Hard Ryde

Marion, VA — Song of the Mountains, the award winning Public Television concert series from the Lincoln Theatre in Marion, Virginia will present their final taping for 2009 on December 19th at 7:00 pm. “This will wrap up our fifth season of taping which translates into 84 one hour television episodes.” says Tim White the executive coordinator for the concert series. “We start taping for our sixth season on January 15th with Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys. 2010 will be an outstanding lineup of talent including the Riders in the Sky, Kathy Mattea, the Chuck Wagon Gang, John Cowan, Robin and Linda Williams and many others.”

The concert on December 19th will feature bluegrass, Celtic, gospel and Americana music and will include Christmas tunes as well. The concert will showcase the talents of the Primitive Quartet, Anderson and Strickland, Vinny Ringrose and Hard Ryde a wonderful band from Canada.

Hard Ryde — Hailing from musical backgrounds encompassing bluegrass, country, old-time and jazz, the sum of these individual parts equals one dynamic powerhouse of talent taking the Canadian bluegrass stage. Hard Ryde is an award-winning combination of musical synergy, adored by their fans and respected by their peers on both sides of the border. With more than one songwriter on board, Hard Ryde’s music is fresh, exciting and new, while at the same time respecting and capturing the essence and passion of traditional bluegrass. Hard Ryde’s strong vocals, stellar musicianship and winning songwriting abilities have won this band a top spot in the hearts of bluegrass fans in Canada and beyond.

Hard Ryde received several awards at the Central Canadian Bluegrass Awards in November 2007 including Guitar, Banjo, Mandolin, Fiddle and Entertainer of the Year. Hard Ryde latest release ‘Stages” also won the Recording of the Year.

The Primitive Quartet has been traveling and singing gospel music thirty-five years, and we count it a joy and privilege to spread the gospel through song. Our ultimate goal is to see saints blessed and encouraged to have a closer walk with God and to help lead souls to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Our quartet was formed as a result of a fishing trip when we sat around the campfire at night and sang. We realized that we had four-part harmony, and from there we started singing at our home church and other local churches. Today we travel approximately fifty thousand miles a year and do about one hundred fifty dates annually. Our music is the traditional mountain shape note style singing accompanied by acoustical instruments including the mandolin, banjo, fiddle, guitars and acoustic bass. We play our own music on all our recordings and strive to duplicate the same sound on all our personal appearances.

Vinny Ringrose settled in Southwest Virginia 5 years ago. He’s been busy singing, writing, and song collecting for almost two decades now. Raised in a large Irish-American family, he was immersed in the music and culture of both traditions from the onset. His music has allowed him to literally crisscross half the globe, from his wife’s hometown of Dublin (that’s Ireland, not Virginia,) across the U.S., and even to far reaches of the South Pacific Islands. His days as a concert producer allowed him, and his family, to form a lasting friendship with the legendary Tommy Makem, whom he cites as a primary inspiration and first-hand teacher of his craft. As he says, “Tommy Makem, Johnny Cash, and Bob Dylan were THE musical holy trinity when we were kids.”

An accomplished songwriter in his own right, tonight he concentrates mostly on the Irish music he learned as a child. This same music laid the foundation for Old Time and Bluegrass when it arrived in the mountains of Appalachia more than two centuries ago. More importantly, he’ll show how the musical traffic between Ireland and America has always traveled in both directions and remains as vital as ever today.

Anderson and Strickland hail from southwestern Virginia. This will be their second appearance by this band on Song of the Mountains. Gerald Anderson and Spencer Strickland bring an astounding collection of musicians and tunes with them performed in true bluegrass and Americana fashion.

Song of the Mountains features bluegrass, old time, Celtic and Americana Music and is currently airing on over 170 Public Television outlets across the United States. The series is hosted by Tim White. Tickets for the concert at the Lincoln Theatre on Saturday, December 19th are $15. Tickets may be purchased at the Lincoln Theatre Box Office in Marion, VA or online at SongOfTheMountains.org. The concert begins at 7:00 pm. For information or tickets by phone call 276-783-6093.

Song of the Mountains is underwritten for public television by the Virginia Tobacco Indemnification and Community Revitalization Commission, Mountain States Health Alliance, GrahamFest, Bryant Label Co. of Blountville, TN, TEDS, the General Francis Marion Hotel in Marion, VA, Deering Banjos, the Carter Family Fold, The Bank of Marion, Alpha Natural Resources, and Emory & Henry College. Special support from Marion, and Smyth County, VA.

Memberships and Song of the Mountains merchandise are available at the website and your purchases help support the concert series.

Song of the Mountains / The Lincoln Theatre is a non-profit organization.

– From Song of the Mountains