Revealing our NEW Outdoor Venues
By Donna Bennett
In April 2000 the timbres for the new performance Barn at Westben were lifted into place. Twenty-one years later, the ground for two new venues at Westben was turned. Music and nature have been an essential part of the Westben experience since that first concert under the timbers and stars in the spring of 2000 and the opening concert on July 1. The 400 seat theatre with doors that roll away to let nature in and music float across the meadow, has housed over 500 concerts of classical, broadway, jazz, folk, fiddle, electronic, global, and comedy. All 26 summer concerts were cancelled this past season to the public but 10 new concerts were recorded live (with no audience) to be featured monthly in the new Digital Concerts at The Barn series.
The timbre frame of The Barn in 2000 already being filled with music!
Ben Finley, Justin Wright & Eve Finley performing in 2019. Photo by Steve Dagg
It’s unimaginable to let another season go by without live music before the public at Westben (or anywhere!). More uncertainty for next summer seems likely, so there is a new dream percolating at Westben. If gathering indoors continues to be severely restricted, we have decided to move the music even more outdoors. But in what location? Artistic Director Brian Finley, and volunteer Doug Keene, along with the Westben Board Property committee, started a search and looked at several areas for the new venue on the Westben property.
The parking lot field has lots of room for a drive-in concert, the picnic area would be great for a campfire concert, the meadow that slopes into The Barn would be lovely, but the location that won out is the area known as Gran Nan’s park, located on the north side of the pond by the large willow tree. There is a natural amphitheater rising to the fence line that is protected and just waiting! With tractor poised, volunteer Gary Merrill bushwhacked the field this October and it looks amazing. It is so exciting and reminded me of 20 years ago when McGee’s bulldozer was preparing the area for The Barn to be built.
Brian Finley with his arms outstretched in what will be Westben’s new natural ampitheatre.
It may not quite be a Woodstock or Wigstock, but I can imagine a cool summer night sitting on a blanket, a hay bale, or lawn chair listening to some great live Canadian music (socially distanced of course). This outdoor venue will give Westben more options to react to whatever COVID gathering restrictions present. Maybe a chance to ever further intertwine nature and music together at Westben.
View of The Barn from the new natural ampitheatre.
Brian Finley at the freshly cleared sight of the new natural ampitheatre.
Interested in supporting the creation of open-air venues at Westben?
Help us to create NEW safe & beautiful spaces where we can enjoy music together again! Your donations will go a long way to making this dream a reality.
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But before the warm air of summer arrives, the next monthly Westben Digital Concert at The Barn will premiere Saturday, November 21 with Jordan Mowat, Ojibway drummer, and singer-songwriter. Beautiful and powerful music from the heart of one of Canada’s most interesting emerging aboriginal musicians. Jordan explores a multi-faceted perspective through traditional and new Round Dances and originals for voice and acoustic guitar. "Music has always been an outlet and a positive coping mechanism for me,” says Jordan. “I never really understood how it could be looked at as medicine until I started to experience that medicine myself. Through each chord, lyric and song, I always feel a sense of comfort knowing that I'm expressing myself in a way that I know how - whether it's with my guitar or drum."
Join Westben To Go and order some take out from a local restaurant and enjoy the concert premiere on November 21 at 7 pm on Westben’s YouTube Channel or on the new Westbendigitalvenue.ca. This is a FREE concert made possible from your generous donations & from concert sponsors: Metaphorhome, Allen Insurance, Bennett’s Furniture & Mattresses, Cameco, Scotia Wealth Management, Windswept, and Finley & Associates.
Earlier I mentioned two new venues coming soon to Westben but only disclosed one. Let me know your choice of the second location. Contact me at donna@westben.ca.
Donna Bennett
Co-Founder & Marketing Director