Oysters 3 are set to be the third group to perform at Heartwood Folk Club’s fall season Nov. 4 at the Nancy Appleby Theatre.
The three, who are the founding members of Oysterband, are a folk group that first started playing together in Kent, England in 1976.
Heartwood Folk Club president Marlin Johnson said the group has been here twice previously.
“The Celtic-style music that this group offers is what lots of people like in the Athabasca area,” Johnson said. “I personally have not seen the group play before, so their music is kind of new to me, but I am looking forward to seeing the group play all the same.”
He added each of the three musicians are from different parts of the United Kingdom of Great Britain.
According to his biography on the Oysterband website, Ian Telfer grew up in Aberdeen, Scotland.
Telfer plays fiddle and writes music for the band along with fellow band member John Jones.
Jones, who was born in Wales but grew up in England, plays piano, melodeon, and is also one of the singers as well.
His biography said he was an English teacher for some time and became a year-head in Canterbury’s only comprehensive school.
Alan Prosser has been married for 30 years and has an adult son, and has tried instruments including guitar, fiddle, mandolin, banjo, bowed psaltery, as well as a sitar.
“Each one are multi-instrumentalists,” Johnson said. “It’s a quality I love in a performer, and I am looking forward to their experience, musicianship, and their songwriting abilities.”
Artistic director Peter Opryshko said when the full Oysterband played before, the audience responded really well.
“They are a lively group with lots of energy, and they love to come out to Athabasca,” Opryshko said. “High-energy shows do really well at our concerts, and I think that Oysters 3 will do a very professional job in their performance.”
In a rarity for a Heartwood Folk Club concert, Johnson said that Oysters 3 will also have an opening act perform at the venue.
“We do not usually have an opening performance,” Johnson said. “Having such an act is like having a bonus track on a CD.”
Opryshko said the opener is Braden Gates, a young man from Edmonton who is trying to make it as a folk singer.
“He was asked by Oysters 3’s agent to open at some of their concerts,” he said. “Gates is not usually part of Oysterband itself, but it will fit in with the folk music genre.”
Loyal audience
All in all, Opryshko said the audience really loves the music at each of the concerts, with 110 seasons passes sold this year.
“We do not try to duplicate each style after style, as everyone is different,” Opryshko said.
“But the audience as a whole really appreciates good music and performances, and we hope they enjoy this one as well.”
He added the Nancy Appleby Theatre is one of the best theatres in Canada for putting on these types of concerts.
The doors open at 7 p.m., with the concert itself to begin at 7:30 p.m.
