The “sold out” Port Ludlow Performing Arts concert by “The Wardens” at the Bay Club on Feb. 22 exceeded the expectations of most folks. That being said, it was “sold out” so maybe it just exceeded my expectations.

Unlike many bands named after things like insects, (The Beatles), a question, (The Who), a group, (The Association) and other more bizarre names, “The Wardens” are genuine Canadian National Park Wardens. Their role is similar to that of US National Park Service Rangers who are charged with protecting and preserving areas set aside in the National Park System. The group has two retired wardens and two younger men who have extensive fiddle, bass, guitar and mandolin skills. Scott Ward was a national park warden for over 30 years in Banff National Park. His music stems from a life lived in the deep wilderness of the Canadian Rockies as a horseman, search-and-rescue dog handler and technical alpine specialist. Evoking the haunting fingerstyle guitar of Gordon Lightfoot with the mystique and presence of Ian Tyson, Scott’s music embodies Canadian authenticity.

Ray Schmidt founded The Wardens in 2009 with Scott Ward during the national park warden centennial after discovering the rich depth of music and stories within this region of Canada. Translating the high lonesome sound of the Kentucky hills to those of the Rocky Mountains, Ray’s vocals amplify the spirit of The Wardens’ mountain music. He has studied the upright bass with Missy Raines and mandolin under John Reischman. In 2021 he was nominated Traditional Singer of the Year for the Canadian Folk Music Awards. Posted in Jasper National Park, Ray has worked in a number of parks including Banff, Glacier and Mount Revelstoke. He is currently working with grizzly bears and the abundance of wildlife that abounds in Jasper.

The music the group performed was written by them about their experiences and friends as wardens in Western Canada. As a result they were able to present each song with the story upon which the song was based. The song “Suicide Bridle” was written about one of Ray’s evenings after a horseback patrol to one of the cabins used by the wardens. The normal procedure was to feed the horses, hobble them and put bells on them so that the warden would be comfortable they were nearby. At dusk on this particular evening Ray noted he could no longer hear the bels. His search for the horses found them on the other side of the river leading to Long Lake in Alberta. No amount of cajoling could convince the horses to return so morning found Ray swimming across the cold river with bridles and halters to retrieve the horses.

The song is a not very complimentary tribute to the horses. Frankly, I had a horse like that. She threw me into a pile of cow manure and broke my collar bone. I think I’ll write a song.

Dorothy was born in London in 1919 and became one of the “war brides” on the Second World War in 1946. She married Calgary Highlander Ed Carleton and joined him in Bow Summit, Castle Mountain, Stony Creek and Banff as a “Warden’s Bride”. She raised three sons in a cabin she famously referred to as a shed. It also had some fabulous scenery as you might expect. Ed was a warden for 31 years patrolling the mountains and valleys of the Canadian Rockies. The wardens wrote a song about Dorothy celebrating her life from “War Bride to Warden Bride”.

The Port Ludlow Performing Arts has an outreach program into the community. One part of that is to sponsor at least one of the performing groups for a performance at Chimacum High School. The Wardens were that group this year so on Monday, Feb. 24, they performed for high schoolers as well.

The concert was a series of stories followed by songs based on the stories. The songs were accompanied by a slide show on a screen behind them were scenes of or depicting the subject people and times. These guys were totally genuine providing an unusual and meaningful  evening for the attendees. The next PLPA concert is March 29 at the Bay Club. The performance is by the Paperboys and the PLPA is expecting another sellout so get your tickets early.

Love a curmudgeon and have a great week!