South Shore singer-songwriter, with more than 300 original songs under his belt, Hank Middleton has just completed his third Middletunes CD with the help of family and friends.
Middleton has been writing since the age of 14 and enjoys capturing the hardships, beauty and history of Canada with a Maritime flavour with melodies that will leave you wanting more.
This last project, Middletunes III: Canada’s Ocean Playground, has 17 songs all connected to Nova Scotia, its culture and its people.
“This is probably going to be my last CD and I wanted to write about things connected to folks in this province,” said Middleton.
Among the songs, which include three in French, are songs about the joys of Nova Scotia, the desire to be home, the Acadian deportation, the arrival of the Highland Scots, the demise of the cod fishery, the Bluenose, the beauty of the South Shore and the loss of the Miss Ally. Middleton is of Acadian heritage and the son of a fisherman, as well as a former history teacher.
With five years writing for Lunenburg Dinner Theatre Co., five musical comedies written for schools and 10 years as one of the co-writers of the popular Glimpses show, Middleton felt that he had plenty of material from which to pick from. Middleton indicated that he has always enjoyed creating a diverse repertoire of music, but for this project, he wanted “an East Coast vibe.”
“At heart, I am a writer. Just like a painter, there is nothing on that canvass to start. For a songwriter, there is a melody, then lyrics, then editing and then an arrangement and voilà, you have created something. It is a great feeling to finish a song with message or a story,” said Middleton.
Sixteen individuals helped out with the CD, which will be released at St. Joseph’s Parish Centre, 100 Queen St., Bridgewater, on Saturday, Nov. 17 at 7 p.m. Middleton will be joined by Sharon, Janet and Vonda of the group Collage; John Barr and Jude Pelley of Celtic Eclectic; family members from Cape Breton and guest musicians on the banjo and accordion. All were involved in the creation of the CD.
Admission is $10 for adults, $5 for students and $25 for family.
