Barney Bentall

This post has been a few weeks coming.

The recent period has proved emotionally tough for many of us – for reasons that will be obvious to all – and the thought of getting down to compose this difficult and bittersweet missive has caused me to succumb to procrastination. It is, however, something that I really do want to do – so here goes:

Back in the autumn of 2015 – the year that The Girl and I moved to Canada – we attended a musical event at a venue in downtown Victoria. This occurrence was particularly notable for three reasons: First: we had not seen (or heard) this particular musical combination before –  though The Girl was already familiar with the work of some of the constituent members. Second: we made a good friend that evening with whom we still  enjoy getting together nearly a decade on.

Third: I made no reference at all to the event within the pages of this online journal!

“Well!”… you may say. “That is hardly surprising. You had, after all, just moved into your new home and there was much else about which to write“.

That may be true – but should be set against the fact that since then we have attended what was actually an annual charitable music event every single year – and on each occasion I have recorded the event in this blog (sometimes more than once!). This I have done because we so loved the evenings – the which have acted throughout as a joyous starting gun for the run in to the Christmas season.

I refer – of course – to the magnificent Barney Bentall’s Cariboo Express – concerning which I have waxed lyrical on many an occasion.

This year’s four night stint at the Mary Winspear in Sidney by the Sea took place just a few weeks back – and once again our hearts were filled with strong emotions.

“But, hang on” … you cry. “You made mention of ‘bittersweet. What’s up?”

Well – The Girl and I may have boarded the Cariboo Express annually for the last nine years, but Barney and his clan have been touring this charitable show every autumn for the last twenty years. They have somewhat reluctantly decided that – owing to ill heath and other complexities – this should be the final tour. To say that this breaks our hearts a little is no exaggeration. Tears were shed on the night that we attended and – I am sure – in equal measure at the other shows also.

We are really going to miss this beloved event and shout out a grateful “Thank you” to all those who have brought us such joy and pleasure over the years. You will all be missed.

I would feel moved to quote Joni Mitchell:

“Don’t it always seem to go
That you don’t know what you’ve got ’til it’s gone“

…except that – in this case – I think we did know!

In complete contrast to the experience described in my last post – “Every exit“…

Regular ingesters of these random(ish) gobbets will no doubt feel completely familiar by now with Barney Bentall’s Cariboo Express – that charitable roadshow of assorted musicians and other performers that makes a three night pitstop at the Mary Winspear Centre in Sidney each November – raising much needed cash for the Sidney Lions Food Bank. We have been in Canada for over seven years now… we have traveled on the Cariboo Express at least six times since we arrived… I have written posts about it at least five times!

I was not intending to pen another post this year, in the wake of our annual pilgrimage a couple of weeks back. I thought that I had pretty much covered the subject in previous years and the last thing I would want to do is to bore you – the gentle reader…

However…

…each time we surrender ourselves to the oncoming Express – regardless of how tired we may be or how weighed down we are with the burden of the world’s (and our own) problems upon our shoulders – a couple of hours spent in the company of this exuberant assemblage of musicians of all ages… and we find ourselves once again rejuvenated by the spirit of bonhomie and love.

In short – the music and dancing weaves its magic spell and we are once again recharged with a joyous zest for life and all that is good about it.

Those who know me well would never have expected me to be so taken with this particular genre of music (sort of country-ish) and yet I take great delight each year in attending the show and having my faith in live music emphatically restored.

It helps, of course, that the Cariboo Express crew so clearly love doing the whole tour themselves. The ensemble seems to grow larger each year. This time round the cavalcade winding its way around BC comprised some nineteen performers who – at various points – assembled together on the Charlie White Theatre stage.

Good thing it is a particularly wide stage!

To Barney and to the whole crew – thank you again for this year’s fabulous show. See you next year!