Country singer SACHA is coming to Westben!

By Donna Bennett

Westben is back for its 24th Season of music in nature concerts and experiences on a 50acre farm near Campbellford. Westben is a Trent Hills community and audiences whether local, regional or national, love exploring the three beautiful towns of Warkworth, Hastings and Campbellford before and after the concerts.

Summer 2023 brings 26 performances from July 2 to August 6 featuring 70 artists from Measha Bruegergossman-Lee and Ben Heppner to Chantal Kreviazuk, Dan Hill and Warkworth’s own country singer SACHA. There will also be music and art shared by our neighbours from Alderville First Nation. Westben has three outdoor venues. The custom-built, timber-frame barn that seats 400 with doors that roll open onto a lush meadow, Willow Hill amphitheatre offering the outdoor festival experience and the cozy campfire venue where performers and audiences ,share songs and stories with smores and a sunset.

But Westben is more than just great performances, it offers music in nature experiences. Gourmet picnics in the meadow, Dare to Pair dining with wine tasting, pre-concert chats, guided nature and music walks and a chance to relax by the pond.

Measha Breggergosman-Lee opens the Festival July 2 having performed at Carnegie Hall, Washington’s Kennedy Center to London’s Wigmore Hall and Musikverein in Vienna. Ben Heppner with the Elmer Iseler

Singers is back on July 14, Juno award winning pianist Janina Fialkowska on July 22, Westben’s Co-Founder and pianist

Westben is more than just great performances, it offers music in nature experiences. Gourmet picnics in the meadow, Dare to Pair dining with wine tasting, pre-concert chats, guided nature and music walks and a chance to relax by the pond.

Brian Finley performing works by Liszt on July 7 and a quintet of musicians on July 15 performing Mozart and Brahms.

One of Canada’s fastest rising country stars and originally from Warkworth, SACHA appears July 8 on Willow Hill.

SACHA’s first Platinum single which she performed with the Reklaws, called What the Truck (19 million+ global streams), is the fastest-ever Canadian country song to go platinum in history. Nominated for Rising Star at the 2022 CCMA Awards and the CMA Ontario Awards, SACHA landed her first-ever CCMA Canadian Country Music Association Award. That same weekend SACHA was named the winner of SiriusXM's Top of The Country contest. She is a member of Country Music Television’s Next Women of Country 2021 class and featured in major television, print and online press including CMT, Music Row Magazine, American Songwriter, Rolling Stone Country, Billboard and The Boot, SACHA has also appeared on A-list editorial playlists (U.S. and Canadian) on Spotify, Apple & Amazon Music.

Indigenous Artist of the Year 2022 (East Coast Music awards), Mi’kmaq fiddler and singer Morgan Toney appears July 7 and more fiddling with the group called The Fretless on July 9. Natural Balance on July 20 is a gathering of Alderville First Nation neighbours as they meet at The Barn to share stories and music about their history including the creation and caretakership of Alderville’s Black Oak Savanna. Pop and singer songwriter concerts include industry legend Dan Hill on July 16 and Chantal Kreviazuk on July 23. Around the Campfire, winner of Canadian Folk Music Awards Del Barber performs July 15 and Ben Caplan on July 22 who mixes klezmer melodies and ancient sounds with a contemporary twist.

The annual Broadway revue run is a concert version of Les Mis from July 25 to August 2.

Expect the unexpected when Ben Finley and a group of improvising musicians team up with ET the Mime, on July 13 to explore a series of silent movies, and digital shorts, complete with on-the-spot creations

July 21rst brings vocal jazz jewel Emilie-Claire Barlow. Lennie Gallant appears August 4, Jill Barber August 5 and the summer festival wraps up with the music of Joni Mitchell and more with Laila Biali and the Brian Barlow Big Band on August 6. Tickets range from $5 to $65 with 18 & under only $5 and ages 19 to 30 only $30. Ask about our meadow passes and see you at Westben!