Biographies
Mark and Tom have been at it a long time. They enjoy the success of being two of the most regular working musicians on earth. They entertain in a wide variety of venues for an even wider assortment of audiences. With their roots firmly planted in tradition, their limbs freely explore the outer limits. Their engaging humour and musicality have made them popular in several circuits. Their ramblings have led them down the highways of Ontario, through the back roads of Britain, along the shores of the Maritimes and into the mountains of New York. They perform a traditional and original repertoire influenced by Celtic, Maritime and North American roots.
Spring ’93 they released their first recording “Foot To Floor (Repeat On Beat!)” They have performed nationally on CBC Radio Jurgen Gothe’s Disc Drive, Murray McLaughlin’s “Swingin’ On A Star”, “Morningside”, locally on “Later The Same Day” and the national broadcast of “The Canadian Old Time Fiddler’s Contest” from Shelbourne Ontario.
In the fall of ’94, Mark and Tom toured England and Scotland. Over three weeks they played dates from Portsmouth to Edinburgh and Scarborough to Bath. Venues included folk societies, coffee-houses, pubs, the Boddington Manchester Festival of the Arts and a live performance on BBC’s “Into the Parlour”.
In the spring of ’96 they were commissioned to write arrangements of Canadian traditional music for live shows at the Canada Pavilion, EPCOT Centre, Disney World, Florida. You’ll find them stomping the hardwood and leading the chorus where-ever tunes are played, stories are told and songs are sung.
Career Highlights Independent recording “Foot To Floor (Repeat On Beat)”
A commission to write arrangements of Canadian traditional music for live shows at the Canada Pavilion, EPCOT Centre, Disney World, Florida.
Folk and music festivals include:
- Eaglewood Folk Festival (Pefferlaw, Ontario)
- Lunenburg Folk Harbour Festival (Lunenburg, Nova Scotia)
- The Vara World Music Festival, Sweden Red
- Rock Folk Music Festival (Ont.)
- Fox Valley Music Ferstival (Il)
- Ottawa Folk Festival (Ottawa, Ont)
- Almaguin Music Festival Ottawa Folk Festival (Ottawa, Ontario)
- Octoberfolk (Ontario) Horseshoe Valley Spring Music (Ontario)
- Home County Folk Festival (London, Ontario)
- Festival Of The Islands (Gananoque, Ontario)
- Blue Skies Music Festival (Clarendon, Ontario)
- Grass Roots (Pickering, Ontario) Mariposa (Cobourg, Ontario)
- Horseshoe Valley Folk Festival
- Atlantic Canada Festival (Toronto, Ontario)
- Molson’s Fiddlin’ Arround Festival (Harbourfront, Toronto, Ontario)
- Royal Agricultural Winter Fair (Toronto, Ontario)
- Woodbridge Fall Fair (Woodbridge, Ontario)
- Wye Marsh Festival (Midland, Ontario)
CBC and radio features:
- “Swingin’ On A Star” (hosted by Murray McLaughlin)
- “Later The Same Day” (hosted by Catherine O’Hara)
- Host band for national broadcast of “The Canadian Open Old Time Fiddler’s Contest”,
- Shelbourne, Ontario ”Night Side” (hosted by John Oakley and John Hesselink)
- “CHIN Points East” (hosted by Karen Parmeter)
