Whether it’s performing for families or performing as a family, the mother, father and daughter trio known as Trinitude is guaranteed to be a family show.
“It’s a pretty energetic set. People of all ages and genres really relate to it because it crosses a lot of territory while still being played in the folk traditions,” said member Merisa Donoghue. “We do love to have audience participation.”
This Sunday, July 24, will be the band’s third time playing at Transfer Beach amphitheater for Concerts in the Park; an annual fundraiser for the Ladysmith Resources Centre Association.
“It’s really nice to have those kinds of opportunities in your repetiore, and it’s nice for us to get to Ladysmith because we’ve done a few other gigs there although we’re based in Nanaimo,” Donoghue said. “It enables us to spread out a little bit, and it enables the people in those locales to hear something a little bit different. And it being for such a good cause, we like to support that kind of activity.”
Trinitude was formed about five years ago when Donoghue and husband Les Tibbo, who have performed country and folk together for more than 30 years, were unexpectedly joined by punk-rocking daughter Emily Celeste. Their second CD was recently released at the Cedar Farmer’s Market in June.
Celeste plays the penny whistle, guitar, bodhran (Irish hand drum) and the hurdy gurdy, an old-fashioned stringed instrument played with wooden keys and a crank.
“People are really interested in it because it’s quite novel out here,” Donoghue said. “You get quite a drone sound from it.”
Donoghue plays guitar, dulcimer and bodhran while Tibbo mans the Irish bluzouki and guitar.
“We call him Papatude, I’m Mamatude, and Emily is Attitude,” Donoghue quipped.
The final member of the Trinitude team is the couple’s youngest daughter Elyssa, who is the media tech and website designer for the band.
“She’s our silent partner.” Donoghue said.
Trinitude will bring rich harmonies and Celtic-flavoured roots with an edge to the stage for Concerts in the Park.
“There’s a lot of mix in there of folk traditions and we are very interested in local regional history so we have a lot of songs that explore those topics.”
Some or those include the vital mining industry on central Vancouver Island, and the 1909 Extension mine disaster.
For more information on the band, visit www.trinitude.ca