Building the Bandshell with John Foreman (3 min. 2006) Shot, directed, and edited by Lester Alfonso. The lost art of broadaxe hand hewing wood is practiced by one man in Bancroft, Ontario.
Day 12 of 360 videos from my archive. The lost art of broadaxe hand hewing wood in this video about John Foreman from almost fifteen years ago. Not only is he my kids’ grandfather but also one of the most remarkable human beings I’ve ever met. I’m so glad to have been able to capture this story. I often think about all those small untold stories that make up humanity, I’m driven to do my part to tell these mini true stories.
I shot the Bancroft bandshell opening celebrations at first. Then, I went back and recorded an audio interview with John Foreman to get the backstory. I shaped the footage around the audio interview and a musical loop that I had created on a sampler.
There is a glimpse of John Foreman playing his penny whistle later in the video on the same stage he built. In 2019, he was inducted in the Land ‘O Lakes Traditional Music Hall of Fame. — LA
John displays a wide talent in bluegrass, folk, Celtic and Acadian music, still performing regularly in the Bancroft area and beyond. He operates a drop-in musical show, bi-monthly in Bancroft. At 78, John shows no signs of letting up.
Land O’ Lakes Traditional Music Hall of Fame