MATTHEW SHAWN FLEMING will be featured in The Concert on Sunday, Sept. 19 at the Opera House. The show will be both a benefit for the ailing musician and a tribute to his unique blend of music. Photo/DAN PELTON On Sept. 19, musicians from far and wide will gather at the Orangeville Opera House to perform a benefit concert for a musician who has been referred to as one of a kind – Matthew Shawn Fleming.

Throughout his career, Mr. Fleming has earned a reputation as a skilled artist who has refused to compromise his musical vision for the sake of commercial success.

Now, unfortunately, a lifelong battle with Type 1 diabetes has led to his physical vision being compromised.

As well, he finds himself on kidney dialysis and the complications from his diabetes have been causing much weakness and fatigue.

Throughout his physical trials and tribulations, however, Mr. Fleming has not lost his sense of humour. Referring to the medical procedures and machinery he has to deal with, he muses, “Sometimes I feel like I’m part human and part cyborg.”

The proceeds of the show will be put in trust for him.

Simply called The Concert, the Opera House event will feature music of the last four decades and incorporate tunes which Bruce Ley – who will be the musical director of The Concert – terms as “anthems” of their respective times.

More importantly, the event will also be a tribute to the work of Mr. Fleming, himself. His ensemble, The Evil Orange Consort, will perform a set. The Consort’s music is a fusion of genres which, by Mr. Fleming’s own admission, defies immediate description.

“It’s rootsy, it’s jazzy, it’s world beat,” he says, before he shrugs and admits, “It’s been an issue my entire career. I don’t know how to describe what it is I do.”

Mr. Fleming’s unique stylings have earned him the admiration of many, including Bruce Ley. “Matthew is what an artist really is. He’s the real deal,” says Mr. Ley. “Many people haven’t really recognized that.”

That might not be entirely true. An interesting aspect of Orangeville’s music scene is the number of local musicians and bands that refuse to conform to one specific style and would rather experiment with a mixture.

Therefore, it could be argued that Mr. Fleming has not been without influence.

The entertainment lineup for The Concert consists of, in Mr. Ley’s words, “incredible musicians; people who could easily play a much larger venue and fill it by themselves.

“And they all have a history with Matthew. It’s going to be like old home week, to a degree, for a lot of these people.”

Those performing will include Al Cross, Bob Hewus, Norman Liota, Kim Ratcliffe, Don Ross, Mike Stevens and David Woodhead. Also on stage will be Beckon, Mark Dubois, Debbie Jordan, Larry Kurtz, Jan Lauzon, David Nairn and Leisa Way, as well as the First Friday Soul Singers and, of course, Evil Orange Consort.

Mr. Ley’s wife, Rev. Candice Bist, was instrumental in bringing these musicians together. “When we called, they didn’t hesitate,” she recalls. Don Ross, for example, is travelling in from Halifax at his own expense.

Everyone involved is volunteering their time. Even the Opera House is being donated free of charge.

“It’s really quite remarkable,” says the Rev. Bist. “Matthew has been seen as someone who has really tried to give back to his community.”

Now, apparently, the community appears to be rallying to give back to him. “You don’t get people assembled like this very often,” points out Mr. Ley. “This is going to be a show like no other.”

Tickets for The Concert are available at BookLore, Dragonfly, Aardvark Music and Culture, Acoustic Traditions and the Theatre Orangeville box office.