Gary Fjellgaard, left, and Valdy, who perform together as the Contenders, will be in Summerland in early November during their annual fall tour.

Gary Fjellgaard, left, and Valdy, who perform together as the Contenders, will be in Summerland in early November during their annual fall tour.

Contenders to return during annual fall tour

The Contenders, a musical duo consisting of Valdy and Gary Fjellgaard, will return to the Okanagan for their annual fall tour.

The Contenders, a musical duo consisting of Valdy and Gary Fjellgaard, will return to the Okanagan Valley for their annual fall tour later this month.

The tour begins Friday, Oct. 28 in Armstrong and concludes Saturday, Nov. 6 in Kamloops.

The musicians will perform in Summerland on Nov. 2.

Fjellgaard said the two musicians have been performing together for the past 15 years.

“We always scrape up the energy to go one more year,” he said.

At 79, he has had a long history as a performer. Since 1976, he has released 15 albums and has had 35 songs on the RMP Country Tracks chart.

Valdy is a folk musician who has been performing since 1972.

Fjellgaard said he appreciates the response from the audiences when he and Valdy perform together.

“When they leave the theatre, usually they’ve had a good time and usually they leave with a smile on their faces,” he said.

The concert features some music from the two of them together, as well as solo performances by each one.

While Fjellgaard does not have a new album this year, he said the concert will feature changes from previous years.

“I’m able to delve into my catalogue of many, many songs and drag out something I haven’t done for many years,” he said.

The Summerland concert will be at Centre Stage Theatre on Wednesday, Nov. 2 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available at Martin’s Flowers in Summerland, 250-494-5432.

 

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