"Far from home, far from home, On Fraser River's shore..." So sang the miners at their sluice boxes at Emory's Bar during the Fraser River Gold Rush of 1858. British Columbians have always sung about their work, and their recreation, their politics, their living conditions - the good times and the bad. This unique collection of songs spanning a period of seventy-five years is a colorful documentary giving vivid glimpses into the social, economic, and political life of the province from the time of Captain Cook to the present. Founding and honorary life member of the Vancouver Folk Song Society, honorary president of the Canadian Folk Music Society, Phil Thomas sings, accompanies himself on a five-string banjo or guitar and has for thirty years taught and been concerned with the spread of awareness and enjoyment of folk music.

Philip J. Thomas' profile page

Jon Bartlett and Rika Ruebsaat are on the board of the Princeton & District Museum & Archives, and have worked as teachers and professional singers; Jon Bartlett also spent time as a legal executive and a historical researcher. Together they have released seven albums, mostly of traditional Canadian songs; and one book, a collection of vernacular verses from the pages of the local presses in British Columbia's Similkameen valley, where they live.

Jon Bartlett's profile page