As pretty as a princess, with the voice of an angel… and talent that easily surged past the confines of the Lawrie Marsh Community Hall.
Wow, what an entertainer and what a show!
Award-winning vocalist, songwriter, and instrumentalist Lizzy Hoyt along with her accompanists delighted a small but vocal crowd of Snow Lakers on the evening of Nov. 10.
One wondered what patrons were in for; looking at the stage prior to the group taking to it. A beautiful upright bass, a harp, violin, and guitar sat in their separate cradles... classical, inspirational, or perhaps jazz?
However, when the trio took to the stage and their instruments, it was indeed clear that whatever the genre, we would all be well entertained for the duration.
With poignant lyrics and the soulful Celtic sound of her violin, Hoyt endeared herself to the crowd from the outset.
If that wasn’t enough, the fact that she took to the stage in a pair of mukluks that she purchased locally certainly helped.
But what really put her over the top, was dropping Irene Schellenberg’s name during a monologue at the outset of one of her amazingly beautiful tunes.
She said that she had met the well-known former Snow Laker during a concert in Melfort, Saskatchewan earlier in the week and Irene said to say hello to her friends in Snow Lake.
The trio comprised of Hoyt, who played the violin, guitar, and harp, Keith Rempel (upright bass, harmonies) and Chris Tabbert (acoustic guitar, mandolin, harmonies) played two flawless sets over the two hour concert and if listeners weren’t sitting mesmerized by the beauty of her voice and musical ability, they were clapping their hands, stomping their feet and singing along with her.
Not to underscore any of the fine songs the trio put forward and played, but standouts were The Rankin Family’s North Country, Dolly Parton’s Jolene, and Hoyt’s own Vimy Ridge.
At the beginning of the second set, Hoyt pointed out the fact that she’d removed her mukluks and was now wearing shoes.
“You’ll know why in a bit,” she teased while sitting and toe-tapping through the next offering.
Two wonderful songs later, she was up step dancing and showing off a skill she learned from a friend in Baddeck, Nova Scotia.
Prior to performing her song Vimy Ridge, Hoyt told the audience of the first time she visited the famous Canadian War Memorial, located ten km north of Arras, France. She noted that she was just a teen and that she and a friend had gotten off the train in Arras and were walking the road to the memorial.
An older French gentleman pulled his car over and offered them a ride to the site; they got in. After they visited the memorial and sat mesmerized by its size, beauty, and the number of soldiers who had lost their lives in the battle, they got to wondering about the man who had driven them to the monument.
Hoyt said she later found out that this gentleman got up each morning and spent the day driving people to and from the monument and the train station in Arras.
Someone asked him why he did it. He said it was the least he could do after the Canadians came for him twice!
Prior to playing the last song at the end of her second set, Lizzy Hoyt said her goodbyes and thanked the audience for their warmth and appreciation… but the clapping wouldn’t stop after the trio left the stage and Hoyt eventually came back by herself.
She played and sang the most heartrending version of Danny Boy anyone in attendance had ever heard. People could be seen wiping back the tears as it concluded.
Hoyt had CDs for sale at the concert and stayed to sign any that were purchased and to talk with those so inclined.
The Royal Canadian Legion Branch No. 241 and Aurora Borealis Arts Council should be commended for bringing in this amazingly talented performer, particularly at a time when her message and music lent such reinforcement to the gratitude we owe this county’s veterans.
My Take on Snow Lake runs Fridays.
Lizzy Hoyt plays in front of the Vimy Ridge Memorial near Arras, France.
PHOTO COURTESY OF LIZZY HOYT
