Bonnyville residents are preparing themselves for a show of a lifetime, as a Canadian “national treasure” will be in town July 20, performing on stage at the Centennial Centre for the first time in years.
Renowned fiddle player Calvin Vollrath, a native of nearby St. Paul, will be bringing his band of world-class musicians to Bonnyville for a night of good ol' country music.
This will mark the first time Vollrath has performed in Bonnyville for more than a decade, and he's excited to come back to the Lakeland to put on a show for fans.
“I'm very excited to have the opportunity to come back to Bonnyville and play for the great people in this town again – I still remember the first time I performed here back in 1980, it was over the September long weekend and it was a fantastic crowd and we all had a lot of fun. I'm hoping for the same sort of thing this time around too,” Vollrath said.
Since then, Vollrath has gone on to make a name for himself on the world scene, accomplishing a great deal throughout his distinguished career. Along with performing around the world, Vollrath has spent a considerable amount of time recording songs with a variety of musicians on the country scene, including Ian Tyson, Danny Hooper and Laura Vincent.
After spending decades in the music industry, he was commissioned to compose a piece and later contracted to perform at the opening ceremony of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver before being inducted into the North American Fiddlers Hall of Fame in New York in 2011.
Vollrath said he feels very fortunate to have been able to accomplish so much throughout a career he always knew he would embark on.
“All my life I knew I was going to make a living playing the fiddle. My father was a fiddle player, so things just kind of fell into place,” Vollrath said. “But never in my wildest dreams did I think I'd have accomplished everything I have – when I first heard about the hall of fame induction I was completely taken aback. I thought you had to be dead to be considered for that sort of thing! It's a great honour to be thought of alongside such legends in the industry. I really couldn't have asked for anything more than what I've already achieved.”
In his close to 40 years on the national and international circuit, Vollrath has recorded 58 albums and composed over 500 tunes – some of which Vollrath said are being taken and played by younger fiddlers, something he takes great pride in.
“There's nothing like hearing somebody else playing one of your tunes,” he said.
The man responsible for bringing Vollrath back to his roots is local businessman Dave Hutton. Having known Vollrath for close to 40 years, Hutton said it was about time people in the local area were able to experience the sort of music Vollrath provides, and claimed it would be a great night of entertainment for those in attendance.
“A lot of people don't realize that they have a national treasure hidden away right here in the Lakeland. Calvin has never gotten the attention or the exposure he's deserved, so I decided I was going to be the man to bring him that exposure,” Hutton said. “I know we have a lot of people from different parts of the country right here in Bonnyville, specifically from the east coast who I know love the type of music Cal can play, so I'm hoping for a good attendance.”
After performing all over the world in places such as the United Kingdom, mainland Europe and the United States, Vollrath said it's about time he came home and started performing for the people he keeps very close to his heart.
“I've been all over the world and while I've had fantastic experiences at each and every one of the places I've visited, nothing compares to the feeling I get when I come back home to the Lakeland,” Vollrath said. “I know I haven't performed in and around Alberta nearly enough, so I'm hoping to make up for that now and give the people in this great province a heck of a show.”
Vollrath said he's hoping to see many familiar faces in the crowd, and encouraged people to bring their families along – young and old.
“This is the sort of show that everybody can enjoy, whether you're young or old,” Vollrath said. “You might not think or know you enjoy old school country music and the fiddle, but if you come along I guarantee you'll enjoy what you see and hear. It's going to be a great night of music.”
Doors open at 8:30 at the C2, with tickets costing $30 in advance or $35 at the door. For more information, or to purchase tickets contact the C2 at 780-812-3400
