Alison Vardy’s love for multicultural music and rhythm, are reflected in her compositions, arrangements, recordings and carefully crafted performances.
The Sayward Valley Folk Music Society will present the Canadian folk artist in concert at the Heritage Hall in Sayward on July 8.
Vardy began playing the harp over three decades ago while living in the small agricultural town of Gore, New Zealand. Over the years, the harp became her alter-ego.
In addition to performing at numerous venues, with various groups, in New Zealand, Alison traveled to Australia and performed at the Australian Harp Festival. During this time she studied with renowned harpists Andy Rigby and Alfredo Rolando Ortiz.
After winning the Creative New Zealand Award in 1996, Vardy attended the International Folk Harp Conference in Olympia, Washington and soon immigrated Canada.
She counts herself lucky to have also received extensive training on the piano, hammered dulcimer, accordion, and Irish bagpipes.
In 2015 Vardy moved to Cedar, B.C. where she is the owner of West Coast Harps – specializing in high quality, professionally luthiered harps, hammered dulcimers and bowed psalteries.
The Sayward Valley Folk Music Society will have Vardy gracing their stage for an evening of Celtic harp and hammered dulcimer on July 8. This performance is part of their monthly concert series at the Sayward Heritage Hall, 1257 Sayward Road.
The doors open at 5:30. There is an open mic at 6. The concert starts at 7. Admission is $10. Children under 12 are free when accompanied by an adult.