LAC LA BICHE - Lethbridge-based folk singer-songwriter John Wort Hannam, whose songwriting is inspired by life events and the prairie landscapes of southern Alberta, performed on the stage of the Sir Winston Churchill Provincial Park campground amphitheatre on August 17 for the latest installment in the 2024 Music in the Forest concert series.
The show brought a full-house crowd to the intimate theatre.
Hannam, who to date has released eight albums, performed songs from each of those albums, including ‘Acres of Elbow Room’, the title track of his 2019 album of the same name, ‘Hurry Up Kid’, from his 2022 release ‘Long Haul’, as well as some new songs.
Hannam was accompanied by Scott Duncan, a Calgary-based musician who played fiddle.
Throughout the evening, Hannam spoke with the crowd about his life, family, as well as he worked as a junior high teacher before becoming a fulltime musician in the early 2000s.
For Hannam, who has received a JUNO nomination, a Canadian Folk Music Award for Best Album of the Year, a CBC Galaxie Rising Star Award, along with several other awards and honours, the past few months have been quite busy.
He has travelled around Alberta playing a variety of gigs both large and small, including the Ian Tyson Memorial Festival, which took place in Diamond Valley, as well as the South Country Fair, held in Fort MacLeod.
“I played more in June and July and August I think than any summer I’ve ever played,” he told Lakeland This Week, adding that he has probably played about 60 shows since June. “This is the first year I’ve ever played any provincial park.”
Hannam enjoys playing small, intimate venues as they allow him to make a connection with his audience. Sometimes, the musician explained, he and whatever musician has accompanied him for a gig will take their instruments and get off the stage and play acoustically in the crowd.
“You’re very, very close to them,” he stated.
More music
In addition to steadily touring, Hannam also has a new album in the works, one that he plans to focus on over the next few months. While Hannam already has about half a dozen songs written for this future album-which he says is long overdue-he he needs about 10 more.
The Music in the Forest series is a unique program offered through Alberta Parks, bringing independent musicians to rural communities like the Lac La Biche region. The program connects artists with rural communities, and rural residents with musical performances they may not otherwise get a chance to enjoy.
The Music in the Forest series has brought half a dozen musical performances to Sir Winston Churchill Provincial Park over the last several months.
The Music in the Forest series wraps up Nov. 14 with a performance at the Sir Winston Churchill Provincial Park amphitheatre by Manitoba-born folk singer Christin Hyshka. Tickets for the show have flexible pricing, with a $1 minimum. Tickets are available through the Alberta Parks website.
