Becketts and Ballaghs – exceptional shows

August 13, 2014 · 0 Comments

Watching the Beckett family perform, at the Centre Dufferin Recreation Complex on August 7, it was hard not to feel amazingly lucky to see such talent in small town Ontario.The Becketts are exceptional performers and to watch them on stage live is something to be remembered.

The Becketts had not been back to perform at Fiddlefest for nearly a decade and John Beckett, who was interviewed for the 50th anniversary documentary on the fiddle contest, commented that it was “a pleasure to come down; it brings back a lot of great memories – we saw a lot of people we hadn’t seen in a long time.”

The stars of the show, Linsey and Tyler Beckett, are both past fiddle contest winners, and Linsey is an award winning step dancer. The two are also two time Canadian duet fiddle champions and three time Ontario duet champions. Since graduating with a business degree, Tyler has played with Jason McCoy, Jason Blaine and Tara Oram, and with the award winning bluegrass band, The Chapman’s. Linsey, who had a smile that lit up the stage, toured with The Don Messer Jubilee Tribute Show starting at the age of 13, performing as the lead in her last year, 2005. In 2009, she began working with the stage production Bowfire, comprised of some of North America’s finest violinists, touring across the United States, Mexico, Germany and Canada, including a performance for Sean Connery’s 80th birthday.

The Becketts, who incorporate three generations of the family into the show, have opened for acts like the Barra McNeil’s, Natalie Mc Master and Ashley McIssac. It was not so long ago that there were more generations playing – great grandfather Elmer Beckett was featured on their first album entitled “Four Generations.” Stan Beckett is the grandfather of the family, who sixty years ago, at 18 years of age, was the youngest fiddler in the Shelburne fiddle contest. Stan played fiddle and mandolin Thursday night, never missing a tune, and blended vocal harmonies beautifully with his son John on bass guitar. John, as the lead vocalist, had a warm country tone that delivered old favourites, like his Ray Price medley, to an audience he obviously knew well. The quiet pride both men had in Tyler and Linsey, as they took centre stage, could be felt throughout the room.

The Becketts knew how to shine the spot light on all their band members, which included pianist Mel Aucoine, who had played with Al Cherney; Doug Johnston on steel guitar; Kenny Post on drums; and award winning, lead guitarist Steve Piticco who sang “Chew Tobacco Rag” and Hank Williams’ “I’m Satisfied with You.” Linsey recently toured Europe and Scandinavia with Steve Piticco and the award winning country group South Mountain. Also featured were two fabulous, young Beckett students, Christian and Gabriel Routenburg-Evans who stepped danced and trick fiddled like professionals.

Every musical number was special, but El Cumbanchero which closed the first set and is featured on their new CD “The View From Here” was a wonderful composition, new to many in the audience; and “The Water is Wide,” a number the Becketts dedicated to Mr. Chuck Joyce, whose violin Tyler now plays, was music, that like nature itself, could make you weep for its beauty.

August 9th brought another great show to Shelburne as the Ballagh Bunch took their turn on stage. The family, from near Teeswater, includes four musical kids ranging from 14-23: Devan, Michael, Paige and Matthew. For the last decade they have entertained audiences from Disney World in Florida to major festivals and theatres across Canada performing first rate shows built around traditional Irish, Celtic, Scottish and Canadian music. Award winning dancers, as well as talented musicians, the three oldest children, Devan, Michael and Paige have “multiple step dance titles, including the Canadian Open Step Dance Champions in both group and solo classes.

The group, which included Dad, Gary on bass guitar and Mom, Janice on vocals and piano, delivered the energetic excellence they promised, including original songs sung by Paige and Devon “Dancing Shoes,” “By the Sea,” and “Together.” Devon’s lovely, high voice filled the arena with the sweet vibrato of the Irish ballad “Homeward Bound” and Paige’s deep, rich vocal tones showed her range in the original tunes with a voice that is well on its way to rivalling current pop stars. Both voices were a perfect balance with Mom’s harmonies in “Heave on the Bowline.” Devon and Paige, both fiddle players, stepped danced to “Jenny’s Chickens” and the boys, also excellent dancers and fiddlers, added dimension to the show with Michael on acoustic guitar and Matthew on drums and cajon. A highlight of the show was all four Ballaghs on the fiddle for a beautiful rendition of John Newton’s “Amazing Grace.” The Rotarians did an amazing favour for Shelburne when they brought both these exceptional shows, The Becketts and The Ballaghs to Fiddlefest.

By Marni Walsh

Linsey and Tyler Beckett, the stars of the Beckett family performers, are two time Canadian duet fiddle champions and three time Ontario duet champions. They performed for over 400 people at the CDRC August 7th with their Dad, John and Grandfather Stan Beckett and band.