Some years ago having booked an overnight stay at a horse ranch/bed and breakfast in Salmon Arm a small town located in the British Columbia interior’s Okanagan valley, we were a bit surprised on arrival to find the owner, whom we knew from previous visits rushing to leave. She said that she had a ticket for a 7:30 pm concert. She thrust the door keys into our hands and headed for her car.

Aware for some time of the existence of the Okanagan symphony orchestra and accustomed to attending the Vancouver symphony’s concerts; even performing with them numerous times as a member of the Vancouver Bach Choir, I had long wondered what performance standard this local symphony’s musicians had been able to attain given most likely limited financial resources operating as they were in an area with relatively sparse population.

“Were there any tickets available and where is the performance” I shouted after our hostess. “In the local ice rink ten minutes away” she replied giving us the phone number to call for tickets, brief directions and then making a rapid exit. I looked at my watch. It was 7:10. We phoned and luckily nailed the tickets. Quickly unloading our luggage we then also made a hasty departure and headed for the ice rink.

We made it to our seats with minutes to spare. Looking around we couldn’t help but notice that many if not all of the almost full house audience appeared to be in various states of inebriation with glasses of beer or wine in hand. We also noticed the complete absence of symphony orchestra instruments on stage.

Given the hockey arena centric performance ‘hall’ and laid back small town ambiance, we figured that the orchestra would be relatively small in numbers and that they must be planning on walking on (at least the ice was covered eliminating the need for skates) with chairs, instruments, podium and music scores in hand. Their conductor would then make his or her solo grand entry as per the long established fashion.

To our surprise and ‘city slickers’ bemusement (we lived in Vancouver) there was of all things a warm up act. Not your usual start to a symphony performance. Instead of the orchestra taking the stage, a rock band with drinks in hand ambled on with their instruments, plugged them in and launched into about a twenty minute set. A bit over the top we thought given they were opening for a symphony orchestra!

Beverages we then noted were readily available during the performance from heavily loaded aisle plying servers (their trays that is, not we hoped the servers.) We figured if you can’t beat ‘em join ‘em so we imbibed. This would never in a million years happen in downtown Vancouver’s Orpheum theatre auditorium.  

The band was very good as were our drinks. After a couple of curtain calls and an encore the band made their exit and no doubt headed for more beer and wine. Now for the main act the, at a bare minimum locally acclaimed, Okanagan symphony orchestra. 

There was a bit of a delay as some of the rock band had forgotten to take their instruments with them nor the remains of the beer and whatever else they had been drinking during their performance. Impressively there was no smoke, weed derived or otherwise. 

Rather than being critical we figured, let’s treat the by then demonstratively plastered general audience and the amateur stage management shenanigans as a refreshing change from the big city pomposity that is too often the handmaiden of the ‘high’ arts and especially of symphony concerts.

With the stage finally cleared it was announced that there would now be an intermission! Ah we thought, this is when the chairs, music stands, instruments, etc will be positioned. We headed for the bar in search of a greater choice in alcoholic beverage than was available from the aisle servers.

Eventually back in our seats we were surprised to find that the orchestra’s instruments and working accoutrements had not in fact been brought out. Next the stage front curtain was lowered. Not a bad idea if you are finally and professionally setting the stage for the orchestra. Now an announcement for us to take our seats. Most everybody already had.

The curtain rose, the stage lights came up and there at centre stage and to the great delight of the now largely fully inebriated, wildly hooting and hollering audience stood, complete with multiple small sheets of purchasable plywood, yes plywood, was “Stomping” Tom Connors a Canadian icon, country and folksinger. The penny of course dropped. When our B & B host said it was a concert she was about to attend, we snooty city folk had automatically assumed Okanagan Symphony concert.  

The show was brilliant. Stomping Tom gave more than value for money. Much more. We couldn’t have enjoyed it more. After his finale, false exit and three encores the stage was rushed by people vying to buy his now stomped upon and pre-autographed sheets of plywood. 

For us the entire evening’s spectacle had been more entertaining than many of the actual symphony concerts we had experienced. Sudbury Saturday Night was and is my favorite stomping Tom number. From Saint John, New Brunswick and a holder of the Order of Canada Tom Connors is credited with writing over 300 songs. Click here to Sudbury Saturday Night. Enjoy.