, will headline the 17th Annual and last Gil’s Hootenanny on Friday, May 1st at the First Unitarian Congregation of Ottawa. Whiteley delights his audiences with his participatory humour,...
Continue reading...Gil’s Hootenanny Announces Last May Day Concert in 2026
(Ottawa, Ontario, February, 2026) – Gil’s Hootenanny announced today that its 2026 sing-along concert on May 1st will be its last concert in this format. This farewell show will mark the 17th year of this engaging and entertaining May Day sing-along of...
Continue reading...Countdown to Gil’s Hootenanny 2025
Only two days till the 16th annual Gil’s Hootenanny on April 30th! Musician, activist, song writer and song interpreter extraordinaire Rebecca Campbell headlines the 16th annual Gil’s Hootenanny at 7:00 pm on Wednesday, April 30 at the First Unitarian Congregation of...
Continue reading...Rebecca Campbell on CKCU’s The Guest List, Thursday, April 24
Tune into The Guest List on CKCU (93.1 FM) from 5:00 to 6:00 pm on Thursday, April 24 for Joe Reilly’s interview with Rebecca Campbell, this year’s Gil’s Hootenanny headliner. You can also listen to the show RIGHT NOW using...
Continue reading...Solidarity Forever 2025
Gil’s Hootenanny begins with performers marching down the aisles toward the stage, singing and encouraging the audience to join in. This year’s procession will be singing “Solidarity Forever”, a well-known song of both protest and hope, commonly sung at union...
Continue reading...Tickets now on sale
Buy tickets at Eventbrite… Musician, activist, song writer and song interpreter extraordinaire Rebecca Campbell will headline the 16th annual Gil’s Hootenanny. Rebecca is a magical performer who creates music that is “emotionally rooted”, “honest” and “interactive”. She honed her musical artistry...
Continue reading...Gil’s Hootenanny Marks the 10th Anniversary of Tony Turner’s Harperman
Gil’s Hootenanny is delighted that Tony Turner will be the Opening Act for the 2025 Concert, leading the audience in singing some of our favourite sing along songs. Tony is a Canadian singer-songwriter and, since 2017, a resident of Nanaimo, BC. Since the early 1990s Tony has...
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 16th year and getting stronger. Held each year on May Day, this...
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