The music for Neddy Norris Night in Cow Head is sure to please

A scene from Neddy Norris Night

by Keith and Heather Nicol

          Theatre Newfoundland Labrador (TNL) performs more than just plays at the Gros Morne Theatre Festival in Cow Head, NL. For instance, offers a very good dinner theatre (we had delicious pan fried cod) while  watching the play “Sinking of the S.S. Ethie” and also an evening dedicated to music with Neddy Norris Night. This year well known local musician Daniel Payne is the musical director and he has chosen to highlight some of the music of the Cow Head region.  You will hear traditional songs and stories from this part of the Western Newfoundland. The 4 performers, Sandy Gow, Robert Thorne, Colin Furlong and Laura Huckle, do a outstanding  job on the fiddle, guitar, bodhran and tin whistle. “But it meant a quick learning curve for us “Sandy Gow told us after the performance “most of us didn’t know any of the songs before rehearsals started this spring ”. However, watching them perform you wouldn’t have guessed it. Interspersed with the live music are historical slides of the local area with recordings of people talking about their “old” way of life. Overall it made for a very enjoyable evening.  For more information on TNL’s Gros Morne Theatre Festival schedule or to book tickets to a show see- www.theatrenewfoundland.com or call 1-877-243-2899.

         Watching the sun slide into the ocean is an unexpected bonus about seeing a play at Cow Head. They have great sunsets and a perfect place to view them is right behind where the plays are performed at the Shallow Bay Motel! In fact, when we ran into Deidre Gillard-Rowlings, who is best known for her long standing role in TNL’s “Tempting Providence” she said “Before you drive anywhere for a sunset, check out the back of the motel which is just a few steps away.” This is because the “Head” adds some visual variety to the horizon. We happened to be there for the best sunset we have seen this summer as the image below illustrates. It didn’t look like the sunset was going to amount to much but then as the sun slid lower a band of cloud magically disappeared allowing the sun to undercut the clouds as it was setting.  As is often the case the best lighting came after the sun had already set. I am sure there are other great places to view the sunset in the Cow Head area so if readers have a suggestion let us know in the comments section.  

The Cow Head area is a amazing place for sunsets.