P.E.I. band continues #Annedemic with Anne of the Island beginning soon

A made-in-P.E.I. fundraiser for artists during the pandemic is still telling tales.

The East Pointers, a P.E.I.-based three-piece modern folk band, started #Annedemic in March. 

Each day at 7 p.m., a band member, friend or special guest read a chapter from the Anne of Green Gables series of novels by Lucy Maud Montgomery.

The readings were streamed live on the band’s Facebook page.

The endeavour started when it became clear that the coronavirus (COVID-19 strain) was shutting down public events.

The band members saw their bookings cancelled, and they knew all artists were going to be struggling to make ends meet.

Tim Chaisson, the band’s fiddle player and lead singer, came up with the idea.

“We went into isolation and we were looking for something to read in my wife’s books. I picked up a copy of Anne from a box, saying ‘I should really read it,’ opened the book and read the title of the first chapter out loud – ‘Mrs. Rachel Lynde is Surprised’ – and it was like the whole idea just landed,” Chaisson said in a letter to The Guardian in April. 

"We are so lucky to come from a place where musicians really support each other and we wanted to make sure that if this started to work, we wouldn’t be the only ones who got something from it. We’re so grateful for people’s donations." 

Together, the band and friends made their way through Anne Shirley’s early years at Green Gables and recounted her coming-of-age in Anne of Avonlea.

Guest readers have included Emma Watkins (The Wiggles), Catherine MacLellan, Jenn Grant, Daniel Ledwell, Patrick Ledwell, Irish Mythen, Laura Cortese, Lydia Persaud, Miranda Mulholland, Colin MacDonald (The Trews), Rachel Beck, Graham Wardle (Heartland) and Jonathan Torrens.  

For Anne of Green Gables’ momentous Chapter 37, the band recruited Megan Follows, the actress who played Anne in the1985 Sullivan Entertainment adaptation of the novels.

“It has been a long time since I read Anne of Green Gables, so, I’m going to jump in,” said Follows in her live reading. 

Looking down at her phone with the book displayed, she said to the audience, “Really? This chapter? Oh, my goodness. The Reaper Whose Name is Death,” she read aloud. “Well, we know where this is headed.”

Watch Megan Follows read Chapter 37 of Anne of Green Gables:

Once Anne of Green Gables was complete, Anne of Avonlea was on stage and wrapped up in early June. 

Now, the band has begun Anne of the Island in a new weekly format that started June 12. 

Each Friday, The East Pointers will host a Q&A session beginning at 6:30 p.m. followed by a chapter of Anne of the Island at 7 p.m.

“We've slowed down the pace to once-a-week to match a P.E.I. Spring into Summer timeline and the changing state of the world, and this time it'll just be us - unless we feel like getting another special person involved,” said the band’s Facebook post.

Annedemic has raised $16,579 for the Unison Benevolent Fund and the artistic community, said The East Pointers’ manager. The non-profit, registered charity provides counselling and emergency relief services to the Canadian music community. The fund helps professional music-makers in times of hardship, illness or economic difficulties. The money was collected through a GoFundMe campaign.

Alison Jenkins is a local journalism initiative reporter, a position funded by the federal government.