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Q. You’ve been very supportive of philanthropic and civic organizations like the Falstaff Family Centre in Stratford. Was social engagement part of your upbringing?

A. I grew up in a small rural community (Morden) in Manitoba. There wasn’t a lot of affluence so the wheels went round through volunteerism, a culture of community service. If we want to assign that to government or agencies, that’s going to cost money and not hang together as well.

Q. The shows in your current tour include taking questions from audiences. Why are you doing that?

A. People are curious about all kinds of things, so I thought, ‘Let’s open it up and have a chat.’ I wouldn’t do that in a larger hall because it’s not conducive to that. It’s live theatre: you don’t know what people are going to ask, but I can deal with it.

Q. When you started in the music business, you used to busk at places like St. Lawrence Market in Toronto. Do you ever miss busking?

A. I do. There was something about the self-sufficiency of it: putting the harp in the back of the car, crashing on someone’s couch, getting up early in the morning and singing. If people liked it, they stayed and put money in and bought a cassette. It was incredibly simple and very immediate and intimate.

Q. So should we expect to see you busking on the ByWard Market some Saturday morning?

A. I wouldn’t rule it out.

Loreena McKennitt

The Stories Behind the Songs Tour

When: Oct. 15, 7:30 p.m.

Where: Centrepointe Theatre

Tickets: Centrepointe Theatre box office, 613-580-2700, 1-866-752-5231, centrepointetheatre.ca