The Fretless with Madeleine Roger

Name: The Fretless with Madeleine Roger
Start: 2026-01-27T19:30:00-08:00
End: 2026-01-27T21:15:00-08:00
Location: Charles Bailey Theatre

Schedule

Tue Jan 27 2026 at 07:30 pm to 09:15 pm

UTC-08:00

Location

Charles Bailey Theatre | Trail , BC

The Trail & District Arts Council presents Juno award-winners The Fretless with Madeleine Roger at The Bailey Theatre on Tuesday, January 27 at 7:30 pm as part of the Performing Arts Trail series.
The Fretless is a Canadian string group reimagining folk music for today. With deep traditional roots and a modern edge, they blend old-school sounds with fresh energy—making traditional music feel new, exciting, and totally relevant.
This quartet pushes the boundaries of what a string quartet can do. With a distinctly rich and multi-layered sound, they transform fiddle tunes and folk melodies into intricate, beautiful, high-energy arrangements.
The Fretless is Trent Freeman (Fiddle/Viola), Karrnnel Sawitsky (Fiddle/Viola), Ben Plotnick(Fiddle/Viola), and Eric Wright (Cello).
Awards:
“Waterbound” in 2012: Winner of Instrumental Album of the Year at the Western Canadian Music Awards (WCMA) and Instrumental Group of the Year and Ensemble of the Year at the Canadian Folk Music Awards (CFMA).
“The Fretless” in 2014: Winner of Instrumental Album of the Year (WCMA) and Ensemble of the Year (CFMA).
"Live from the Art Farm" in 2019: Winner of Instrumental Album of the Year (CFMA).
“Bird’s Nest” In 2017: Winner of the JUNO award for Instrumental Album of The Year.
The Fretless are just as likely to perform at a concert hall (most recently, halls such as the Royal Glasgow Concert Hall in Scotland, The Colon Philharmonie in Germany, or the National Arts Centre in Ottawa) as a folk festival (such as Vancouver Island Folk Fest, Winnipeg Folk Fest, Memoirs et Racines). They can be found playing a pub one day and a chamber music festival the next.
The band is taking their innovative and vibrant version of a string quartet to countless corners of the musical world, bringing audiences on a journey that transcends genre, defies stereotypes, and can only be described as The Fretless.
“It isn’t often that you come across instrumental music so beautiful that each track feels like brush strokes in a piece of artwork.” - Ben Ray, Cherwell
Joining them on this tour for a night of passionately expressive music is incredible singer-songwriter Madeleine Roger, whose lyrical prowess and breathtaking melodies linger long after they are sung. Her regular collaborations with The Fretless include live performances and recordings as a vocalist and co-writer.
Madeleine has toured extensively across Canada, Europe, USA, and the UK sharing her music live at the Winnipeg Folk Festival, Shetland Island Folk Festival, Vancouver Island Music Festival, Stan Rogers Folk Festival, Summerfolk Festival of Arts and Crafts, among others. She has been nominated for awards as English Songwriter of the Year (2020 Canadian Folk Music Awards) and Producer of the Year 2019 Western Canadian Music Awards).
Listen to The Fretless and Madeleine Roger perform their rendition of Feist's “My Moon My Man” together

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For more Fretless visit their YouTube channel https://bit.ly/3GNFSPE .
Single tickets are $30. Under 30 years is $15. Common Access Card is $15.
7-show pass $188 or Pick Your Own season by becoming a Patron Member for $25 and get 20% off Trail Arts Council presentations and other benefits. All tickets available online at trail-arts.com, by phone at 250-368-9669, and in person at the Bailey Box Office at 1501 Cedar Ave., Trail.
Reminder - please do not wear strong smelling perfumes or colognes to the Bailey Theatre as the building is a scent free zone. Thank you for your cooperation.
This performance is made possible thanks to our sponsors Century 21 (Kootenay Homes Ltd.,), Pharmasave Trail, TECK Trail Operations and the support of our funders the BC Arts Council, BC Live Performance Network, and the Government of Canada. We also gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Province of British Columbia.
All shows in the Performing Arts Trail series this season:
Vacant Lot by Ichigo-Ichieh New Theatre - Saturday, October 4 at 7:30 pm.
This contemporary dance/theatre piece is directed and choreographed by Hiromoto Ida and based on the play “SARACHI” by contemporary Japanese theatre artist, Shogo Ota. A long-married couple visit the vacant lot where their house once stood, share memories and realize how short and fragile this life is.
Cirque Kalabanté: Afrique en Cirque - Saturday, October 11 at 7:30 pm.
A circus show by Yamoussa Bangoura, inspired by daily life in Guinea, sharing the beauty, youth and artistry of African culture. A colorful show where acrobats execute gravity-defying moves and human pyramids, accompanied by the contemporary sounds of live Afro-Jazz, percussion, and kora. An unforgettable journey.
Montreal Guitar Trio: Christmas Around the World - Tuesday, December 16 at 7:30 pm. One of the finest classical guitar ensembles in the world, MG3 has been showcasing its virtuosity and captivating audiences nationally and internationally for over 25 years. These three brilliant guitarists have brought together some of the best music to honor Christmas in their own ingenious & unique way.
The Fretless with Madeleine Roger on Tuesday, January 27 at 7:30 pm.
This Juno award-winning quartet pushes the boundaries of what a string quartet can do. With a distinctly rich and multi-layered sound, they transform fiddle tunes and folk melodies into intricate, beautiful, high-energy arrangements. Joined here by incredible singer-songwriter Madeleine Roger for a night of passionately expressive music.
Josephine: A Burlesque Cabaret Dream Play - Monday, February 2 at 7:30 pm.
An international award-winning one-woman biographical musical that combines cabaret, theatre and dance to tell the story of the iconic Josephine Baker, the first African-American international superstar and one of the most remarkable figures of the 20th Century. This latest version includes new content, songs, and stunning new costumes. Performed with a quartet made up of some of our ‘Jazz at The Griff’ favourite musicians.
Ballet Jörgen: A Midsummer Night’s Dream on Wednesday, February 18 at 7:00 pm.
Ballet Jörgen presents William Shakespeare’s classic comedy with a twist - it’s set in Canada’s mysterious North! Accompanied by Mendelssohn’s famous score, the ballet made up of 18 dancers and 10 local dancers will captivate audiences of all ages in a tale of love and misguided magic, set in motion by the mischievous trickster Puck.
PIQSIQ and Oh Pray Tell - Double Bill - Saturday, March 7 at 7:30 pm.
With a style perpetually galvanized by darkness and haunting northern beauty, sisters Tiffany Ayalik and Inuksuk Mackay come together to create an Inuit style throat singing duo. They perform ancient traditional songs and eerie new compositions with live improvisational looping. In Inuktitut, a “piqsiq” is a storm where the snow seems as if it is falling back up towards the sky. PIQSIQ will be joined by Oh Pray Tell with their original, soulful sound influenced by gospel, rhythm & blues, roots music and folk storytelling.