"The cowboy culture goes north and south. It doesn't respect boundaries, it's fluid," says the woman behind bringing the iconic American group Sons of the Pioneers to North Battleford Aug. 13.
The current members of the group, which has existed uninterrupted for more than 80 years, are keeping the signature four- and five-part harmony intact within its original songs, says Margaret Morrissette of Fort Qu’Appelle, the promotor for the Sons of the Pioneers seven-city Saskatchewan tour.
Their classic songs such as Tumbling Tumbleweeds, Cool Water and Ghost Riders in the Sky are performed without any "creative re-interpretation," says Morrissette. Today's members play them exactly as their predecessors, who included Roy Rogers, used to do.
Morrissette says the preservation of their signature sound is one of the reasons she's excited about bringing the Pioneers to Saskatchewan for the Land of Living Sky Tour. It's really a gift to Saskatchewan's seniors, she says, and she's hopeful many will be able to experience that Pioneer sound they've heard on radio, television and records for most of their lives.
"They play the songs exactly as they were originally played," she says.
There's a therapeutic aspect to music, and for seniors especially when they get the chance to hear fondly remembered songs played live, says Morrissette.
They will be joined by a "hot" new fiddler from Nashville, Justin Branum, a Grand Master Fiddler Champion. In fiddle vernacular "hot" means dizzyingly fast.
The Sons of the Pioneers have been described as synonymous with the ultimate in cowboy music, musically painting unforgettable images and stories of horses, cattle, cowboys, tall timber, cool water, canyons and prairies.
The group was first started by Roy Rogers and the gifted songwriters Bob Nolan, originally from Winnipeg, and Tim Spencer.
Morrissette points out most people don't know the classic Cool Water that helped solidify the Pioneers sound was written by a Canadian.
She's excited about the group coming to Saskatchewan. They've never been to the province before, she says, and it was actually at their own instigation that this tour has come to be.
Morrissette and her husband and a few other musician friends visit Branson, Miss., the famous country western performance venue, where the Sons of the Pioneers are regular headliners. On one trip they connected with members of the Sons of the Pioneers, who are known for being interested in meeting their audiences, she says.
They wanted to know how they could set up a tour to Saskatchewan, where they'd never performed before.
Morrissette says they told her group they didn't want to go with a national promotional company, they wanted a family or citizens from the territory they were going into to help them. She explains it's the only way they could keep costs low enough that ticket prices can be held to a minimum. Otherwise, such as at bookings they've made recently in Alberta and Manitoba, they might be three times higher.
Morrissette, partner in an organic farm in the Qu'Appelle Valley agreed to take the project on.
"Our [reason] was just a gift for the seniors," she says. "It was never about trying to make anybody rich, it was just trying to cover costs and see if there is a demand for this kind of music. It's the old cowboy music. We don't want to see it die out."
It's all about the cowboy philosophy, she says, plus the values they sing about and stand by. It's also about the importance of horses and the love for the land, "basically thanking our predecessors for sticking it out and pioneering around here."
The Sons of the Pioneers are world famous hall of famers who will be the guests of Old Rivers Organic Co. Ltd. during the time of their Living Sky tour.
"They are actually living with us for two and a half weeks."
They will see to their needs and will travel with them.
"We're providing the complete host service to them to see that they are comfortable coming into Canada," says Morrissette.
If all goes well, they will probably come back next spring.
The Sons of the Pioneers will be performing in Fort Qu'Appelle Aug. 2, Assiniboian Aug. 5, Melfort Aug. 7, Saskatoon Aug. 9, Yorkton Aug. 11, North Battleford Aug. 13 and Regina Aug 15.
Tickets for the North Battleford show are available from the Western Development Museum, where the show will take place. Tickets are $35.
Since their beginnings, the Sons of the Pioneers garnered national and international fans through appearances in almost 100 western films during the 1930s, ‘40s and ‘50s. Numerous albums were recorded under contracts with Decca, Columbia, RCA and others. The group provided songs for several John Ford westerns including the soundtrack for The Searchers starring John Wayne. When television came along they regularly appeared on the Roy Rogers Show and had guest appearances on such programs as the Barbara Mandrell Show. Walt Disney called upon the Pioneers to supply the soundtrack for the film Pecos Bill. They were the first cowboy musical group to perform at Carnegie Hall and the first to headline in Las Vegas casinos.
The current group’s configuration is part of a continuous and uninterrupted 81-year existence in which they have accumulated more coveted honors and awards than anyone in Western music. The group has been inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Western Music Association Hall of Fame and the National Cowboy Hall of Fame among others. The Smithsonian Institute named them as “National Treasures.”
The Pioneers are known around the world for their unique three- and four-part harmonies. According to their “trail boss,” Tommy Nallie, who joined the group in the 1980s, “We are honored to be returning to Canada. We had a Canadian tour in 2012 and we were parade marshalls for the Calgary Stampede in the 1990s.” Nallie says, “Every concert is pure cowboy music packed with our timeless hits, solid western swing and a good measure of comedy and banter. Each of the five members share the vocals and instrumentals.”
Part of the hallmark sound comes from acoustic fiddles, mandolin, upright bass, and lead and rhythm guitars.
When not performing their regular theater concert season in Branson, Miss., the Pioneers have recently been invited to perform on RFD-TV, PBS program, on Nashville's Grand Ol Opry and at various theaters and festivals across the country.
