Museum partners with local musicians for winter concert

Following eleven successful seasons of "Melodies at the Museum," an outdoor summer concert series, the St. Marys Museum is pleased to announce the addition of an indoor winter concert to its programming. On Saturday, February 8 at 7:00 p.m., the St. Marys Museum will host Valentunes II at the St. Marys Town Hall Auditorium (175 Queen St. E). This event is organized in collaboration with local bands, York Street Thought Process and The Bone Radlers, who first hosted Valentunes in 2023.

The event is a fundraiser for the St. Marys Museum. The organizers encourage attendees to support local restaurants by making a dinner reservation prior to the show.

“I attended the Valentunes show in 2023, and it was such a lovely, cozy atmosphere in the Town Hall Auditorium on a winter night,” says Cultural Services Manager, Amy Cubberley. “I reached out to the bands to see if they would be interested in partnering to recreate a similar show in 2025 and both were eager!”

York Street Thought Process is a folk duo that performs a blend of singer-songwriter folk and improvisation. They draw inspiration from both contemporary folk musicians and notable legends, combining storytelling with various instrument switches, including mandolins and baritone guitars. The duo comprises Jaron Camp, a guitarist and singer-songwriter from St. Marys, who has experience performing as a side-musician for artists such as Emm Gryner. He now focuses on creating his own original music in the lyrical folk genre. The other member of the duo is Rachael Frankruyter, a classically trained vocalist from Stratford who pairs her vocals with storytelling and guitar tones, providing listeners with a sense of warmth and comfort.

The other duo to take the stage will be Aimee Jesso and Chet Greason of The Bone Radlers. Between the two of them, Aimee and Chet have played in countless bands and dabbled in a wide variety of genres. Celtic, folk, rock, pop, reggae, ska, comedy... you name it, they have probably played it. If it pulls at your heartstrings and taps at your toe strings they add it to the binder; and only the best tunes make the final setlist.

Both bands have a connection to the St. Marys Museum, with Chet Greason of the Bone Radlers and Jaron Camp of York Street Thought Process both being former summer employees. Both duos have also performed at Melodies at the Museum.

Also taking the stage on February 8 are special guests, Stacey Frayne and Makenzie Bartlett. Stacey has been gigging in Canada and Ireland for the past 10 years. Makenzie is a violin player who hails from Stratford. She plays in the Stratford Symphony Youth Orchestra.

Straying from the usual admission by donation policy, this will be a ticketed show and seating is limited. Tickets are $20 cash and are available for purchase at the St. Marys Museum or from any band member. Proceeds support the St. Marys Museum.

For more information, please contact the St. Marys Museum at 519-284-3356 or museum@town.stmarys.on.ca.

- 30 -

For media inquiries:
Stacey Frayne, Marketing and Communications Specialist
519-284-2340, ext. 218 | sfrayne@town.stmarys.on.ca