MacMaster-Leahy thrill local audiences

Story and photos by Mark Ribble

The Bank Theatre was alive with fiddling, dancing and clapping on the weekend as they hosted two capacity-crowd free concerts as part of the Leamington 150 celebration.

Natalie MacMaster and Donnell Leahy brought their award-winning Cape Breton style to The Bank Theatre stage to the delight of the full house attending on Saturday evening and again on Sunday afternoon.

“Happy 150 Leamington!” said MacMaster as the concert got underway Sunday. “We’ve been in Ontario for 22 years now and we love it here.”

The pair were joined on stage by their guitar player Remi Arsenault and their daughters Mary Frances and Clare — two accomplished performers in their own right.

As promised, the crowd went home with a nice, down-home feeling in a cozy atmosphere, of which MacMaster said it reminded her of the smaller venues they used to play in Cape Breton.

Co-chairs of the Leamington 150 committee — John Moran and Michelle Fortier — were thrilled with the turnout and the level of talent.

“These folks are a joy to work with,” said Moran. “And they put on an exceptional show.”

There was plenty of toe tapping and clapping coming from the captivated audience as it was clear that each attendee went away happy.

They were also offered free birthday cake for Leamington’s birthday.

The free concerts for the 150th celebration were the third-to-last of the celebratory shows, with Great Big Sea’s Sean McCann due in town this weekend for two sold-out shows, followed by Jersey Nights (Frankie Valli tribute) and  Broadway at The Bank Theatre on the November 23-24 weekend.

The free Leamington 150 concerts are part of the 2024 Music on the 42nd Concert Series presented by the Municipality of Leamington, the Leamington 150 Committee and The Bank Theatre.