It wasn’t too long ago that Amy and Andrew Rutherford could be found dancing and singing along to Irish music in their Drummondville home, a childhood tradition in their household started by their mother in the lead up to the Saint Patrick’s Day Parade.
Now the siblings will have an opportunity to bring that music to life as their band, Road to Connolly, takes to the stage for a performance at Richmond Regional High School on March 18. They’re part of several live performances at the 2022 Richmond Irish Heritage Festival.
“There are a lot of songs, like traditional Irish songs, that are sung with groups, so there’s a lot of like call and response. I think it really helps to unify the crowd and the performers and they’re just a lot of fun to sing back to each other,” Amy said in a phone interview.
Amy, a 21-year-old music student at Bishop’s University, told The Record that this is the band’s first performance at the festival, which hasn’t been able to hold in-person events for nearly two years. However, Amy and Andrew have performed at the much-beloved festival in the past.
“I think everyone has missed live music a lot and last year we did a recording, a recorded version of the concert, but it just doesn’t have the same feeling as when you’re playing in front of a live audience and they’re singing along, and everyone is smiling and laughing,” she said.
Amy and Andrew both attended Richmond Regional. It was there that they really began to understand the significance of Saint Patrick’s Day in the Eastern Townships. Andrew, a 22-year-old music student in his final semester at Bishop’s, said it’s just part of the culture.
