Kenneth Brown
of The Clarion

A Saskatchewan-born country music artist is the next performer in the arts council’s Stars for Saskatchewan series.

Chris Henderson, who was born in Estevan, has become one of the busiest touring acts in Canadian country music. He will be in Kindersley on Jan. 12 to perform at the Norman Ritchie Community Centre. The concert is scheduled to start at 8 p.m.

It’s the third of eight in the Kindersley and District Arts Council’s 2017-18 Stars for Saskatchewan series.

Henderson, a former school teacher, has released three full-length albums. His latest album, The Charm, was released in 2017. He’s said to have a captivating voice, entertaining stories and songs about life.

Tickets for arts council concerts are available at Lela’s Music Centre, LaBelle Boutique and Integra Tire, online at www.ticketpro.ca and at the door if the show has not sold out.

People still have the option to purchase a four-pack of tickets with six concerts left in the series. You can pick any of the four remaining concerts in the four-pack. People are reminded that unused season tickets cannot be used for future concerts, a change made before last season.

Jenn McLean, an arts council member and spokesperson for the series, said you can purchase a four-pack of tickets until there are fewer than four concerts left in the season, if they plan to attend every concert.

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She said the concert would include the usual two sets by the artist with an intermission. She said one change is that snacks at intermission are being served by a group of band parents, and the snacks are available for a donation.

She noted that country music is popular and arts council members liked what they heard when they saw Henderson play at the Organization of Saskatchewan Arts Councils (OSAC) showcase in 2016. McLean said Henderson is personable and “he’s really good.”

Henderson, who now lives in Wilcox, said his show in Kindersley is one of eight OSAC concerts he’s playing this January in addition to five OCAS concerts in October. The performer said small towns have great audiences.

“Other artists from around the country will ask me where the best places are to play, and I always try to direct them to smaller communities,” he said. Smaller towns are where people get out because they want to hear the music. “To get to go and present these original shows with knowing that there is just going to be a great community behind it is exactly what a guy like me wants to be doing.”

He said he had always intended to perform at block booking showcases, but the OSAC showcase in 2016 was his first. It was great to finally get a chance to showcase and he said it was a great result with 14 concerts booked. Henderson said he was the only country artist at the showcase.

Henderson co-wrote all nine songs on The Charm and he said he was pleased with how the songs worked out. He wrote and co-wrote about 80 songs prior to recording the album, so he picked the songs that made the most sense.

The performer said he was fortunate to work with several excellent co-writers from Canada and the United States, and he is proud of the result. Henderson has been a full-time musician for the past seven years.

He said the show in Kindersley is unique for him because he’s performing as part of a trio. Henderson, who will be joined by a guitar and bass player and a percussionist, said he has performed solo and in bands with four to six members, but not often as a trio.

“It’s very much a singer-songwriter type of show where we tell lots of funny stories,” he added. “It’s the kind of show that all ages could enjoy, so I’m looking forward to seeing the reaction of the community.”

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