Friday may be the last time Liona Boyd does a concert in Fergus.
Often referred to as “The First Lady of the Guitar,” Boyd will be playing a concert on July 10 at 8pm at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Fergus.
“It probably will be the last time people will get to see me in that kind of setting because I’m cutting back considerably,” she told the Advertiser in a phone conversation. “So yeah, probably the last time I’ll be coming to Fergus so I really hope people come out and bring their kids too.”
Fergus is one of the stops on Boyd’s Summer Tour 2015, which will take her through smaller communities in Ontario with a stop in Winnipeg as well. She said she’s excited to introduce some new pieces from a new album she will be releasing sometime this fall.
“It’s kind of fun for me to go into the smaller communities and I think people get a better deal, quite honestly,” Boyd said. “Tickets are probably cheaper and they get to meet me afterwards and it’s more intimate.
“It’s kind of special.”
Boyd is a virtuoso performer and composer with gold and platinum albums and she has won five Juno awards. Though much of her work is in classical guitar, Boyd said her summer tour isn’t just the one genre.
She will be joined by the Hilltop Singers in Fergus who will do a few of their own numbers and will join her for her patriotic song called Canada My Canada as well as an Ontario anthem called Song for Ontario.
“There’s a new theme song for Ontario that I’ve written that we’re singing and I’m very proud of this song,” she said. “I’ve been invited to sing it for the Pan Am delegates.”
Boyd will also be singing a song called Love of the Horse that was originally written for a Pan Am Games event that fell through and a song called I Prefer the World of Yesterday that is a rant against technology with a Caribbean style melody, she said. She will also be performing a medley of folk music, reciting a poem and will be accompanied by Michael Savona on the guitar.
“After the Hilltop Singers sing I’m going to play a piece called Spirit of the Canadian North Land and it’s very evocative of the north and the beautiful landscape and the forest and the lakes and I was always very inspired by Canadian landscapes,” Boyd explained.
Along with songs she wants to debut some pieces from her new album No Remedy for Love that will likely be released this fall, Boyd will also be performing songs from her other albums.
“My audience really spans a big range in ages from kids that are maybe taking piano or guitar lessons or maybe just thinking about it to seniors who’ve enjoyed my music over the years and supported my career,” she said. “So I’m very grateful that Canada’s been so good to me.”
Boyd said she’d be available to meet people after the Fergus concert.
“I always make a habit of doing that,” she said. “We’ll meet people afterwards and … I can sign or just say ‘hi’ or whatever people would like.”
She will have CDs, t-shirts, autobiographies and other merchandise available for purchase but she said she’d autograph a guitar strap or an old LP or take a photo as well.
The concert will take place at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Fergus at 8pm on July 10.
Tickets are $39.50 and are discounted to $34.50 for seniors and students. Tickets can be purchased at www.ticketweb.ca or 1-888-222-6608 and at I Love Chocolate at 128 St. Andrew St. West in Fergus.
