HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2017-08-03, Page 8PAGE 8. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, AUGUST 3, 2017.
Countdown to II
McCall pens song for International Plowing Match
A family event
The International Plowing Match has always been a matter
of family for Sherry McCall, left. She originally got involved
in the Seaforth Match in 1966, now called the 'Mud Match'
thanks to her dancing with her mother and performing with
her sisters. Since then, she has performed at every IPM
since. This year, as the entertainment committee co-
ordinator, McCall has had her work cut out for her arranging
dozens of artists and had help from her husband Murray,
pictured. Her children are also involved. (Denny Scott photo)
By Denny Scott
The Citizen
Sherry McCall, the entertainment
committee co-ordinator at the
International Plowing Match, has a
pretty good pedigree for her
position, including penning the
event's theme song.
McCall wrote the theme song
because she wanted to establish a
musical presence for this IPM unlike
anything before it.
"I hadn't ever heard of an IPM
song, so I decided I should write
one," she said.
She had the idea to craft a tune and
worked on it with her husband
Murray. Several weeks after
discussing it with him, the first
verse, chorus and the outline of the
story would eventually come to her.
"The inspiration just kind of came
to me at 2 a.m. one morning," she
said.
"I wrote for two hours, and then,
in the following days, wrote more
verses," she said. "It just sort of
happened... but I sat on it for two
months because I didn't know what
kind of reaction it would receive."
She eventually approached IPM
Chair Jacquie Bishop with the song,
which was quickly adopted by the
IPM.
The tune, called "Because We're
Farmers", focuses on the preparation
for the event and the agricultural
activities that accompany the 1PM.
McCall said the tune has been well
received and that people are having
fun with it. The song is sung by her
brother Jack Storey, Amanda
McClure (nee Van Miltenburg) and
Isaiah Sills, three musicians with
whom McCall has had previous
experience.
"I'm a member of the Huron
County Cloggers and we've done
shows to raise money to find a cure
for cystic fibrosis," she said.
"Amanda, Jack and Isaiah would
perform as part of those shows."
After penning the song, McCall
Because We're Farmers
By Sherry McCall
Chorus
We're plowing it down
We're working it up
For everyone in the world to see.
A competition for this
A competition for that
The IPM is where it's at
Because we're farmers
Yes we're farmers
Verse 1
We're the Tented City
Known as the IPM
In Ontario we're the creme de le creme
For a hundred years
We've been having this Fair
Our Talents we just like to share
We travel around
From farm to farm
For only a week
So no need for alarm
You can camp right on site or just
visiting's fine
Come out and we'll have a good time
Chorus
We're plowing it down
We're working it up
For everyone in the world to see
We're preparing the show
The entertainment's a go
There's no place you'd rather be
Because we're farmers
Yes we're farmers
Verse 2
We're milking the cows
We're raising the beef
We're feeding the hogs and trimming
the sheep.
We're gathering the eggs for me and
for you
That's just the things that we do
Come celebrate
Our country's birthday
We'll light up the candles
And have us a cake
One hundred fifty years young
That's when it all begun
Oh Canada we're on guard for thee
Chorus
We're plowing it down
We're working it up
For everyone in the world to see
We're preparing the bed so all will be
fed
We're planting the almighty seed
Because we're farmers
Yes we're farmers
Verse 3
If you've ever wondered
About a farmer's life
If you've ever wondered
About the farmer's wife
The tented city is the place to be
You oughta come down and see
The tractors are running
The Plowmen are set
The Queens have their speeches
All polished and prepped
If the weather is fine
No rain or no snow
We'll make the IPM
A number one Show
Chorus
We're plowing it down
We're working it up
For everyone in the world to see
A competition for this
A competition for that.
The IPM is where it's at
Because we're farmers
Yes we're farmers
Verse 4
Because we're farmers
Yes, we're farmers
21st Century Agricultural Technologists
We're farmers
See you at the Huron County IPM
We're farmers
Walton, Ontario — 2017
We're farmers
You all come down now ya hear
was able to turn her attention to the
entertainment for the event, which
will be two -fold with acts from
across the country being signed to
play as well as many more local
artists taking to the stages.
Those local artists have been
gathered by the entertainment
committee and contacted and
organized by McCall whose own
musical and entertainment
experiences stretch back to the 1966
IPM in Seaforth, known as the "Mud
Match".
Many of the artists, specifically
those who will take part in the
variety shows at the Huron County
Showcase stage at noon every day,
will be donating their time and their
talent according to McCall. The list
of acts to be involved includes live
music, dancing and other art forms.
"There are seven stages
throughout the grounds and four of
them should have musical acts pretty
much every day from 10 a.m. on,"
she said. "We have square dancers,
cloggers, line dancers, singers, and
musicians on many different
instruments."
Local acts include the Clinton
Wheeler Dealers square dancing
group, the Huron County and Carry
On Cloggers, Ballagh's Dancers
from Teeswater, Amanda McClure
and Jack Storey who are featured in
the IPM song penned by McCall, the
Just for Fun group from Brussels
including Don and Dale Chesher,
Adam Cousins of Brussels, Blyth
native Cappy Onn, Keith and Gloria
Wilbee of the Walton area, Sherry
and Sarah Young and guests, the
Seaforth Harmony Kings, the HEET
Barbershop Quartet, Huron Happy
Continued on page 9
Plowing it down, working it up
If anyone doesn't know what the International Plowing
Match (IPM) entails, a new song penned by IPM
Entertainment Committee Co-ordinator Sherry McCall,
explains it pretty well. The tune explains how a county gets
ready to host the IPM and is performed by, from left, Isaiah
Sills, Amanda McClure and Jack Storey. (Photo submitted)
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