The Cumberland Museum is welcoming Maria Dunn for a special concert event Thursday, June 12 at Cumberland United Church as part of their 29th anniversary Miners Memorial Weekend (June 12-15).
It’s not an easy thing to draw smart, compelling songs from historical sources, or to give contemporary experience a timeless resonance.
But one of Alberta’s finest musical storytellers, Maria Dunn, accomplishes both.
A Juno-nominated songwriter (guitarist, vocalist and accordionist), Maria draws deeply on the folk tradition of storytelling through song.
A true preserver of the spirit of folk music, she is often compared to Woody Guthrie for her keen social awareness and her unvarnished songs about the lives of working men and women.
Melding North American roots music with her Scottish-Irish heritage, Maria celebrates the resilience and grace of the working class.
Tickets are only $10 for this special concert. Twenty free tickets are held for children 14 and under. Another 20 sliding scale tickets for under employed will be also available at the door.
Doors at 7:30. Concert at 8.
Maria and scores of other musicians, writers, historians, organizers, and activists will be in Cumberland through the weekend as part of the 29th Miners Memorial, this year held in conjunction with the Pacific Northwest Labour History Conference.
Event-filled weekend
There are many events this June 12-15 open to the community. Everyone is welcome for walking tours (by donation to the museum) leaving from the Museum Friday including a 10:30 a.m. guided walking tour of the Cumberland Museum, a 1 p.m. historic walking tour of the Village of Cumberland and a 3 p.m. historic walking tour of the old settlement sites (Town of Union, Chinatown, Japanese Settlement)
Friday night all are welcome for “Songs of the Workers” at 7 at the Cumberland OAP Hall with over 20 local and visiting musicians performing.
On Saturday there is a pancake breakfast at the CRI and Graveside Memorial with music and speakers at 2 p.m. at Cumberland Cemetery.
The Cumberland Hotel hosts some more great Miners Memorial Music from 4 to 6 p.m.
Come and learn more about the rich working class history of B.C. and the Pacific Northwest and Miners Memorial event details visit www.cumberlandmuseum.ca.