Songs from the Mayflower with Ménestrel at Christ Church Cathedral

Ménestrel is a Canadian early music duo mixing ancient repertoire with Canadian oral folk traditions. Their sound is grounded in historical practice, yet their sensibility is disarmingly modern, shaped by the emotional clarity and immediacy of folk and popular styles. This concert features a beautiful programme of folk songs collected by Helen Creighton, Canada’s ‘First Lady of Folklore,’ who was responsible for amassing over 4,000 songs from across the Canadian Maritimes. Come hear music from the traditions that were present in Canada in the 17th and early 18th centuries, songs like “The Sea Captain”, “Fear a Bhata”, “She’s like the Swallow” and the Quebec traditional “À la Claire Fontaine” – a musical snapshot of the melodies and rhythms emblematic of Eastern Canada.

"Right away, Janelle Lucyk’s gentle voice welcomes us, the tone swaying between full-bodied and light, creating an airy vocal line, weightless—which, in the context of folkloric music, constitutes a wonderful display of skill."

– Justin Bernard, La Scena Musicale