Ed Yourk - Bio 2024
Savary Island, BC, Canada
A Quick Sketch
Ed has had two big Genre pushes over the last 38 years. Putting Music To Scripture since 1987, and creating Historical Story Songs since 2003.
Upon landing back in the Prairies, in 2002, Ed had no idea that he would suddenly find himself with a strong desire to learn stories of the land and put them to music. And so birthed the term: Historical Story Songs. He had been gone from the Prairies, since the age of 11 years in 1966, when his family was uprooted from the prairie farmland of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada and transplanted into the logging community of Squamish, British Columbia, Canada.
In Ed's words, reminiscing of his time in Squamish:
“One major highlight in my performing career, was acting in a short musical, meant to entertain the Timber Queen Pageant audience at the 1987 Squamish Logger Sports, while the judges made their decisions. Al MacIntosh, the beloved MC of Logger Sports, was running out of banter and jokes after our musical had finished. Marnie Hendrickson and I were still up on the platform and after a number of tense minutes, Al turned around and said: ”Ed, how about you give us another song." Marnie, knowing full well we did not have another song to offer, grabbed at my suit jacket and held me down. Al carried on for a few minutes more, then turned around and exclaimed: “Ed, get up here and do another song!” Wanting to be obedient to Al's directive, I was recalling the old Norman Foote favourite we used to sing, and called down off the stage to my guitar back-up helper & God-Brother Bob Hamilton and said: “Bob, how about ‘Wally Was A Logger’?” With some reluctance (as he had never played it before) we started. It's one of Norm Foote's most creative and “Squamish-ized” songs, and the simple lyric was easy to follow, so, many of the locals in the 1,000+ person event, jumped on board with us. When we got to the short, somewhat spoken interlude, in the middle of the song:
“You may think that I am lazy, or you may think that I am crazy But if you think that I am dozey, you should have seen me when when I was working for Malloch & Mosley"
Ed was not prepared for what happened next: the majority of the audience erupted with joy and laughter, as working for Malloch & Mosley in Squamish was widely considered one of the lowest positions, a local logger could attain to. The song ended and the judges walked out with their decision. This experience has become a great performing highlight, as it showed him the importance of serving, as a musician, on multiple levels.
In the year of 2002, Ed had already spent sixteen years of his new life in Jesus Christ, putting Music To Scripture. Now, this new change and return to roots, moving to Three Hills, Alberta, Canada, was digging at his prairie heritage. After spending over 35 years on the West Coast of British Columbia (1966 - 2002), it was like a homecoming, back to the Prairies (find the free song offering “Coffee Bean Wheat” under Music and click the sub page Historical Story Songs). Ed began extensive work performing, recording and teaching at Prairie Bible Institute (2002 - 2021). In 2003, he began to teach and work with his daughter Amber-Lynn Yourk, eventually developing the group “Blue Grass Orphans” with Paula Spurr, carrying it to 2009. Then, over the next 10+ years, working, performing and recording with various other artists, including The Bluegrass Authenticator Tom Peachey, Mark (Sharky) Schauer, Keith Hamm, Kevin & Kim Elias, Chris Pompetti and Stuart MacLean (not the book writer but the most amazing Singer-Songwriter).
In December 2023, Ed finished his 6th course, through Berklee Online College: Mixing and Mastering with Pro Tools. The two songs under Music, and the sub page Scripture Songs are a couple of examples of his recent Mixing & Mastering work.
In 2021, Ed and his wife Jennifer returned to the West Coast of BC, Canada, this time to Jen’s roots on Savary Island. Immersed in this island culture, with all of it’s sights and sounds and smells, caused another shift in his yearnings as a music creator. One of his most recent compositions has been another recitation, this time of a piece of bible document from Revelation 7. As the inception of this recitation with song came to Ed when he was waiting at the barge landing on Savary, he was able to record some of the ocean waves lapping and has placed those sonic stamps at the introduction and ending of this piece. If you click on the Music section of this site, you will find a free offering of “Salvation To Our God”.
2023 was a great time of Celebration on Savary, and in particular, at the Savary Island Bluegrass Festival, kindly hosted by Paul Leighton and Ruth White at their home: The Red House. Ed was given the great gift of performing with his teenage sweetheart, dear friend and wife Jennifer, again with their daughter Amber-Lynn, and this special occasion included Ed's long-time playing pal and God-Brother Bob Hamilton. See a list of some of the songs performed under the page Music, and then click the sub page, Songlist.