Woot! I am delighted to be nominated for a Canadian Folk Music Award — Instrumental Composer of the Year 2026. Congratulations to all the nominees. It’s an honour to be in such fine company.
These tunes were composed and recorded during the global pandemic, 2020–2023. I like to think of them as chamber folk music for solo violin and nyckelharpa.
What a changed world we are living in these days. I sincerely hope that you are all doing well, finding peace and calm in lush spring gardens and vibrant birdsong. I have a mother rabbit and baby bunny living in my backyard this year — a first!
My concerts and touring have been cancelled for the foreseeable future but thanks to the clergy and staff at Yorkminster Park Baptist Church I will be doing a live webcast — “Songs of the Midnight Sun” this Sunday, June 14 at 3pm. I look forward to the opportunity to share some of my favourite solo violin/fiddle/nyckelharpa music with you as we approach the summer solstice.
Here is a link to the live webcast: yorkminsterpark.com
If you are unable to watch the concert live, Yorkminster Park will have it archived for later viewing at: Special Services Archive
I haven’t spent this much time at home alone for years. While I miss the variety of touring and the magic of live performances I am grateful for the gift of time and a slower pace of life. Feeling very fortunate and mindful of my choice to ally with others who are not.
I have been writing new compositions, working on a choral arrangement of an Ian Tamblyn tune and a new tunebook of my compositions. Lots of horticultural experiments on the go in my backyard (mindful of the bunny) and ever so grateful for the support and camaraderie of my community.
Be well, be safe, be kind,
Anne ❤
I am back from touring in Vietnam and Europe with Canada’s Great Kitchen Party, an organization that I am proud to have been a part of for the last decade, helping support Canada’s elite athletes (B2ten), Musicounts and Community Food Centres Canada.
Now it’s time to make music closer to home, plant some seeds and celebrate longer days, birdsong and blossoms. Shows in Toronto, Waterloo, TD Jazz Fest and Mariposa. In between these gigs I have a bunch of shows with the Jim Cuddy Band. You can find all of those dates at jimcuddy.com. Our new CD — Countrywide Soul — came out today! It was made last fall up at Jim’s farm and is a true representation and celebration of a group of fine Canadian musicians that have toured, recorded, lived, laughed and loved together for the last 21 years.
Hope to see you soon!
Anne
I am grateful to have lots of concerts to look forward to in 2018 with many fine musician friends. I’ll be in Southern Ontario in January and early February; joining west coast pals “The Reid Jamieson Band” and my long-time collaborator, David Woodhead’s project “The Confabulation” who have a new CD out — “Tunnels and Visions”.
From February to April I will be touring from coast-to-coast with The Jim Cuddy Band, celebrating 20 years of music-making and the release of a new CD, “Constellations”. Master songsmith Barney Bentall will be opening for us, presenting his new CD, “The Drifter and the Preacher” with Jim’s sons, Devin Cuddy and Sam Polley sharing the stage.
Thanks to Peter Reid for the photo he took at Burdock on Oct. 1, 2017. Peter was a medical photographer at Sick Children’s Hospital in Toronto where my father worked as a paediatric plastic surgeon. Here is a link to an illuminating obituary about my father, Dr. W. K. Lindsay, written by Dr. Ron Zucker: uoftplasticsurgery.ca
Best wishes for health and happiness in the year ahead,
Anne
Greetings to all and I hope you are out enjoying this beautiful spring weather. Super excited for a Toronto show with my new trio, Lindsay/Woodhead/James. Great venue with delicious food, craft beers, and great music! Anne Lindsay, David Woodhead, and Charles James join musical forces — each bringing a lot to the table so their collective cup runneth over with adventures, tuning their collective radio to interpret traditional, jazz and classical sources in a fine-tuned blend of original compositions and unlikely adaptations.
Also off to play Mariposa Festival, with my own set plus joining good friends The Reid Jamieson Band for a tribute to Leonard Cohen.
I am super excited for my upcoming workshops and performance in Robert’s Creek and Gibsons, BC with the awesome fiddle group Bad To The Bow.
Sunday, November 6 I will be at The Free Times Cafe, Toronto, ON with Ian Tamblyn and Rebecca Campbell.
This fall I will be travelling across the country for the Gold Medal Plates Canadian Culinary Championships. These fundraisers for Olympic athletes are tons of fun and there will be an all-star cast of performers: Jim Cuddy, Barney Bentall, Ed Robertson, Alan Doyle, Danny Michel, Devin Cuddy and Kendel Carson.
For the next two weeks, I will be a musical host on an Adventure Canada expedition to Greenland, Baffin Island and Northern Quebec. Some of you are already aware of my interest in northern climes and culture. The landscape, the people, northern music and culture are a wellspring of creativity and curiosity for me. I am very excited to be heading north, once again. Adventure Canada has stacked this trip with experts in all aspects of the Arctic, scientific and cultural. I am eager to lend my musical expressions and garner inspiration from the overall experience.
Adventure Canada’s Heart of the Arctic Expedition
As always, I am grateful for your support and encouragement,
Anne
Music takes me far and wide, from north of the Arctic Circle to the Cape of Good Hope, through India, Europe, Central America and back and forth across Canada, this amazingly big, beautiful country of ours. My violin is always there with me. We play, dance and sing together through grief, loss, laughter, joy and wonder.
Along the way these tunes were born — thirteen pieces to be played by one player. SOLOWORKS is the offspring of my journeys, self discovery and the comfort found in being alone, that being solo works.
I can’t believe that it has been six months since my last correspondence with all of you. It has been a wonderful winter full of travel, volunteer and professional work. I spent three weeks in Tanzania and South Africa in February and March; returning to the Majengo Orphanage in Mto Wa Mbu to play and sing with the children.
My other exciting news is that I have been hard at work on another CD due to be released this fall. It is called SOLOWORKS and I can’t wait to share the new tunes with you all!
Yes folks, I am holding true to my promise to play at least one Toronto show a month, so tomorrow night (Oct. 22) I’ll be back at The Tranzac Club in the Southern Cross Room. Joining me are the illustrious Doug Wilde and David Woodhead. Together we guarantee you a bevy of brews, instrumental exotica, and old and new tunes galore.
I hope that you’re all having a wonderful summer, with much relaxing in the sun. My summer is a bit busy with music and travel, but it’s all fun, and I’ve even been able to bake pies from my own sour cherries.
I got to spend a week in the Yukon, spending some of it visiting with my youngest son, and some of it playing music. It was my first time to the Yukon, and I recommend it highly.
August 20 I’ll be at the TRANZAC club on Brunswick Ave in Toronto, and on August 29 I’m back at Graffiti’s. I love having gigs I can walk to.
On August 3rd I’ll be at the Blue Skies Festival, performing with Evalyn Parry in her marvellous show SPIN. The next day I fly to Calgary to play with Jim Cuddy in a flood relief benefit concert, and then we head to Canmore Folk Festival August 5.
Another show that I’d like to bring to your attention is on August 18, at the Haliburton Forest Festival. David Woodhead’s wonderful band Confabulation is doing a matinee performance at the Historic Logging Museum.
I know it’s hard to believe but the signs are there, though somewhat hidden by the snow squalls. Saturday, March 23, I’ll be in Dundas, ON at the Dundas Legion Hall for a private “all ages” show. Charles James will be joining me — he’s half my age and a triple threat talent on piano, acoustic and electric bass.
I’m hosting two group fiddle sessions on Sunday, March 24 — a slow session at 3PM and a faster one at 4:15PM at 260 Major St., Toronto. All are welcome.
On Sunday, April 14, I will be returning to Grand Valley with my good friend and master of the truly Canadian folksong, Alex Sinclair for an afternoon concert at Knox Presbyterian Church.
Hope to see you soon,
Anne
This year I was invited to participate in the Gold Medal Plates South Africa trip and decided to extend the experience by first visiting Tanzania where my friend and neighbour, Lynn Connell, has founded an orphanage, Majengo, in the village of Mto Wa Mbu. I’ll be volunteering at the orphanage, singing and playing with the kids. To read more about this wonderful project, please visit: majengo.org
If I can possibly tear myself away from the kids, I’ll be heading to Capetown in early March to meet up with Jim, Ed and Sam to play a couple of concerts for the Gold Medal Plates folks. I have no doubt that this trip will be a study in contrasts and am ever grateful for the wonderful opportunities that my musical gift provides.
Open your heart and have fun treating yourself and the ones you love.
Anne
I spent a big chunk of the winter and early spring travelling back and forth across this beautiful country with Jim Cuddy and his band. For part of the tour I spent hours curled up on the bus with my laptop and headphones, writing orchestral arrangements for several of Jim’s songs. We had a gig with the London Ontario symphony this spring — quite a challenge, but it made it an extra thrill to play along with the symphony.
After so much travelling within Canada, I then hopped on a plane to Finland to do a little cultural exchanging. The Ontario Arts Council had given me a grant to travel to Scandinavia and study Nordic fiddles. The month of March saw me in Finland, Norway and Sweden. I got to do a little relaxing in the far north of Finland, holed up in a remote cabin, cross-country skiing, reading Finnish sagas and writing fiddle tunes, some with a distinctly Nordic flavour.
Then I went to Italy with Jim Cuddy and the Gold Medal Plates team — two weeks of cycling, wine drinking, and fiddle playing. That’s a lifestyle to which we all should become accustomed.
Now the summer is upon us. I’ve been working on a bunch of new solo works and will be premiering them at several shows over the summer and fall. And the most exciting news of all is that I’ll be recording a new CD to be released late 2012/early 2013!
All the best,
Anne
I am currently in Halifax on tour with the Jim Cuddy Band, enjoying the blustery beauty of the first snow fall of the year and I have some exciting news to share:
I have won the 2011 OCFF Songs From The Heart — Instrumental Award for the song “May Our Minds Meet (Namaste)” — a co-write with my son, Tosh Weyman.
I’ve also been nominated for the 2011 Canadian Folk Music Awards — Instrumental Solo Artist of the Year and am sharing the honour with some very fine players.
And best of all, I have two Toronto shows coming up in the very near future! Thank you all for waiting so
patiently while I gallivanted around the country this fall,
Anne
“Hurry on Home is a sparkling set of varying styles, mostly self-penned, that constantly springs surprises as a piece goes off in an unexpected direction. Thoroughly entertaining and sometimes scarily beautiful.” — R2 (formerly Rock ‘n Reel)
“Thoroughly cosmopolitan, yet equally rooted in the traditional music of Canada, Hurry On Home really is one to hurry home for.” — Penguin Eggs
How time flies; I can’t believe that it’s September already. I wanted to let you know about some Southern Ontario shows coming up in the next month — a chance to bundle up and take a drive in the country to check out the fall colours or pick a pumpkin.
If you feel like staying cozy and warm inside tonight, you can watch me playing at the Geminis with Jim Cuddy (CBC TV @ 8pm). Jim’s got a great new CD coming out at the end of this month. We will also be appearing at the CCMAs (Canadian Country Music Awards) next Monday, September 12 on CBC TV.
I’m delighted to be working with two marvellous young performers (Emilyn Stam, piano and Charlie James, bass) on these upcoming shows.
I’ve just returned from an amazing week in Smithers, BC, teaching at Northwest Fiddlefest. What a joy to work with such an inspired community. I had the privilege of seeing and hearing the legacy of Creative Canadian Fiddle music, initially nurtured by Oliver Schroer and now carried forward by James Stephens, Emilyn Stam and Gordon Stobbe.
In the mean time, please do a little rain dance for those of us in southern Ontario that are longing for showers — both of my gardens, urban and country are parched!
Cheers,
Anne
Happy New Year to all. I’m hoping that you can come out and chase your winter blues away at my CD release concert for Hurry On Home, on Tuesday January 25 at Gallery 345.
A who’s who of the Canadian contemporary music scene will accompany me — Jim Cuddy (Blue Rodeo), Aaron Davis (Holly Cole), David Woodhead (James Keelaghan), Michael Johnston (Skydiggers), Jaron Freeman-Fox, Jason Fowler (John McDermott), Joe Macerollo, Andy Hillhouse, Tosh Weyman and Colleen Allen (Molly Johnson).
Gallery 345, 345 Sorauren Ave. (east of Roncesvalles Ave, south of Dundas St.) Toronto • Tuesday, January 25 at 8pm • $20 / $15 seniors / $10 students
Cheers,
Anne
Well, I’ve finally done it! My third CD — Hurry on Home, will be released in January 2011. It only took me 3 years, but I’m a firm believer that things always take just as long as they need to. The album is a collection of duets and trios with some of my favourite musicians, including Jason Fowler, Colleen Allen, David Woodhead, Emilyn Stam, Jaron Freeman-Fox, Jim Cuddy, Aaron Davis, George Koller, Michael Johnston, and my son and co-producer Tosh Weyman. Mostly original compositions, along with a few from friends like Oliver Schroer and Kurt Swinghammer, there’s a lot of inspiring musical dialogue here. The intimacy of the duet/trio format lends a clarity to the sound and a freedom to the performances; we’re calling the result ‘chamber fiddle music’.
Thanks to all of you for all your support — I don’t know what I’d do without
you.
Cheers,
Anne
As Toronto slowly sinks into a pool of melted asphalt, I’m in the studio starting work on CD #3, a series of duets with some of my favourite musical friends. It’s going really well, and I’m excited about getting it finished by fall. There’s something magical about the interplay of two instruments, two musicians. It’ll be a mix of songs and instrumentals and will reflect some of the journeys of the heart and mind I’ve been on this year.
Hope that you’re having a great summer,
Anne Lindsay
I always delight in a long cool spring even if it’s a bit alarming to have it all happening so early this year. I am concerned about how dry it is — some say it’s the driest spring on record for years.
Both shows are Saturday, May 1st. At noon, I’ll be performing at the Footprints Conference at the University of Waterloo. Then, that evening Jason Fowler and I will be performing at The Newmarket Folk Society’s final concert of this season.
Next week, I’m off to Europe for shows in Italy with Jim Cuddy, and Spain with Barney Bentall. In June I’ll be continuing my collaboration with Blue Rodeo on tour in the United States.
Enjoy the long days as we race towards the equinox and revel in the hope that always comes with
spring.
Peace and joy,
Anne
After a most enjoyable time with my own family up in the snowy hills of Mono, I’m packing for an extended tour of Canada with Blue Rodeo. They’re bringing along a small string section to cover the parts that I wrote for their new CD (you can hear us on One Light Left in Heaven, which is getting good airplay across the nation). The tour takes us to most parts of Canada, and I’m really looking forward to what promises to be the longest road trip of my career.
As a musician I have both the real road trips and the metaphorical road trip. I have been blessed with many opportunities in my career, and have been helped along the way by countless people. To those who buy the tickets and find baby-sitters and make space in your busy lives to come out to shows, you give us the greatest gift of all — ears and minds and hearts to hold the music that we make.
Long may we run.
Cheers,
Anne
What a glorious summer this has been. I spent the first week of August as musical host of a Voyageur canoe trip from Rossport to Red Rock on Lake Superior. Canoeing on Lake Superior is a great experience and I highly recommend it. We saw dozens of bald eagles, a couple of moose, and some lovely scenery along the way, including petroglyphs at the Nipigon River.
Live From the Rock was its normal fabulous self — it is always a treat to play at that festival. And I got to debut my new solo show String.Sound.Poetry. It was a little scary, but I loved the freedom, as well as the pressure, of having the stage all to myself for awhile.
Cheers,
Anne
May showers are rattling on my roof, and nothing seems to be leaking, so I can forego running around with pots and pans and spend some time getting out a bit of news.
Saturday June 13, I’ll be at Hugh’s Room in Toronto as part of “The Cake Parade” — Oliver Schroer’s Musical Birthday. Bringing together the reaches of Oliver’s musical universe, many of his collaborators are celebrating his birthday in the most appropriate way: by playing his music!
Saturday, June 20, I’ll be at Saugeen Summer Nights, River Place Park, Ayton ON with the Jim Cuddy Band.
Bring on the sun.
Cheers,
Anne
Just back from a weekend of pruning fruit trees and listening to the cardinals sing in the hills of Mono. Andy Hillhouse and I will be at the Millpond Café in Alliston this coming Saturday, March 28. Because I’ll be there during Earth Hour, I’ve requested that we play an unplugged show, so we’re packing some extra candles.
The Lightfoot tribute show that I was part of back in January will be broadcast on CBC Canada Live on Wednesday, April 1, 2009.
P.S. This just in — I have the honour again this year of being nominated for VIOLINIST OF THE YEAR in the National Jazz Awards.
Enjoy these days of sun and showers, wind and flowers, and come and say Hi at a show.
Cheers,
Anne
Well, I’m finally home from a busy fall of touring and happy to have a few shows in town this month with my good friend, awesome fretless bass player and innovative composer/producer, David Woodhead.
2008 has been a year of passage and loss but along with this comes renewed faith, and belief in continuity and community. In November, Emilyn and I traveled to St. John’s, Newfoundland to perform at the Canadian Folk Music Awards. We were part of a special tribute to Oliver Schroer, Canada’s tallest free standing fiddler, who passed on in July. His album, Hymns and Hers, had four nominations and ended up with two awards — Instrumental Solo Artist of the Year and Pushing The Boundaries. It was an honour to be there with Emilyn to accept one of these awards on his behalf.
The Jim Cuddy Band had a rocking time opening up for Sheryl Crow on her Canadian tour this fall. Valentine’s Day is coming and guess where I’ll be? Playing at Massey Hall with the Jim Cuddy Band — what more could a girl ask for?
Peace and love,
Anne
A bittersweet summer slides towards September. I — and a whole lot of other people — lost a dear friend, mentor, and well-spring of inspiration when Oliver Schroer passed away in July. He leaves behind a wealth of wonderful music, and a soaring spirit that will live on in everyone who ever knew him or even heard him play. oliverschroer.com
I had a couple of great gigs with my full band this summer — the Beaches Jazz Festival in Toronto and the Huntsville Festival of the Arts. There are a couple more full band gigs coming up in the Toronto area in September, so I wanted to get the word out. Then I head across the country with Jim Cuddy — his band is opening for Sheryl Crow and that promises to be a lot of fun.
Cheers,
Anne
Last week at the Canadian Folk Music Awards in Ottawa (well, Hull) I was honoured to receive two prizes: Best Instrumentalist, Solo and Producer of the Year (along with my wonderful co-producer, Oliver Schroer) — both for my CD News From Up the Street. I was on the snowy road with John McDermott at the time and unable to attend the ceremony, but all reports tell me that it was a lovely evening. Congratulations, and thanks, to all those hard-working volunteers who run the CFMA organization; the Canadian folk community really is a wonderful and supportive family.
“Anne continues to raise the bar every time she raises her bow.” — Steve
Lambert CHCH TV
“Sounds like a conversation with God.” — Penguin Eggs
Wishing you peace and joy throughout the holidays and the New Year,
Anne
Well, another fabulous summer draws to a close. I had a colourful round of festivals (Ottawa Blues Fest, Blue Skies, Red Rock) and a caravan out West with Jim Cuddy — we toured with John Fogerty in July and we’re just back from Jim’s appearance at the Canadian Country Music Awards in Regina.
I also got to play with my old friend Ron Nigrini at Hugh’s Room in Toronto last weekend. What a treat to hear his voice and join in on those gorgeous songs again. We used to play together a lot back in the 70s (I was very young …).
There are a couple of weeks late in October when I get to stay home and get ready for winter, but November and December are already packed with John McDermott shows.
Here’s wishing you a wonderful autumn; enjoy the colours, the cool, fresh air and lots of local
produce.
Cheers,
Anne
Anne was voted Violinist of the Year at the 2007 National Jazz Awards. www.nationaljazzawards.com
April sees Anne out on the road with the Jim Cuddy Band, although she’ll appear on her own at the Acoustic Harvest anniversary concert in Toronto on April 21, and at a fundraiser for Relessey Church in Mono Centre on May 6.