Longshadow 2023 is a wrap!

Reflections below from another amazing Festival

Longshadow returned for the third time, from June 15 - 17 2023 in Yellowknife, NWT.
Three unique concerts in three iconic Yellowknife venues in the beautiful summer solstice season of the sub-Arctic!

See below for details and schedule.

Click here for 2023 artist bios.

Thursday June 15 2023 “Uchida-Hoekman Duo at Sundog - violin/cello”
The returning ensemble duo of Robert Uchida (violin) and Rafael Hoekman (cello) was a sold-out concert at the Sundog Trading Post in iconic Old Town Yellowknife - an amazing acoustic performance in a unique log-cabin cafe. Audience reviews of this concert raved about the intimate feel being so close to the performers, seeing their facial expressions and interactions, the powerful musical choices including music from 100’s of years ago and music from living Canadian composers. Special features of this concert included a buffet of gourmet appetizers prepared by the Sundog kitchen, which was included in the ticket price. (Audience of 45)(Doors at 7:00pm, Music at 7:30pm, Sundog Trading Post - Beer, wine for sale - All-ages event
Co-presenting partner: Prairie Debut, $45 - ticket price includes a buffet of an assortment of delicious appetizers!)

After their 2022 sold-out show, these two master players are thrilled to be returning to the intimate log-cabin Sundog Trading Post café, with the added enticement of a ticket price that includes an assortment buffet of delicious appetizers from the Sundog chefs! Bar service open for purchase - and it’s still an all-ages show.

Audience reviews from their 2022 concert raved about the intimate feel being so close to the performers, seeing their facial expressions and interactions, and the powerful musical choices. Music on the program will range from some of the most widely-performed works for string duos from past centuries, as well as gorgeous and passionate music by Canadian composers + arrangers.

Artist Bios

Friday June 16th - Indoor Picnic Concert at the Great Hall of the Legislative Assembly
Family-friendly and FREE!!
“Indoor Picnic Concert” - at the NWT Legislature Building’s Great Hall, this was a free family-friendly concert, performed indoors in the Legislative Assembly’s Great Hall. The performers were in the centre of the room, with the audience in a circle surrounding them. An outer ring of chairs encircled space for “picnickers” to set up their blankets and snacks, within arms reach of the performers. Targeted towards families with young children, this was truly unusual and successful concert setting! It was also extremely accessible for audiences of all mobilities, ages, and income-levels.

The casual, creative setting of the event allowed everyone to enjoy the event at their own pace, from small babies to elders to neuro-divergent audience members. Three groups of performers presented very different genres to this audience: a classical string duo (Uchida-Hoekman Duo from Edmonton), a piano/saxophone jazz duo (Mike Auty + Rob Wilkinson from Yellowknife), and a solo singer-songwriter on electric guitar+looping pedals (Shea Alain from Yellowknife). The final performance was a group improvisation with all 5 performers!

In a successful experiment, we placed a speaker outside the Leg, in the actual picnic-table area. This allowed people who needed some space (i.e. kids with an excess of energy!) to leave the Great Hall, be in a safe space, and still enjoy the music - which was being sent outdoors to the speaker! This was highlighted by many audience members as a wonderful, adaptive way to experience the event.

4:30pm - 5:30 Audience invited to get settled (bring your own snacks + picnic blanket!), 5:30 - 6:45 Concert!! (Audience of 125 - approx. 85 adults, 40 youth).

Many thanks to MLA Rylund Johnson for sponsoring Longshadow’s use of the Great Hall!

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Artist 1 - Robert + Raf - violin + cello duo
Artist 2 - Rob Wilkinson (keyboards) and Mike Auty (saxophone) - jazz duo
Artist 3 - Shea Alain - electric guitar, looping pedals, and heartfelt singing
(groovy, a bit gritty, and all-around gorgeous sounds and songs)

Artist Finale - Collaboration Improvisation Extraordinaire! - all the artists joined together for a brief + beautiful improv set.

Saturday June 17th - Ragged Ass Swing Band at the Top Knight

“Ragged Ass Swing Band” - performed their second-ever show at the Top Knight in downtown Yellowknife. It sold out in just a few days! 16 local Yellowknife musicians got the audience onto the dance floor with big band swing music that spanned over 100 years.

Trumpets: Al Jones, Ben Weber, Sean Daly, Meaghan Brackenbury, Amanda Weltman. Trombone: Joanna Wilson. Saxophones: Scott Lough, Julia Lacourse, Kristen Au, Mike Auty, Alycia Wilson. Rhythm Section: James McDonald, Rob Wilkinson, Alex Ketchum, Alan Yeoman, Carmen Braden. Voice: Margo Nightingale

The intermission featured a jazz combo of electric guitarist Alex Ketchum, a 17-year old talented musician who has grown up in Yellowknife and will be pursuing music at university this fall. Other swing band members Carmen Braden, and Mike Auty joined Alex on stage, and were joined by guest drummer Kay Sibbeston, recently returned from completing their own university degree in music.

(Audience of 115)

Music NWT was a featured sponsor of this event - thank you Music NWT!

Artist Bios

Longshadow by the numbers

Total performances - 6
- 3 outreach; 3 featured concerts

Total audience numbers 520 - increase of 10% from 2022!!
- Sundog (45), Indoor Picnic at the Leg (45 kids, 80 adults, total 125), Swing Band (115)
- Aven Manor outreach (25), school concerts (200)
- workshop/educational outreach (10)

Local Yellowknife performers - 17
Southern visiting performers - 2
Nights stayed in Yellowknife by visiting performers - 5

Compositions by Canadian composers and arrangers: 3
Compositions by Canadian women: 2
Compositions by minority-representing composers: 2

Outreach impacts and community engagements

Music for elders - hour-long concert at Aven Manor seniors centre

Music for youth - two school concerts at Mildred Hall School

Two workshops for local string players

Local partnerships, organizations, sponsors

MLA’s Rylund Johnson - sponsoring use of the Great Hall at the Legislative Assembly Building

Backbay Productions - technical equipment and services

PIDO Productions - technical equipment and services

GNWT ECE - Support for Northern Performers program - Supporting technician costs and local performer fees

Music NWT - supporting local performer costs

Southern sponsorships and partners

Prairie Debut - Calgary-based presenting company that tours classical groups to the prairie provinces and the Yukon, and has been excited to expand their work to the NWT.
- Canada Council for the Arts is a sponsor of Prairie Debut’s work

Robert Uchida (Edmonton Symphony Orchestra concertmaster) - took the role of co-Director for 2023 and was responsible for the excellent repertoire selection of the Sundog show, inspiration and co-curation of the Indoor Picnic Concert and gathering of southern musicians

Economic benefit of the Festival for Yellowknife

Strong audience participation in the creative and performing arts economy signals a demand for world-class artistic presentations in Yellowknife;
Local car rental companies engaged for visiting performers;
Local restaurants, businesses, artisans visited by visiting performers;
Venues: Sundog Trading Post, Legislative Assembly Great Hall and the Top Knight benefit from sold-out audiences purchasing tickets and food/drink, and using community spaces for cultural activities;
Advertising dollars increased through local media and publishing outlets (Cabin Radio, Up Here Magazine’s Yellowknife Tour Guide)

Audience responses:

“Thank you so much for all your hard work for the Longshadow family friendly concert picnic. It was wonderful to be able to share with my baby, it brought so much joy and tears to me.”

“Thank you for an incredible performance for our AVENS Seniors! A shout out to Robert and Rafael too!”

“Please keep bringing music to Yellowknife!”