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” is a retrospective of some of the best performances of sing-along songs from past Hootenannies along with some exciting new songs. It showcases a wide range of artists and sing-along songs including Sharon and Bram’s delightful version of “Grandpa’s Farm”; Maria Dunn’s moving song, “God Bless Us Everyone” and Tony Turner’s internationally acclaimed anthem to the power of collective singing, “Circle of Song”. The video begins with a processional entrance led by The Hootenanny Band and ends with a rousing version of “Wade in the Water” led by Ottawa’s own Maria Hawkins.
The artists are:
- Maria Dunn
- Mark Evenchick with Just Voices: An Activist Choir and other musical friends
- Eve Goldberg
- Christine Graves
- Maria Hawkins with Greg Szepietowski
- Arthur McGregor
- Sharon and Bram
- Stephen Richer with Tamara Levine
- Tony Turner with Ann Downey
- Chris White with Sid Ameen
- The Gil’s in the School Band
- The Hootenanny Band
Over its 12-year history, the annual May Day Hootenanny has featured outstanding Canadian musicians leading sold-out audiences in singing songs of hope and protest which celebrate the stories, struggles and victories of working people. This video encourages viewers to sing along with the performers, as if they were attending an in-person Hootenanny.
Gil’s Hootenanny is inspired by the legacy of Gil Levine, who spent his life working for social justice and was the founding Director of Research at the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE). A great lover of folk music and an enthusiastic supporter of folk musicians, Gil believed in the power of song to bring people together to speak up and sing out for change.
Singing together has played a key role in helping people face adversity through the centuries. As Martin Luther King said: “As long as we live, there is never enough singing.”
Stay safe and healthy and let’s keep on singing!
Contact:
Kathy Kennedy
kathyltk@gmail.com
613-729-7252 or 613-404-4553 (cell)