One of Okotoks’ biggest choirs is promising a clapping, stomping good time.
The Big Rock Singers (BRS), fresh off a performance tour in Italy, are now bringing their East Coast Kitchen Party concert to the Foothills Centennial Centre for two shows (3 and 7 p.m.) on May 27
Hailing from Newfoundland themselves, the music has special meaning to BRS members Heather Andrews and Jennifer Page.
“It touches your soul and warms your heart,” Andrews said. "It’s something that, once you get into the room, you’re going to be anticipating the music, there’s a high energy group, and the audience members are high energy as well.
"That’s one thing about the Big Rock Singers: the music is welcoming, it’s engaging, it’s fun, energetic.”
On the docket for the day are Rattlin' Bog, Drunken Sailor and Heave Away Me Jollies, to name a few.
“We started singing the songs, Jen and I knew the words for some of them and the rest of the choir looked at us and said, ‘My god, what are you singing,’” Andrews mused. “You’re just going to be thrown into an Eastern Canada experience of what a kitchen party is.
"It touches your soul and you'll be laughing as well with some of it."
Also on stage with the singers will be a live band, as well as dancers from the BRS membership, which Page said will be jigging to tunes like Let Me Fish Off Cape St Mary’s.
"All of our dancers are from Okotoks and the Foothills, and there's a section on stage for them to showcase," Page said.
The distinctly maritime tradition of kitchen parties hails from Newfoundland and its neighbours, but harkens to traditions as far back as the 1700s in Europe.
“Newfoundland is very musical, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, the artistry in there, so many people can play the fiddle,” Page said.
“They just bring their instruments to the kitchen and everybody moves into the kitchen or the living room and the next thing you know they’re sitting on stools, sitting on chairs, wherever they can, and that’s how the kitchen party just builds up in those communities.”
While prairie-dwellers may not know what to expect, they’ll soon be swept up.
“We try to engage the group, especially at the beginning when the audience doesn’t know quite what to expect,” Page said. “Western Canada has all its history and heritage, but you better believe there’s so much history in Eastern Canada – there's so much there, the history and all the food and culture.”
As such, the experience will go beyond the music, with some maritime munchies.
“There's treats and refreshments from our ‘East Coast Snack Shack’ and there’s going to be a huge bake sale which will feature East Coast specialty items,” Andrews said, adding those will remain a surprise.
Page hinted at some treats made with bake apple (cloudberry), partridge berry, and blueberry jams, but promised nobody is going to have to eat flipper pie – a Newfoundland ‘cuisine’ made from seal flippers.
The program booklets will have lyrics to sing along, and it might not stop there, Andrews said. Even though the Centennial is a far cry from a kitchen, they hope to bring that energy.
“You won’t be able to keep your feet still, let alone your hands or your body,” Andrews said. “It's just going to be just tons of fun, take you away from your troubles and you're just going to escape into our East Coast party.”
Tickets and information can be found at bigrocksingers.com.
