LAC LA BICHE - The crowd of concertgoers that gathered inside of the Sir Winston Churchill Provincial Park campground amphitheatre on Aug. 23 were treated to the sounds of singer/songwriter Claire Coupland, who comes from Victoria, B.C.
During the Music in the Forest concert series show, Coupland, who has been touring throughout B.C. and Alberta over the summer months, performed several tracks from her 2023 album, New Light.
Those in attendance also got to hear Coupland sing covers of songs by popular artists, including ‘Cactus Tree’ by iconic Canadian musician Joni Mitchell.
Throughout the evening, Coupland, who studied music at Toronto’s Humber College and has worked with Rik Emmett, vocalist and guitarist for the Canadian hard rock band Triumph, spoke with the members of the audience, sharing stories about her life, music career, and travelling.
For Coupland, having the opportunity to play a gig in the picturesque scenery of the Lac La Biche region was a pleasant surprise.
“It’s so beautiful, and it’s not what I was expecting at all,” said Coupland, who went on to talk about her experience driving around the island in Sir Winston Churchill Provincial Park and taking in the scenery prior to the show.
“It’s incredible. I never knew that this was here, and it’s such a special place.”
Performing live in a small venue, such as the campground amphitheatre, brought Coupland closer to her audience.
“There’s a great deal of intimacy that you get with the audience,” she said, explaining that venues like this are more like house concerts.
“It’s very, very quiet, and people are there to listen."
The final concert of the 2025 Music in the Forest concert series is scheduled to take place on Nov. 6 at the Sir Winston Churchill Provincial Park community facility. This show will feature the folk and rootsy music of Adrienne Levay, who is based in Vermilion.
For more information, contact the Alberta Parks Lakeland District Office at 780-623-7189.
