Save the date for Sunday, November 24th as the Pictou County Christmas Fund telethon returns to the deCoste Centre stage in Pictou - featuring both live and virtual performances, from 1-6pm on Eastlink Community TV. You can also "Listen Live" at pictoucountychristmasfund.ca or drop by in person to take in the live production!
The Pictou County Christmas Fund Telethon Line Up for 2024!
Maya MacGillivray is from Stellarton and has been performing since the age of 6 at various events and venues around Pictou County, including lead roles in Northumberland Regional High School’s last 2 musicals. She is a student at St. FX
The Soul Custody is a dynamic, high energy, four-piece band based in Pictou County, that is influences by the classic sounds of Motown, Soul, Funk, Jazz, and Rock n’ Roll. Formed in 2023, the band consists for Caleb MacIvor on Piano and Lead vocals, Aaron Bannerman on Trumpet, Jason Delorey on Bass, and Peter Wilkie on drums. Drawing inspiration from iconic artists like Joe Cocker, Ray Charles, and Little Richard, The Soul Custody blends vintage sounds with contemporary flair. Their unique style is characterized by powerful vocal harmonies, intricate trumpet lines, and a tight rhythm section that keeps listeners dancing. With a commitment to authenticity and a passion for live performance, The Soul Custody’s energetic shows invite fans to connect, and move and groove with the music, creating an unforgettable experience. As they continue to evolve, The Soul Custody remains dedicated to their mission: to bring new and exciting life to the classic soul sound, blending original music and classic favourites, inviting everyone to join them on the dance floor.
Jon Raven is a singer/songwriter and owner of local multimedia company - RavenMedia and long-time supporter of the Pictou County Christmas Fund and community organizations, including Women Alike Abreast a River Dragon Boat Team.
The Carillon Singers, founded in 1993, are an all-female vocal ensemble of professional and amateur musicians. Their unique blend of voices bring songs of varying styles, eras and languages to life. The Carillons have performed in venues throughout Nova Scotia and enjoyed collaborating with many other musical and artistic forces including local jazz ensemble Men About Town, Maurice Poirier, and internationally renowned Soprano Maesha Brueggergosman.
Ashley George was born in Halifax,N.S. and raised in Pictou, N.S. Since picking up the guitar at the age of 9, Ashley knew he wanted to be a musician. His ability to paint pictures with well written lyrics and his musicianship has led many people to become die-hard fans all across Canada.
Summer Street Signers were formed approximately 10 years ago with the intent to support and communicate with two participants who are also members of the deaf community. We soon discovered that the participants learned quicker through music, so the performance team was born. We have seen members come and go but what has stayed is the love of signing, communicating, and having fun. Recently interest has peaked, and many new participants have joined the team. Some members performing have been signing for years and some for only weeks. We are always open for new members and welcome anyone interested in sign language.
Victoria Robertson is a 15-year-old student of North Nova Education Centre. She is in grade 9 of Royal Conservatory of Music. She participates in jazz and concert bands and choir at school. Victoria has been doing New Glasgow Music Festival since she was 5 years old: playing piano, singing folk songs and Musical Theater. She loves skiing and swimming.
A Sentimental Journey was first performed in Pictou in 1998 and went on to have a twenty year run until 2019. The show proved to be a perennial favorite and has been performed throughout the province. Over the years, some of the featured artists were Emma Stewart, Janice Alcorn, Jakki Rogue, Kevin Kinnard, Matthew MacLean and John Spyder Macdonald. Rhonda, Marj, Greg, John Spyder, Ron and Sandy became the annual cast for the final fifteen years of the original run. This year we welcome Murray to the cast. 2024 marks thirty years for Ron MacDonald and Sandy Mackay of producing musical and stage productions together.
A Sentimental Journey - featuring Ron MacDonald, Murray McLaren, Rhonda Lee Brown, Marjorie Henderson-Macdonald, Greg MacDonald, and Sandy Mackay will be sharing a virtual performance recorded at Pictou United Church.
Nataly Garcia is a dedicated musician and artist in the 11th grade at North Nova Education Center. She enjoys playing piano, participating in Musical Theatre, and singing folk songs in the Music Festival every year. Nataly is also an active member of her school choir and musicals. Outside of music, she loves painting and writing.
Back row (left to right): Bella, Devin, Viney, Aliyah, Kitpu, Alexis Front row (left to right) Hunter, Sierra, Zachary, Enzly, Jax, Deidre (missing from picture: Bryson)
Pictou Landing First Nation School Christmas Choir 2024 - grade 3/4 students at Pictou Landing First Nation School are great language keepers and learners! They have worked very hard to share the gift of their Mi'kmaw abilities through Christmas cheer and will be sharing a virtual performance on this year's telethon, singing Wil-Nipi-Alasutma (We Wish you a Merry Christmas) and Jijuejkl (Jingle Bells).
Special thanks to the choir team - Todd Felix (Teacher), Destiny Francis (Student Support Worker, and Dave MacDonald (Music Instructor). The technical team are Peyton Francis and Kim Dorrington.
Shaun, Angela, Barry, Ross, Tanner and Ron from the upcoming holiday concert series "Christmas Presents" will be sharing a virtual performance on this year's telethon! (Shaun McLean on vocals, Ross MacVicar on lead guitar and background vocals, Tanner MacDonald on bass guitar, Barry Smith on Drums, Ron MacDonald on keyboards and background vocals, and Angela Cromwell on Vocals) These upcoming shows will be taking place at Shaun, 135 Provost Street in downtown New Glasgow. There are still a few tickets left for their November 28 and 29 shows! Contact Shaun on Facebook for tickets!
Catch a virtual performance on this year's telethon which was recorded at "A Touch of Gospel" fundraising concert in support of the Pictou County Palliative Care Society back in October at First Presbyterian Church in New Glasgow!
Ann Holton-Melong has been performing for the Pictou County Telethon since she was a young girl. Ann’s classical vocal studies have taken her to many different platforms as a soloist and larger stage productions across Nova Scotia. In addition to her solo work, Ann is a member of the recently formed Celtic Ladies, as well as a public and private music teacher. Her voice students have represented Nova Scotia at the provincial and national levels. Ann was recently awarded a Nova Scotia Teaching Excellence Award for her dedication to Music in elementary schools, inspiring growth and creativity in young musicians. In 2018, Ann released her second album, “A Merry Little Christmas.” She will be performing in the Christmas with Celtic Ladies concert on December 7th in Antigonish, 7:30pm, at St. James United Church.
Ann's daughters will also be taking to the stage at this year's telethon to share a few festive fiddle sets - The Melong Sisters are made up of Maëlle (11 years), Aria (9 years), and Scarlett (6 years). All of the girls take fiddle from Pam Leblanc. They are often seen on the stage with their mom, or performing their own acts in Pictou County and Antigonish. In addition to fiddle, they all enjoy dancing, singing, piano, violin, horseback riding, and watching hockey.
Cameron Osgood has been singing for as long as she could talk and doesn't plan on stopping! She grew up performing in the New Glasgow Music Festival and is now studying film, theatre, and music in Halifax. She arranges and directs songs for the Unconscious Collective Vocal Ensemble acapella choir and is a co-music director for the upcoming musical from the St. Mary's Drama Society.
Brian and Brenda Bowden have been involved in music for most of their lives, beginning in church. They have been involved in many different choral groups and have performed in various communities locally and beyond.
Heather Cameron was brought up surrounded by music. The fiddle, guitar, bagpipes and piano soon became her constant companions, and early on she developed her beautiful, soulful voice. Heather knew well the power of music to reach people, which led her to become an accredited music therapist. Most recently, Heather released a new video for her original song "Rise", which also features local musician, Hayley MacLeod on the cello. This video was shot at Shoebox studios in New Glasgow and will have its TV debut on this year's telethon!
The New Glasgow Youth Choir launched this September under the direction of Sheila Aucoin, bringing together youth singers from across Pictou County.
Their first live debut concert, Sing For Joy, will take place Saturday, December 14th. Sing For Joy will be a wonderful holiday event, featuring an incredible group of young Pictou County musicians. Their debut holiday concert will also feature special guests, the Nova Brass Quintet and violinist Caroline Boulter.
Dave Gunning from Lyons Brook, Pictou County is one of Canada’s folk music treasures. He is a critically acclaimed singer-songwriter who has earned multiple Canadian Folk Music Awards, a Juno nomination and eight East Coast Music Awards. Dave has had an extremely busy touring schedule this year and we're very happy he'll be able to join us on stage at the deCoste Centre on November 24th! He will also be joining JP Cormier for an upcoming Christmas show at the deCoste on December 13th.
The Dlamini Family from Pictou features Buhle and Stacey Dlamini. They often perform with the Salvation Army band, or during church services.
Catch a virtual performance on this year's telethon which was recorded at "A Touch of Gospel" fundraising concert in support of the Pictou County Palliative Care Society back in October at First Presbyterian Church in New Glasgow!
Steeltown from Trenton play everything from Classic Rock to modern Country and everything in between! You can check out the Steeltown Band Facebook page to see when and where they are playing next.
Nathan Gerrior & Meghan Watters are singer-songwriters from Trenton, Nova Scotia. They are the founding members & voices of the band 11th & Duke, who just released there first studio album " 105 Reasons Why" on September 2nd which is Nathan’s late brother Brandon’s birthday who the album is dedicated to. They have been singing together since middle school & they have been staying busy performing together for the past two years around the mainland. They named the band "11th & Duke" after Nathans grandfathers’ home in Trenton. They just had a baby boy on September 20th of this year "Bohden", one day after Dad's 33rd birthday.
Artie and Casey are fiddle students (and siblings!) who attend the Summit School of music. Arthur (Artie) Averill is 9 years old and this is his third year playing fiddle. He is also learning how to play guitar, and he sings in his school choir. When he’s not playing music, he loves to play hockey, soccer and baseball. Casey Averill is 12 years old and started playing violin when she was 6. Music is her passion: as well as playing fiddle she sings in the New Glasgow Youth Choir and plays clarinet in her school band. She loves being outdoors, camping and canoeing.
Iris Furaha, Michaela Mack, Eileen Moore, and Bahati Ernestine will be making their debut on the Pictou County Christmas Fund telethon this year! Fresh off their performance at the Fusion Festival this fall; Bahati, Iris, and Eileen will once again be sharing Christian Songs on stage for the community. They are also excited to have 13 year old Michaela join them for their telethon performance!
Jason Brushett is originally from Cape Breton, but he has called Pictou County home for nearly 30 years. Making fans wherever he goes, Jason has become a fixture on the local music scene. Over the years, he's played for a wide array of audiences from pubs, music festivals, and kitchen parties too. He is looking forward to making his return to the deCoste Centre stage at this year's telethon.
Leah and Kyle are a husband and wife duo hailing from New Glasgow, Nova Scotia. Their music features an assortment of modern covers and original songs, always ready to entertain their loyal following and new fans alike.
Amelia Parker from Central West River is a traditional musician, specializing in fiddle and violin. Over the past twelve years, she’s travelled across North America to perform and compete alongside some of the best fiddlers in the country. She’s released two albums, most recently Forwards in 2023. Over the past decade, she earned several champion and grand champion titles, including at the Maritime Fiddle Festival, New England Region Championship, and Ontario Open, and earned the Don Messer Memorial (NS) and James Scott Skinner trophies (Scotland). On a national scale, she’s been invited to and competed at the Canadian Grand Masters and the U.S. National Scottish Fiddle Championship. Amelia is currently studying music at Dalhousie University.
Pat Walsh is a performer and songwriter originally from Pictou County. From playing classic covers at local venues, songwriter's showcases, hosting jams, music therapy, and a member of the band StoneHouse, Walsh has been at the center of the local music scene for over a decade.
George Canyon was born and raised in Fox Brook, Pictou County and rose to becoming one of Canada’s hottest Country Music stars in the early 2000’s. He has won countless accolades and awards, including Juno Awards, CCMA Awards, and ECMA Awards to name a few. He has also been inducted into the Nova Scotia Country Music Hall of Fame. George has performed on the Pictou County Christmas Fund many times over the years and he will be sharing a virtual greeting for everyone back home and a little Christmas tune too on this year's telethon!
Petra Moriarty is a 16 year old North Nova student. She plays guitar, piano and tenor saxophone. Petra started with piano and singing lessons when I was five years old and over the years, she's been involved in the New Glasgow Music Festival. This past June, Petra won a Battle of the Bands competition, earning herself the opening spot in the 2024 Riverfront Jubilee. She's currently playing Dorothy in NNEC’s production of The Wizard Of Oz.
Erika Sloan & Ray Stewart - Erika grew up in Pictou County, teaching at NSCC in Stellarton (she really loves her job!) Ray and Erika jam weekly with a music group comprised of staff and students every Monday at lunch at NSCC in the common area, they do shows monthly at Paul Quinn recreation Center and frequent Valley View Villa to do music for the residents, and Erika is a proud member of the Merigomish based ukulele group “Uke can do it”. Ray Stewart released his first solo album "Through These Doors" a number of years ago and is always a favourite of fans and fellow musicians alike.
Pictou County Pipers features Robbie MacInnis, Aaron MacInnis, Bowman Pitman & Patrick Gillis from various local Pipe Bands.
Catch virtual and live performances this year by tuning in on Eastlink Community TV, channel 10 on Sunday, November 24th from 1pm-6pm. You can also "Listen Live" at pictoucountychristmasfund.ca
Thank you for Christmas Sharing in our community! #PCCF2024