The tunes may be from what we call the olden days, but people played and sang the songs with the same liveliness as they did years ago.
Hundreds flocked to the third annual Leroy Brown Jamboree at Summerdale Hall, which ran from Friday, Sept. 13 to Sunday, Sept. 22.
Stepping through the doors, music filled the air and invited visitors to a warm and welcoming atmosphere. With a long list of musicians ready to play some old-time country tunes, there was no shortage of entertainment.
Some strummed on their guitars, while others plucked away on banjos. There were fiddles, accordions, and keyboards. Even a saxophone brought to life by Alberta Beach musician George Skoreyko.
Combined with various singers, each set was a collection of many talented individuals.
It was hard to say how old Lucille Isfield was as she sat on stage with her guitar, foot bouncing to the beat and body swaying to each song. The 78-year-old from Athabasca had the spirit of a young woman, and when she stepped up to the microphone the audience cheered on her vocals.
“I would rather play music than eat or sleep,” said Isfield after her performance. “What I have is a gift from the guy upstairs, so I share it with whoever I can whenever I can.”
From afternoon until the late hours of the night, the dance floor was alive with motion.
Some stepped slowly to the music, partners smiling and enjoying one another’s conversation. Others kicked up their heels, eyes gleaming as they swirled and twirled around the dance floor.
Victor Lauder from Duffield donned a sizeable grin as he glided among other dancers with his partner Dolly Killaly from Wetaskiwin.
“We are having such a wonderful time,” said Killaly between songs.
But the dance floor wasn’t the only place to enjoy the music. Some only needed to take a seat in the audience and soak in the scene, letting the notes and words wash over them.
The jamboree brought out musicians, dancers, and listeners. No matter the reason for attending the event, everyone laughed and smiled as one big, music-loving family.
Brown’s daughter Barb Jackson, who performed with her brother and adopted sister at the event, said the jamboree was a wonderful experience. Not only is it an honour for her father who passed away in 2010, she said, it’s an honour for all other musicians who have passed on.
Jackson said she doesn’t play like some of the other fiddlers who performed over the weekend, but she grew up with a love of music just the same. Brown, who collected fiddles and violins, gave her a fiddle when she was young.
“He actually said to all his kids if any of us wanted to learn how to play the violin he would give us one,” said Jackson. “ My brother and I did learn.”
And so, with two of her siblings, Jackson played among other musicians in a tribute to her father.
Brown was a man who also grew up in a musical family, with three brothers and a father who also enjoyed the art. There isn’t anything better to do than play music, said Jackson. It was true in her father’s childhood, and it remains true now.
“My dad was raised in the hard times where that’s all they did. They would visit and everybody played music,” said Jackson. “Now we don’t have time to visit with our neighbours and play like we used to play.”
Brown carried this way of life on for the rest of his days. During any music event he would visit everyone in the hall, said Jackson. He was as social as they come, traveling the province to attend and play at music functions.
“He loved to hear the music and play the music,” said Jackson. “He would also be the last one playing at night.”
Despite living in an age where people play more with their electronics than they do with instruments, jamborees remain a regular occurrence throughout Alberta in the summer.
Jackson said jamborees such as the tribute to Leroy Brown bring a certain camaraderie to the community.
“I think in a close knit community, it’s nice for that,” said Jackson. “It brings people together. People just enjoy listening to the music.”
