Cochrane’s Sandy Hirth, and her band Wild Rose Xpress, are a five-piece ensemble of traditional Bluegrass musicians.

Over the past six years they have been playing at various Folk and Bluegrass festivals, private functions and charitable events throughout Alberta.

“Right now, I really, truly feel blessed working with these players,” said the warm and friendly female vocalist over a steaming cup of coffee at Coffee Traders.

“I wouldn’t even call it work — just playing and having fun.”

Hirth, originally from Sussex, New Brunswick, grew up in a music-centered environment.

She sang harmonies with her sister as a small child, developing her vocal chops throughout her adulthood and always remaining tied to the Celtic and Bluegrass sounds of her youth.

Joining the Foothills Bluegrass Music Society several years ago renewed Hirth’s love for performing, steering her into the direction of starting up a Bluegrass band and bringing her love for singing back to the stage.

And soon Wild Rose Xpress was born.

The first three years of Wild Rose Xpress would have been hard for any front person.

Like many bands in their initial stages, Hirth had to work out with several players before finding the right group who could bring forth the Bluegrass sound she had envisioned.

Since the beginning, two of the original members of the band have remained together:  Sandy Hirth (rhythm guitar, lead and harmony vocals) and Karl Lingwood  (banjo, resophonic guitar, lead and harmony vocals), with later additions of Tim Babey (mandolin, harmony vocals), Randy Jones (fiddle, harmony vocals) and Morgan Luchinski (bass, harmony vocals). Hirth finally feels the band is the unified group she always wanted it to be.

What sets apart the distinct sound of Bluegrass music from other genres is its ability to hold a listening audience over a dancing audience.

In Bluegrass, a drummer is not required; instead, a stand-up bass holds the rhythm while the mandolin carries the backbeat and the banjo drives the music along. Harmonies are an integral part of Bluegrass.  True to the purity of the music, each member of Wild Rose Xpress sings — a technique that requires endless practice to sound just right.

In short, Bluegrass is a “musician’s music.”

It’s a chance for those who love intricate harmonies and the blend of string instruments to come out and be entertained.

There is an obvious showcasing of individual instruments in this type of music, as it’s not uncommon for each player to have an instrumental solo in a single tune. The band has their debut CD, Wild Rose, available for purchase through their website: www.wildrose-xpress.com.

The album is a mixture of original tracks and traditional Bluegrass favorites.

Hirth’s husband, Norbert, is also a musician (accordion and banjo) and wrote the title track, Wild Rose, for the band.  
The band is keen on involving their family members when working on their music, many of whom accompany the band to various summer festivals and camp-outs, as well as rehearsals.

The band will be coming out with their second CD by the summer of 2010, which Hirth believes will be made up of almost entirely original music.

The band will also be hosting the third annual Millarville Music in the Hills — a Millarville summer music festival the band started in 2008, which features Wild Rose Xpress and three other bands each year.

In the meantime, the band is getting booked well into the New Year, gigging an average once or twice a month, with a little more frequency during festival season.

Why only gig once or twice a month? Simple.

“This way it’s our passion. We don’t want it to be a job,” said Hirth.

For this Bluegrass band, it’s about the love of the music and not a paycheque.

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