Music at MERA Winter/Spring Series

Stay turned to this page as we announce the performers for the Music at MERA 2023 Winter & Spring series.

Double Bill – Mia Kelly & Basset – Sunday February 26
Jason Fowler & Melanie Conly – Sunday March 12
Boreal – Sounds of Renewal – Sunday April 23
The Alireza Ensemble – Sunday April 30
Melwood Cutlery with the Long Sault Trio – Sunday May 14
Japhy Sullivan – Sunday May 28
Roxy Swan & Peter Brown – Sunday June 25

Mia Kelly & Basset

Sunday February 26, 2:00pm

MERA Schoolhouse, McDonald’s Corners

A Double Bill Kicks off MERA Music Series
Music at MERA is excited to announce the first of our 2023 spring music concerts with presentation of Mia Kelly and Basset on Sunday, February 26, at 2:00 pm.
This double bill of young, exciting talent is two shows in one.
Returning for the third time, former patrons will know that Mia Kelly frames her insightful lyrics with a powerful and versatile voice backed by guitar, piano and her infectious optimism. Her fans are enthralled by her distinctive blend of folk roots and blues, and a powerful voice that emanates with raw emotion.
Mia has swiftly gained a reputation as a poetic lyricist and on stage is a born performer who radiates confidence, caring and insight beyond her years.
The other half of the concert will feature the Toronto-based folk duo, Basset. Stunning vocals by Yasmine Shelton blend with harmony and instrumentation by Sam Clark to deliver an deliciously crafted soundscape. This pair of songwriter/singers will share their deep love of the natural world in meditative, original songs and an assured style of playing.
Basset has performed across Canada and at venues in the United States, garnering passionate fans. They will be presenting a number of songs from their latest album, In The Clay, which they released to critical acclaim in September, 2022.

The MERA cafe will be offering their usual array of tea, coffee and delicious baked treats.

For more information about Mia Kelly and Basset CLICK HERE

CLICK HERE to see and hear Mia Kelly

CLICK HERE to see and hear Basset

Tickets are $25.00 plus service fees available at Tickets Please.

Jason Fowler and Melanie Conly

Sunday March 12, 2:00pm

MERA Schoolhouse, McDonald’s Corners

Melanie and Jason are partners in life, and occasional musical partners. Between them they have repertoire that ranges from Mozart to Doc Watson. Jason informs us that they will present a programme that covers a lot of musical ground, very accessible and fun, including a “min-set” of classical music. Keep your ears and minds open for this one!

Jason Fowler is a highly respected Toronto singer/songwriter, session guitarist and producer. He has released six independent CDs under his own name. Jason is also currently the Musical Director & Guitarist for renowned Irish tenor John McDermott. Jason has played with a who’s who of the Canadian roots music scene and has played on over 100 albums. He is a consummate musician with an extraordinary command of musical styles from folk, country and bluegrass, to blues, rock, jazz and classical.

Soprano Melanie Conly is acclaimed for her distinctive voice and musical understanding. She originally trained in musical theatre and later classically. As an experienced chamber musician and recitalist, she often solos with orchestras and choirs and is frequently sought out for her compelling performances of new music.

Legendary luthier Oskar Graf suggested to us that we invite Jason & Melanie to play at MERA on March 12 because Jason would be in the area to pick up his new Graf guitar that weekend. Thank you Oskar!

This concert promises to intrigue and delight with a wide-ranging repertoire by two accomplished and engaging musicians.

The MERA cafe will be offering their usual array of tea, coffee and delicious baked treats.

For more information about Jason Fowler and Melanie Conly CLICK HERE

CLICK HERE to see and hear Melanie Conly

CLICK HERE to see and hear Jason Fowler

Tickets are $25.00 plus fees available at Tickets Please

Boreal – Songs of Renewal

Sunday April 23, 2:00pm

MERA Schoolhouse, McDonald’s Corners

Boreal is the magical musical collaboration of Tannis Slimmon, Katherine Wheatley and Angie Nussey. These three hard working singer-songwriters, each with their own longstanding, award winning careers, simply love playing music together. In the winter, Boreal shines their collective light on Canada’s coldest months with their show “Songs for the Snowy Season”. The brighter /warmer months are reserved for “Boreal Goes Botanical”, a show that combines sun-loving, moon-watching, finger-snapping, heart-touching and deeply uplifting songs.

For 2023 Boreal has launched “Songs of Renewal” as its spring theme.The trio’s spell binding harmonies, combined vocal prowess and tour-de-force song-writing make for a powerful musical event. With humour, storytelling and heart melting honesty, Boreal takes their audience on a journey of friendship, laughter and connection.

The MERA cafe will be offering their usual array of tea, coffee and delicious baked treats.

For more information about Boreal CLICK HERE

CLICK HERE to see and hear Boreal

Tickets are $25.00 plus fees available at Tickets Please

The Alireza Ensemble

Sunday April 30, 2:00pm

MERA Schoolhouse, McDonald’s Corners

The String Quartet is arguably the most perfectly balanced arrangement of instruments that has evolved to express the style of music we now term classical. Bringing a string quartet to the Blue Jeans Classical Series has been a long-standing desire for us and so it naturally follows that we are thrilled to announce that the Alireza Ensemble will play at the MERA schoolhouse on Sunday, April 30. This quartet has been assembled by violinist Alireza Tarviji, an amazingly talented and committed young man who lives and breathes for his music. Alireza was born in Iran and moved to Canada at age 16 to continue his music education. Joining Alireza are three very talented and experienced musicians: Galina Rezaeipour (violin), Emmanuelle Lambert-Lemoine (viola) and Fanny Marks (cello). The quartet’s repertoire will include some familiar classics by Mozart, Tchaikovsky, etc. as well as a few pieces by Iranian composers that Ali has brought to the group from his homeland.

The MERA cafe will be offering their usual array of tea, coffee and delicious baked treats.

For more information about the Alireza Ensemble and their music CLICK HERE

Tickets are $25.00 plus fees available at Tickets Please

Melwood Cutlery with the Long Sault Trio

Sunday May 14, 2:00pm

MERA Schoolhouse, McDonald’s Corners

When first proposed to us, we thought a double bill featuring Melwood Cutlery and Long Sault Trio was a great way to showcase these wonderful local musicians at the MERA schoolhouse. We are even more delighted to now learn that this performance will be a collaboration, an amalgamation, a super group! Linda, Victor, Dave and Melwood are excited about the musical possibilities this allows, and so are we. Not to be missed.

Melwood Cutlery is an authentic Canadian Roots performer who parlayed his voice into fame over several decades playing self-penned cool blues, pop-rock and country inspired music. Hailed as “The hippest songwriter around” by David Francey, renowned for his own work both here and abroad, Cutlery’s lyrics tell stories from his Ottawa Valley roots to the ancestral “Hills of Aberdeen”. He has played festivals and venues across Canada and the U.S., from Dawson City, Yukon to Austin, Texas.

Linda Grenier, Dave Tilston and Victor Maltby have been making music as the Long Sault Trio for many years now. The trio took its name from the Long Sault Creek near McDonald’s Corners. Like the creek, their music meanders through Folk with hints of Blues, Jazz and Trad music. With a multi-generational appeal, they have played festivals (Blue Skies, Small Halls, Stewart Park) and venues throughout the region. As performing songwriters, their three-part harmonies and blend of acoustic instruments (violin, saxophone, mandolin and guitar) come together in a modern roots styling.

The MERA cafe will be offering their usual array of tea, coffee and delicious baked treats.

For more information about Melwood Cutlery CLICK HERE

CLICK HERE to see and hear Melwood Cutlery

CLICK HERE to see and hear Long Sault Trio

Tickets are $25.00 plus fees available at Tickets Please

Japhy Sullivan

Sunday May 28, 2:00pm

MERA Schoolhouse, McDonald’s Corners

A native son of Lanark County (musically speaking) is preparing for a special appearance at MERA Schoolhouse this spring. Singer-songwriter and fiddler extraordinaire, Japhy Sullivan is a familiar figure to many local music fans, who will have the opportunity to catch up with his current craft when he performs a solo show in the Music At MERA Sunday concert series at 2:00 pm on Sunday May 28, 2023.

Sullivan grew up immersed in the Ontario folk music community, from a very young age adding the sound of his fiddle to jams, sessions and showcases. He attributes much of his early interest to becoming a member of the Blue Skies Fiddle Orchestra, originally led by Carolyn Stewart, and presently under the baton of Cindy McCall.
Sullivan has performed at concerts and on festival stages accompanying many stalwarts of the Canadian Folk Music scene including: David Ross Macdonald, Irish Mythen, Scott Cook, David Newland, and Kate Weekes.

He studied Music at Concordia University in Montreal, and in 2018 he travelled to Cork, Ireland, where he immersed himself in the local fiddling and singing traditions.
His work focuses on intimate folk song-writing, traditional-style narrative ballad singing, traditional Irish dance tunes, and exploring creative free improvisation. Japhy is currently based in Montreal, where he is hard at work crafting his debut album, Fiddler Jones, expected to be released in early 2024.

The MERA cafe will be offering their usual array of tea, coffee and delicious baked treats.

CLICK HERE to see and hear Japhy Sullivan

Tickets are $25.00 plus fees available at Tickets Please.

Roxy Swan and Peter Brown

Sunday June 25, 2:00 pm

MERA Schoolhouse, McDonald’s Corners

A few years ago, Roxy Swan and Peter Brown began a special musical partnership. Their jazzy duo with Peter on piano and vocals and Roxy on vocals, snare drum and flute, performs swinging and funky jazz, blues, and originals, creating a full sound with just two musicians. We started talking to Peter about playing at MERA several years ago and we are very pleased to finally bring this combo to the schoolhouse.

Roxy Swan is a captivating vocalist and multi-instrumentalist who performs with honesty and heart. She is adept at many styles, ranging from jazz standards, funk and blues to classic pop.

Unless you are a hermit, you have probably run across Peter Brown in one or more of his musical guises. He is a busy fellow in this area. But don’t let that familiarity fool you into thinking he is any less than a remarkably gifted and versatile musician. With 5 decades in the business, Peter has pretty much seen and done it all, from rock through blues, jazz, pop standards, theatrical productions to choral music and back again. It quickly becomes obvious that along with impeccable technique and arrangements he brings a deep appreciation and affection to each piece that elevates the performance to something special.