It’s
difficult to categorize Lewis and Royal. They bring a rural charm to their show, which
features tight vocal harmonies, storytelling through song, and spur of the
moment offbeat humor. Their material is accessible to all ages and brims with
prairie images and character. Is it Country? Bluegrass? Celtic? Comedy? Let’s be
safe and call it Folk.
Lewis & Royal met in 1993 when Lewis began his apprenticeship at the Rosebud
Theatre where Royal was working. They found that their voices blended well and
soon they began bringing their own compositions together and arranging them.
Together, they wrote the music for the musical “Chickens” which has been Rosebud
Theatre’s best selling show to date. They have produced a CD “Ampersand” (the
name given to the “&” icon), a collection of ballads and stories with a rural
prairie feeling. The “&” icon defines Lewis & Royal’s musical relationship. They
are not so much a duo as they are two friends getting together, performing their
own works and inspiring each other. Ampersand ties them together as well as
defines them as individuals.
Lewis & Royal have played across Alberta and BC. Recent and upcoming
performances include opening a sell-out show for “Gary Fjellgaard and Valdy”, as
well as double headers with “The Sheep River Rounders” and Juno Award nominee
“Paul Hann”. Several of their songs have been featured on CKUA’s Folk Roots, and
Ontario’s PEAK FM Inside Canadian Music program, where host John Nichols called
“Dear Mother”, “a most powerful song”. The first cut on Ampersand "The Drought
Song" won Royal “The National Song Crafter's Award” in 1998. Lewis’ latest
composition “God Bless the Innocent” honors the innocent lives lost on Sept 11,
2001. Released as a single in late September, this piece has already received
airplay on several radio stations throughout North America, Europe and as far
away as Australia.
Lewis Frere grew up in Trochu, Alberta and played in a family band for years. He
has been fronting bands for the past ten years; Alias Jones, Rave On, and The
Rosebud Rivervalley Boys being the most recent. He has performed on television
and is a gifted composer and arranger, and one heck of a defenceman. When Lewis
is not out performing or playing hockey, he is the sound engineer at Rosebud
Creek Records.
Royal Sproule, the scruffy-looking one, has been in the entertainment industry
for nearly 20 years, as an actor and musician. He performs character driven
stand-up comedy inventing such characters as ‘Paddy OFurniture’, an Irish
Bricklayer on the dole, and ‘Boris’, a backwoods Slavic farmer who delights
audiences with his simplistic take on things. Recent acting appearances include
theatrical productions such as Tent Meeting, Little Shop of Horrors, Opal, Ten
Little Indians and Chickens. You can also see him in the feature film The Claim
where he plays a misguided prospector in the San Francisco gold rush. In
addition to being a musician and actor, Royal is an accomplished pen & ink
artist. His prints can be seen in many of the rural craft shops of Alberta.
Lewis & Royal are engaging performers – guaranteed to have your sides splitting
with laughter one minute, and dabbing tears from your eyes the next.
Testimonials
“The response to Lewis & Royal was very positive - the
audience went away wanting more. They're a great combination and had some of
us in stitches at times."
Mountain View
County
"Lewis and Royal were absolutely fabulous, an
unquestionable highlight of our entire conference. I have had the
opportunity to listen to and work with many performing groups, and Lewis and
Royal were among the best I have ever seen."
Grasslands Public Schools
