Fowke Tales
The story of Edith Fowke, Douro, and the P.G. Towns General Store
– a folk music cabaret created by Allan Kirby with Janet Kellough and Gerry McBride
– featuring award-winning professional musicians and actors
Edith Fowke was a Saskatchewan-born and educated writer, prairie socialist, and folklorist. After moving to Toronto she became the host of CBC Radio’s weekly program “Folk Song Time” (1950-63) and “Folk Sounds” (1963-74). She knew about the folk song traditions of Quebec and the Atlantic provinces, but was puzzled by the scarcity of Ontario folk songs. In the summer of 1955 she set out like a gumshoe detective, determined to solve the mystery of the missing music.
Following a slim lead and a hunch, she pulled up to the P.G. Towns General Store in Douro with her giant reel-to-reel broadcast quality tape recorder and discovered Mary Towns and Michael Cleary, who sang her a few dozen folk songs. Returning to Douro every weekend for six months, Edith Fowke had recorded more than one thousand Ontario folk songs from two dozen singers in the Peterborough region by the end of 1956. Internationally recognized for her work as a folklorist, during her lifetime Edith Fowke released five vinyl folk albums, 15 folk song books, produced numerous radio series, wrote countless articles, edited numerous publications, taught university courses, and was the editor the “Canadian Folk Music Journal” from 1973 until her death. More than 2,000 titles can be streamed from the Smithsonian Institution of Washington, D.C. web site. In 2011 the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame honoured Fowke with the Frank Davies Legacy Award.
A fundraiser for Trent Valley Archives at the Market Hall Performing Arts Centre
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May 13, 14, and 15 at 7:30 pm |
May 15 at 2 pm |
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Tickets $40 per person. Balcony and cabaret seating $50. |
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Donate To TVA Theatre!Trent Valley Archives Theatre (TVAT) is an initiative to raise funds for TVA by producing volunteer-driven community theatre about local historical events. Can you help us make our production a success by donating to TVA’s pre-production expenses? The net profit from this fundraising activity will go toward TVA’s general operating costs. TVA is a registered charity. Donations will receive a charitable tax receipt and be recognized on the production playbill, the TVA website, and in a special TVA e-newsletter – unless you prefer to remain anonymous. Your name will be listed in one of the following donation categories: Theatre Fan $20 – $99, *** If you prefer to remain anonymous, please leave us a note under Additional Information as you fill out the form. ***
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Platinum Sponsor
The Gardens of Peterborough |
Platinum Media Sponsor
Kawartha NOW |
Platinum Sponsor
Jordan Lyall Photography |
Gold Media Sponsor
Oldies 96.7 |
Bronze Sponsor
Activity Haven |
Silver Sponsor
Templeton Law |