- Big Sing Ottawa!: Sunday, October 18.
- Spotlight on Pat Mayberry: Monday, October 19.
- Tin Constellations: Saturday, October 24.
- Rasputin’s Open Stage: every Monday.
Terry Gillespie & Vince Halfhide Review
by John Bond
The Masonic Hall was treated to a master class in groove on the evening of September 26th. Ottawa legends Terry Gillespie and Vince Halfhide kept the audience enthralled with their blend of recent material coupled with songs from their days in the seminal Ottawa band, Heaven’s Radio.
Though they don’t often play together these days, Vince and Terry’s fifty-odd years of collaboration quickly paid off. In the blink of an eye, the duo caught the magic and captivated the audience with a cavalcade of blues, roots, and reggae. Though they gave us great versions of many familiar songs, the real highlights for me included Vince Halfhide’s lovely tribute to his grandfather in Teizo’s Song, and a couple of rarely covered Van Morrison tunes, The Way Young Lovers Do and Street Choir.
They closed on a tune that was a staple of Heaven’s Radio gigs, James Waynes’ Junco Partner. It quickly had the audience swaying. What a treat it was to see these two Ottawa icons playing so crisply together.
This show certainly bodes well for the rest of the season’s Featured Artists concert offerings. Next up is Tin Constellations on October 24th. It promises to be another great show.
Big Sing Ottawa!
Sunday, October 18 at 2:00 pm
Westboro Masonic Hall
430 Churchill Ave. N., Ottawa
Tickets: $25
Tickets for Big Sing Ottawa! featuring Evemarie Brunelle are selling at a brisk pace. Order your tickets now for the Gil’s Hootenanny / Spirit of Rasputin’s joint presentation to reserve your spot. Then join us Sunday, October 18 for a joyful afternoon of singing along with spirited songs from around the world.
Big Sing Ottawa! is designed for all ages and voices. No previous singing experience is required.
Pat Mayberry in the Spotlight
Monday, October 19 at 7:00 pm
91A Fourth Avenue, Ottawa
Pat Mayberry has been writing songs as long as she can remember. She has released five albums of original music and loves to work with themes of love, justice and our relationship with nature.
On October 19, Pat will open the evening with a 30 minute mini-concert followed by our usual all-comers Open Stage. There’s no charge to attend and listening audience members are always welcome. Please come and join us for a wonderful evening of music.
Tin Constellations
Saturday, October 24 at 8:00 pm
Westboro Masonic Hall,
430 Churchill Ave.N., Ottawa
Tickets: $25
Members of the Band: Connections Matter
“For Tin Constellations every musician brings something special to their songs and performances.”
Brent Smith is the leader of the band. He plays rhythm guitar, is the band’s lyricist and his stage presence is electric.
Rob Snasdell-Taylor (“Chops”) brings his deep love of his bass and ‘holding down the bottom end’. Rob and Brent first met when Brent brought a guitar, in pieces, to SongBird Music for repair. They struck up a conversation about their shared love of live music and within a few months, they were playing shows together.
Andrew Robertson plays violin and mandolin. Andrew met Brent when a fellow teacher introduced them saying, “I think you are going to love Andrew Robertson”, and she was right. The two played their first show together shortly thereafter (a benefit show at the art gallery in City Hall). According to Smith: “Bringing Chops and Andrew together has been one of the crowning achievements of Tin Constellations.”
Christine Graves (vocals and multiple instruments) needs no introduction to the Spirit of Rasputin’s audience. Although running in some of the same artistic circles as Brent, she really connected with the Tin Cons during the songwriters open stage at Meow! That’s Hot. There she met Brent, ‘Chops’ and Andrew. The chemistry was great.
James Leahy (vocals and keyboards) is an exceptionally talented keyboard player and songwriter. James was introduced to Smith when he was playing in a progressive rock band with Smith’s son.
Sally Robertson (cello) is the heart of the string section. Sally is Andrew’s daughter and has witnessed the Smith/Robertson collaboration for many years. Together, James and Sally bring a youthful perspective to the band. Their musicality and performance skills are far beyond their years.
The connections don’t end there. Smith’s son has contributed guitar work and his daughter often runs the merchandise table, Robertson’s other daughter Lucy and wife Corry (who is also the band’s in-house artist) sang on an early single. Chop’s son does guitar and stage work for the band, and Smith’s wife, Shannon, is the band’s webmaster, accountant, and sometimes showcase organizer.
All of these connections and relationships are evident when you watch a Tin Constellations performance. There is trust here and there is joy in making art within a tightly knit community.
Of the Tin Cons recent recording, Cobden, Jim Bryson opined: “Great songs…wonderful strings…a beautiful arc…”
The Tin Constellations concert for Spirit of Rasputin’s on October 24 promises to be a truly wonderful performance. Avoid the last minute rush and order your tickets today. You won’t regret it.
2026 – 2027 Concert Lineup
Rasputin’s Featured Artists Series concerts return for the 2026-2027 season with the following lineup. We’re excited to present these artists for your enjoyment.
Saturday Sept 26th 2026
Terry Gillespie &
Vince Halfhide
Questions? comms@rasputins.org