LAC LA BICHE – The Calgary-based musical outfit Melyssa Lee and the Education Party took their cinematic neo-folk sound to the stage of the Sir Winston Churchill Provincial Park campground amphitheatre during the most recent edition of the 2025 Music in the Forest concert series.
The show took place on July 19 in front of a packed house. Melyssa Lee, the group’s lead singer and guitar player, was joined onstage by fellow band members Jerevieux (bass), Elspeth Bruce (violin), Cindy Ma (keyboards) and Dan Abelseth (drums).
Over two energetic sets, the band performed many of their own songs, including ‘Sam McGee’s Lovers Lament’, ‘Mona’s Song’ (a tale about losing a close friend), and ‘Just Friends’, along with tracks from Lee’s folk storytelling album, Treasures.
The audience was also treated to covers of well-known songs such as Fleetwood Mac’s ‘You Make Loving Fun’ and ‘Shout’ by Tears of Fears.
The July 19 concert marked the first time that the band has played in Lac La Biche.
For Lee, who was born and raised in Alberta, seeing another part of the Wildrose Province was a good experience for her.
“This is the furthest north I’ve ever been in my own province. It’s actually quite exciting to see such a huge body of water here,” the singer/songwriter said.
Playing in small venues such as the campground amphitheatre allows her to better connect with her audiences.
“When you’re in a kind of a listening room setting, you actually have the attention of the audience . . . and you get to be a narrator and share your art in a special way, and you can actually feel the energy," she said.
