Saskia and Darrel Delaronde will perform at the St. Andrews United Church in Quesnel on Sept. 22 for the first time in about three years.
The duo makes up Great Plains, a dynamic act known for its folk, bluegrass, Celtic music and Canadiana.
The Quesnel Cariboo Observer reached Saskia by phone, who said she remembers playing folk shows at the Alliance Church in Quesnel in the past, and one show with Canadian legend Gary Fjellgaard.
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“Time really flies,” she said. “We have so much fun with what we do, but before you know it, the years fly by.”
Saskia and Darrel reside on Vancouver Island, and they are returning to Peace River country to visit family. They have scheduled several shows around where they will be visiting, including the Quesnel performance, before they embark on their big, two-and-a-half-month fall tour across the country.
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As before, the upcoming show will feature guitar, bass, Darrel on the mandolin and Saskia on the penny whistle for the folk, bluegrass and Celtic feel. There will also be stories in and in between songs of farming, Canadian historical figures such as Louis Riel and David Thompson, war brides, rodeo, gold mining, homesteading and other Canadiana.
But there will be a few things that are new for Quesnel. About a quarter of the show, Saskia said, will constitute upbeat gospel music from their newest album Holy Ground, circa 2016, a combination of mostly original songs and two or three covers of old tunes.
“We’ve been on the spiritual path our whole lives,” she said of their decision to produce a gospel album. “We were already playing quite a bit of it and people liked it.
“Even those who are not very religious really still love the combination,” she added.
She and Darrel will also be working on a new album this winter ,and some songs they are considering for that track listing are already complete.
“We’ll definitely sprinkle a few in to see how they go,” she said of their new material. “We look forward to being able to introduce the new songs.”
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The Sunday night show starts at 7 p.m. at the church, at 218 Kinchant St. Tickets, which are $20 cash only, can be purchased in advance or at the door. For tickets or more information, call 250-992-2313.
@QuesnelNewskarissa.gall@blackpress.caLike us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
