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Ennis Sisters bring music of The Rock to Alberta's prairies

Daughters of Newfoundland and Labrador Fall Tour makes a stop at St. Albert's Arden Theatre
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The Ennis Sisters are bringing the Daughters of Newfoundland and Labrador Fall Tour to the Arden Theatre on Sunday, Sept. 29.

Get ready for an evening of stories, songs and sisterhood as the Ennis Sisters return to St. Albert. The sisterly trio is on the Daughters of Newfoundland and Labrador Fall Tour and will make their final stop at the Arden Theatre on Sunday, Sept. 29. 

“We are so looking forward to the Arden concert. The last time we were there two years ago, we had a great show. It was fun with emotional and poignant moments,” said Teresa Ennis, publicity spokesperson. 

This marks the Juno Award recipients' 27th year since launching a professional career criss-crossing the country too many times to count. They return to Alberta singing songs from their catalogue including On We Go, a 2022 album release. 

On We Go is a collection of original songs produced with Allan Doyle, founder and lead singer of Canadian folk-rock band Great Big Sea. The '60s-sounding 10-track, with its smooth blend of velvety harmonies, captures sentimental moments in the singer-songwriters' lives.  

In addition to touring, Maureen, Karen and Teresa are in the planning stages of a new creative project they hope will be released in 2025. The singers are currently looking at a long list of Celtic and Newfoundland traditional songs interspersed with their own originals. 

“Our music is inspired by the life we are living in,” said Teresa. “We hope to make it organic in such a way that continues to make our sound unique.” 

Born on The Rock, the Ennis sisters grew up with music as a strong part of their upbringing. 

“When we started, we didn’t know if we wanted to have a music career. We released records and things sort of snowballed, but the music always came from an organic place,” she said. 

With rapid success came industry pressures, and there were occasional creative differences. At one point, Teresa even took a brief break. 

“In 27 years, we’ve had our differences and ups and downs in our career. But we’ve had to find our groove. As adults we look back and are grateful the music kept us so close. When we figured out our roles, it made things easier. Maureen is the lead songwriter. Karen is our manager, our administrator, and I promote. We all have our individual roles, but we also work as a unit.” 

Teresa went on to describe the fall tour as informal, relaxed and personal. 

“It’s going to be a bit more Celtic-traditional and folk inspired. It’s more organic, more laid-back, less produced and off-the-cuff. Karen takes the lead in interacting. She’s very funny, very witty and quirky. Maureen is the more introverted singer-songwriter. She’s very sensitive and emotionally loving. As the youngest, I’m a mashup of their two personalities — the best of both.” 

The trio will perform some recitations and introduce new test material to the audience. Accompanying the sisters is pianist-accordionist Wade Tarlington. Born and raised in Burnaby, B.C., Tarlington is now based in St. John’s. A versatile musician versed in techniques from jazz and pop to folk and rock, he elevates audiences’ appreciation of music. 

“He adds so much beauty to our show with his piano stylings and keeps it free-flowing. He’s played with us for seven years and in that time, we’ve had so many wonderful experiences,” Teresa said.    

The Daughters of Newfoundland and Labrador Fall Tour comes to St. Albert on Sunday, Sept. 29 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $45. To purchase, go online at tickets.stalbert.ca or call 780-459-1542. 


Anna Borowiecki

About the Author: Anna Borowiecki

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