Welcome to the Old Chestnuts Song Circle! We are an informal group of people
who like to sing together. We meet most months (September - May) in a home or a hall in
Kitchener/Waterloo, Ontario to sing together, and have been doing so since
1995.
We also present concerts and workshops (via Folk Night at the Registry), and help put on the
neighbourhood Chequegnat Festival.
You can read more about us on Facebook ,
and learn about our history by sampling our newsletters (see
below). This site is rarely updated these days.
New singers are always welcome. If you'd like to sing with us, please drop me a line at jhcole@mgl.ca and plan to come join the Circle next time we meet.
Since the Covid pandemic, the Old Chestnuts have become less regular. We worked through several years by meeting online. We also managed a couple of outdoor circles, which were wonderful. Our 29th season (2023-2024) found us meeting together again, but in halls and party rooms, where we could spread out and stay safe. This will continue in the fall of 2024. We begin our THIRTIETH season on September 14, 2024 in one of these larger spaces. Please contact Jack for the location and more information.
Song circles are nominally the fourth Saturday of most months! For example - September 28, 2024 - but sometimes it changes. Always check with Jack, or browse the Grand River Folk Community listings (link at the top of this page)! Call 519-578-6298 or email jhcole@mgl.ca for information.
Interested in what we are singing? At The Old Chestnuts we have a singalong requirement: every song must have a part that we can join in on, or the song must be well known, or words handed out. Our faithful scribe Carol has noted all songs that we have sung for the past few years. Here are Carol's song lists. You can find a few more (less complete) lists in these newsletters: Feb 2009, May 2008, May 2007, April 2007, Feb 2007, Feb 2006, April 2004, March 2004, and more scattered throughout the other months.
Folk Night at the Registry!
The Old Chestnuts (with the assistance of The Registry
Theatre)
is working on year 17 (Sep 2024- Apr 2025) of our folk music series in Kitchener! See
the
Folk Night
page and follow The Registry link for information about and tickets for the current season!
This year, as last, every concert will also be Live Streamed on YouTube!
June 6/10: The Old Chestnuts Present Folk Night at the Registry wins a KW Arts Award!!
Jack and Lori Cole accept the KW Arts Award for Community Event.