For those that have ever lived in the Yukon or lingered too long under the spell of the midnight sun, there is a deep seated desire, if not need, sometimes to return to the Yukon to see if it is still as it was the last time they left.
Canadian singer-songwriter Al Oster, who arrived in the Yukon in 1957, was one of those people who fell under its spell.
He soon began writing and singing songs about the land and its inhabitants and by 1987 had recorded and released 14 LPs in Canada, the USA and Europe.
In 1988, he filmed and released a music documentary on the Klondike Gold Rush of 1898, which included a number of his original compositions.
Oster attained national recognition for his musical works in 1968 by becoming the first Canadian composer to receive the Broadcast Music, Inc., BMI CANADA Certificate of Honour Achievement Award for an outstanding contribution to Canadian music in the country/folk music category.
In 1993, he received the Yukon Heritage Award from the Yukon Historical and Museums Association for his contribution to the preservation of Yukon history. Another rewarding event took place in 1999, when he was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada for his contribution to Canadian heritage. In 2006 he was inducted into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame
On Saturday, Oct. 27, 2 p.m. at the Fifth Avenue Seniors Centre, a number of well-known musicians and friends from across Canada will be gathering to pay tribute to Oster and his legacy of songs.
Tickets for the concert are $15 and are available at Acorn Music and at the door. Among the performers appearing on stage will be Juno-nominated country singer-songwriter Jimmy Arthur Ordge from Edmonton, Hank Karr, from Whitehorse, country gospel legend Harry Rusk, Duane Stewart, Vickie Wiebe, Lloyd Pulliam and Larry and Jane Stephenson, along with True Country as house band.
Although Oster left the Yukon in 1975, he says he still keeps going back each year just to see if it is still as it was when he left.
