April 22, 2005 -

Ottawa, Ontario -- The National Arts Centre Orchestra’s “Alberta Celebration” is a high-energy variety spectacular celebrating folk, traditional and cowboy music headlined by iconic Canadian folk hero Ian Tyson. Big Band leader and fellow Albertan Tommy Banks will host and conduct, as plenty of toe-tapping energy is injected by the Corb Lund Band and the dazzling Calgary Fiddlers. Stampede on down to the NAC to enjoy these CJOH Pops concerts from Thursday, May 5 to Saturday, May 7 at 20:00 in the NAC’s Southam Hall. The Performance Sponsor of the May 5 concert is CIBC. It’s all part of Alberta Scene, the NAC’s arts and culture festival featuring 600 Alberta artists from April 28 to May 10, presented by EPCOR.

Ian Tyson has long been one of Canada’s most respected singer-songwriters. During the early days of the’60s folk boom, he was one of the first Canadians to break into the American popular music market. In the years that followed he hosted his own TV show, recorded some of the best “folk” albums ever made, quit the music business and became a rodeo rider and a successful rancher. But with his songs covered by Neil Young, Judy Collins, Gordon Lightfoot, among many others, he returned to music with a vengeance in the mid-’80s. Tyson’s list of honours includes the Order of Canada, platinum records, Juno Awards and Canadian Country Music Awards. He tours constantly across Canada and throughout the United States. His song “Four Strong Winds” recently won the CBC Radio listeners “50 Tracks” contest as the greatest Canadian song ever written, and later in May he will headline a concert for Queen Elizabeth in honour of Alberta’s centenary.

With Banks conducting the NAC Orchestra, Ian Tyson will perform such songs as “Fifty Years Ago”, “Land of Shining Mountains”, “Little High Plains Town”, “Someday Soon” “Summer’s Gone” and of course “Four Strong Winds”.

Tommy Banks is known to many Canadians as an accomplished and versatile musician and entertainer.  He is a recipient of the Juno Award, the Gemini Award, and the Grand prix du Disque. From 1968 to 1983 he was the host of the Tommy Banks show on television.  He has provided musical direction for the ceremonies of the Commonwealth Games, The World University Games, Expo ’86, the XV Olympic Winter Games, various command performances; and has performed as guest conductor of symphony orchestras throughout Canada, the United States, and in Europe.

Tommy Banks will lead the National Arts Centre Orchestra in a medley of “Magnificent Westerns” with narration provided by Colin MacLean, including The Magnificent Seven, How the West Was Won, Shenandoah, The Virginian and Silverado, as well as John Williams’ The Cowboys.

The Corb Lund Band has progressed into a blazing roots-country band with a little bit country and a little bit rock ’n’ roll. Their album Five Dollar Bill appeared on numerous Best of 2002 lists in Canada and the States. Corb Lund, the singer and songwriter for the Band, grew up in Southern Alberta, and his music is influenced by his experiences riding horseback, chasing cattle and rodeoing and living on the family farm. Corb will sing “No Roads Here”, “Prairies of Alberta”, “She Won’t Come to Me” and “Shine Up My Boots”.

The Calgary Fiddlers perform a variety of music, ranging from traditional folk fiddling, to country, bluegrass, Celtic, and even big band. The Group performs at over 100 functions in and around the Calgary Area each year, as well as touring internationally every summer. The Fiddlers will open the concert with “Mountain Spring” and “Calypso Jam”.

Alberta Scene is presented by EPCOR and supported by Major Sponsors TSX Venture Exchange, The Banff Centre, and National Arts Centre Friends - Alberta. Performance Sponsors are Enbridge, CIBC, Suncor Energy Inc. and Capital Health. Media sponsors include CBC Radio-Canada, the National Post, the Ottawa Citizen, LeDroit, the Edmonton Journal, the Calgary Herald, and Y1O1 FM. Supporting Sponsors include Edmonton Festival City, Galaxie, CD Warehouse, mymusic.ca, Holiday Inn, Ontario Tourism Marketing Partnership Corporation and Big Rock Brewery.

Alberta Scene is grateful for support from the Government of Canada, the Government of Alberta, the Canada Council for the Arts, Western Economic Diversification Canada, and Foreign Affairs Canada."

Tickets for “Alberta Celebration” on May 5, 6 and 7, are on sale now at $34.50, $49.50, $51.50, $61.00 and $63.00, with box seats at $90.00 (GST and Facility Fee included) at the NAC Box Office (Monday to Saturday from 10:00 to 21:00), and through Ticketmaster (with surcharges) at 613-755-1111.  Ticketmaster may also be accessed through the NAC’s web-site at www.nac-cna.ca.  Half-price tickets for students in all sections of the hall are on sale in person at the NAC Box Office upon presentation of a valid student ID card.

For more information, please contact:
Jane Morris,
Communications Officer, NAC Orchestra
(613) 947-7000 ext. 335
jmorris@nac-cna.ca