Entertainment

 

It’s a big month of ‘firsts’ for the St. Lawrence Acoustic Stage. This will be one of the first times in their seven year history that they are presenting two shows only a week apart. 

“We’ve been taking our vitamins and getting ready,” board president Sandra Whitworth said with a small laugh. “We had already booked the fabulous Terra Hazelton for November, and then we had the opportunity to bring in Evalyn Parry’s SPIN on November 24th.”

 “This is a show we’d been keeping our eye on for a while, we were so excited to learn we might be able to bring SPIN to Morrisburg,  we decided to go for it.” 

The board members of the Acoustic Stage had been keeping their eye on SPIN because it is such an innovative show:  part musical performance, part spoken word, part documentary. The reviews describe it as “brilliant” and “a breath of fresh air.”

SPIN uses the bicycle as a metaphor for social change, but also as an actual musical instrument – the bicycle (along with percussionist Brad Hart) is Evalyn Parry’s co-star. 

In an interview Parry notes that this is one of the attractions of the show. 

“We’ve played the show in big fancy theatres and also in small community halls – it’s versatile that way, and seems to work in both intimate and larger settings.   Part of the unique thing about the show is the musical bicycle – and that always seems to go over really well wherever we play – Brad Hart is a talented drummer, and creates an amazing accompaniment with the bike.”

A musical bicycle? As Whitworth points out, that will be another first. “We’ve had a lot of musical instruments played at the Stage, but never a bicycle.” 

Describing her motivations in creating SPIN, Parry says that it brought together not only themes she wanted to explore, but also different parts of her creative life. 

“I had spent my artistic career with one foot in music and spoken word, and the other in theatre, and I felt I wanted to create a show that would bring my two worlds together into one show.”

“I am an avid cyclist, and thought it would be fun to create something about my passion for my bicycle.  Also, I’m a bit obsessed with advertising and the way things get “spun” – so I thought the theme of “spin” could encompass both the bicycling and the advertising, and maybe result in something interesting.   And finally, I had also heard somewhere that there was a connection between the bicycle and the early women’s emancipation movement in the 19th century, and I wanted to research that.   So I dove into the research – and discovered all these unexpected and amazing historical characters and information which connected all my chosen themes.”

SPIN has recently completed an eight-show run in Kingston, most of which were sold out. Some of Parry’s favourite venues are in smaller communities. 

“I love performing in small communities, where people seem to especially appreciate things that are different.   SPIN is a pretty ‘outside the box’ show, even in a big city context, but the show seems to be enjoying a pretty broad appeal. The themes and stories about the history of women and cycling, and consumerism, and advertising, and ‘freedom’ within the show are certainly not only relevant to city-dwellers – they are pretty universal. “

Whitworth commented that the show is drawing a lot of attention. 

 “I do hope the local crowd gets their tickets and has a chance to see this.  I can’t tell yet whether we will be sold out, but there’s been more interest than usual with a lot of online sales from Ottawa, and that’s wonderful of course. But we brought this to Morrisburg to make sure our community has a chance to see it.” 

 Make sure to get to the St. Lawrence Acoustic Stage in the OETIO/Morrisburg Meeting Centre  to see this fabulous show. Tickets are $18 in advance at Basket Case or online www.st-lawrencestage.com. The door price is $20, show time is 7 p..m on Saturday November 24th!

[…]

 

Stage actor. Genie nominated film star. Radio personality. Model. Composer. Singer.

Especially a singer.

Terra Hazelton, who will be coming to the St. Lawrence Acoustic Stage on Saturday, November 17, with her band, Easy Answers, is a multi-talented Canadian artist who will be offering a stunning mixture of blues and jazz at her show. 

Sandra Whitworth, of the St. Lawrence Stage, described Hazelton as a “..powerhouse singer. And the band is just a whole lot of fun. This is just going to be a terrific show.”

When Hazelton was asked how someone just 33 could have already accomplished so much, she laughed. “My passion for the arts started at a very early age.” 

Hazelton first earned her acting chops with the Loose Moose Theatre Company of Calgary, an organization founded by Keith Johnstone. Artistic director, Dennis Cahill, has had a profound effect on some of Canada’s best performers, including members of the Kids in the Hall, and of course, Terra Hazelton.

At age 14, Hazelton was already learning improvisational comedy and taking part in children’s theatre productions.

She credits Cahill and  the company with infusing her with “a taste for the stage, for telling stories and for making people laugh. My theatre experiences really nurtured all my natural urges to perform. And,” she laughed, “I also found I had a strong affinity for singing.”

Time spent at the prestigious American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York, really exposed Hazelton to the classic lyricists and composers, to Broadway legends like George Gershwin and Cole Porter. And her career soon took a new direction. “I discovered I loved that kind of music, loved singing it. I began veering away from my original Broadway stage ambitions” and instead found singing taking precedence. 

She returned to Toronto and started performing in cabarets and on stage. 

Then came the moment Hazelton calls “kismet.”

She had been performing around Toronto, particularly at the Brunswick House, when legendary singer/guitarist Jeff Healey heard her sing. His band, the Jazz Wizards, had been formed about a year earlier, and he was looking for a vocalist. 

“He sort of ‘musically courted’ me,” Hazelton laughed. “He came around to hear me at different clubs for a while, and then he offered me a wonderful job” as his band’s featured vocalist. 

It was a magical match: Hazelton toured with his band and Healey eventually produced the young performer’s debut record, “Anybody’s Baby” in 2004.

“The reaction to her (Hazelton) has been overwhelmingly positive to say the least,” Healey said. “I can say that I’ve rarely, if ever, seen a vocalist receive more of an outpouring of affection and adulation.”

Hazelton’s repertoire is grounded in her interpretations of classic jazz and the blues. 

“Jeff exposed me to some of the early great jazz musicians, singers from the 20’s and 30’s. I love Bessie Smith, for the blues and Connie Boswell is my favourite for jazz. Boswell was really the Brittany Spears of the 1930’s. Some of these artists are a little less known today, but I love singing them. Let’s just say my blues choices are earlier than my jazz choices.”

Hazelton is very much looking forward to her performance with Easy Answers at the St. Lawrence Stage. “It will be a great evening.”

Tickets for Terra Hazelton’s concert on November 17 are $18 in advance and $20 at the door. They are available at the Basket Case, Strung Out Guitars and Compact music or on line at the St. Lawrence Acoustic Stage.

 

[…]

 

 It promises to be a night of music that is both unexpected and exhilarating.

On Saturday, October 27, at 7 p.m., artist Kevin Fox will bring his fresh and delightful sound to the St. Lawrence Stage. David Simard, first introduced in an Emerging Artists showcase in 2010, to much praise, will open. 

Kevin Fox, whose extensive body of work has been described by the Halifax Chronicle as a “set of glowing acoustic pop gems” and by Cadence Magazine as “poetic and even romantic,” has  a unique background and an equally unique musical sound.

He has arranged music for Justin Bieber and Kathleen Edwards, recorded with Celine Dion and toured with Chantal Kreviazuk, Steven Page and Olivia Newton-John.  

“I think his (release) Songs for Voice and Cello” is stellar, and his live performance is incredible,” said board member Sandra Whitworth.

Unusually, Fox has made the cello, most often restricted to classical music, the unique focus of his pop/folk approach.

“I believe that a cello is actually a kindred spirit to the human voice,” Fox explained. “When I sing and bow or pluck the cello, the sound resonates with my voice. There is simply great beauty in this string instrument.”

Fox added, with a laugh, that his unusual choice of instrument should be blamed on the fantastic music program that used to exist in the Maritimes. “In every grade, students were introduced to a musical instrument. Every year there was a new classical instrument and a new sound. The cello became my musical voice.”

A graduate of McGill in classical composition, Fox says that “song writing and arranging have always been part of me. You could say that I speak both pop and classical music. I describe my career by saying there have been many cookie jars on the shelf that I’ve dipped my hand into. I love arranging for the stage. I love arranging for the studio. And I love singing. Music has been the focus of my life since I was 10.”

I asked him about his songs.

“I have this interest in beauty. I seek beauty through my music, seeking out the colours that make me feel good, or reflect my mood. Then I want to put this unique beauty I have found down on pages to share. I also tend to believe that artists look inward and find a wealth of things that they can share with others.”

Kevin Fox released Set Right in 2011, an album that audiences are loving. “I wanted this one to have a collaborative element,” he said, explaining he had used several instruments and musicians in this work. “ But I did add lots of cello parts too,” Fox laughed.

David Simard is looking forward to his return to the Stage. “It’s such a treat to perform in that setting filled with people genuinely enjoying the music.”

Simard has been touring, but he finds that he loves “the rhythm of life on the road. It lets me focus all my energy toward music, which is exactly what I want to do.”

Generally, Simard prefers to stay away from labels. “I just say I’m a folk singer, straight up.” But he has been given one label that he finds intriguing, that of “avant-garde folk singer.” 

“It comes from an album review in Italy. It said I was avant-garde because I was ‘a folksinger who’s rooted in the past, and looking to the future’. I do sing traditional folk music, but I am always trying to create something new and progressive in my music.”

The influence of cabaret has been part of that creative process.

“At one time, while I was living and working in Montreal and Victoria, I performed with aerialists, contortionists and dancers, with circus people: they were always looking for music and musicians. That experience led me to try and fit a kind of theatrical edge to my music. It is a style I would like to explore again.”

The theme of movement is a strong component of a lot of Simard’s compositions. “I’ve moved all my life. On tour I constantly move, crossing new geographic regions, always arriving, always leaving, maybe staying a short time in one spot. That theme appears in my music. I write about life, I guess. I love music. Music is my life.”

With upcoming artist David Simard opening for him, Kevin Fox will be in concert at the St. Lawrence Stage on Saturday, October 27. 

Tickets are $18 in advance, $20 at the door available at the Basket Case, Strung Out Guitars and Compact Music or at www.st-lawrencestage.com/shows.html

[…]

During an earlier interview, St. Lawrence Acoustic Stage board president, Sandra Whitworth, could only speak in superlatives when she described the performers who will kick off the 2012-13 concert year at the Stage on Saturday evening, September 15.

“Jadea Kelly has a pristine voice,” she said, “absolutely clear as a bell. And Catherine MacLellan is an established, versatile performer with a dark, husky voice. The two will be a dynamic singer/songwriter combination on the stage.”

These artists have shared venues before; this concert should be an exhilarating start to the new season at the St. Lawrence Stage.

“Jadea and I met through a mutual friend, David Baxter, and I asked her to come in on my album, Silhouette,” MacClellan said. “She did some background harmonizing for me, and she was just incredible. Since then we’ve branched into concerts together, often singing on the same bill.”

“I did sing backups with Catherine,” Jadea Kelly said. “She’s become a good friend, and we’ve worked together now for about two years. Our styles and voices complement each other. I admire her song writing and her wonderful way with words.”

Catherine MacClellan comes from a very musical family (her father, Gene MacClellan, was a renowned performer,  and composer of many songs, including Anne Murray’s mega hit ‘Snow Bird’). “I grew up hearing a lot of folk music. I remember listening to everything, even,” she laughed, “some really bad 80’s pop music. But what I remember most is how strong an influence my dad was for me. I’d watch him writing and I found it inspirational.”

The love of performance, and the love of writing are dominant forces in this artist’s life. 

“I started writing, I think, to express myself, my feelings and emotions. I was always very shy, and music became an outlet for coping with life’s issues, like when I lost my dad at age 14. It is a challenge to sing full time, and I don’t always like the life on the road, but the playing itself is wonderful. Music is simply part of me.”

MacClellan’s Dark Dream Midnight came out in 2004, Church Bell Blues in 2006-7, and Water in the Ground in 2009. Her current album Silhouette, was launched in 2011, and is garnering a lot of attention from both fans and critics. Nominated for a number of prestigious awards, she was named solo artist of the year in 2009 by the Canadian Folk Music Awards, and number one Roots Artist on iTunes Canada.

Still, MacLellan doesn’t care to be pigeon-holed into a particular musical style. 

“My taste is eclectic. I love 60’s folk, but also old country and blues, and currently Indian music. I pull from all those sounds when I sing and write. I don’t have pre-conceived ideas. I let the emotions and the feelings I am currently experiencing determine my music. There are definitely themes of love and relationships, interactions between people in my music.

I’m not sure I’ve made the record of my dreams just yet. There’s always another hill ahead, something new to accomplish.”

She is looking forward to the St. Lawrence Stage, and performing with Jadea. “It’s going to be fun. It always is.”

Like Catherine, Jadea Kelly was surrounded by music growing up. “I sang before I talked,” she said. “Music is a strong, almost therapeutic, part of my life. I love it. There is no alternative path in this world for me. Singing is what I am meant to do.”

Kelly’s sound has been described as folk/country, but “that is somewhat in the past. People say there’s always been a little bit of ache in my words. However, my style is undergoing change just now, with darker undertones to it. There are some new rock influences, and I think I might describe my emerging style (laughing) as creepy country.”

Also a prolific song-writer, Kelly, who spent time in the country growing up, says her songs often “bridge the divide between working on a farm and being a musician. And I am very much in love right now,” she laughed, “and that is definitely spilling over into my writing and my music. Of course, there are writing dry spells, but ideas and inspirations can come to you at any time. I have post it notes all over my place ready for those ideas.”

She has recently spent two years touring her album Eastbound Platform (2009) in North America and Europe, and is developing Clover. She, too, is looking forward to Morrisburg. “I hope Catherine and I get to sing a little harmony on the stage at some point. Like her, I just love making music.”

Tickets for the Catherine MacClellan, Jadea Kelly concert Saturday, September 15, at the Meeting Centre, are $20 in advance, and $25 at the door. Contact the Basket Case, Strung Out Guitars, or go on line at www.st.lawrencestage.com.

[…]

 

“This is going to be our greatest concert season yet,” said St. Lawrence Acoustic Stage board members, Sandra Whitworth (president and treasurer) and Derek Hunter (vice  president). “The stage is a place where the audience and the performers can strike up a real relationship. People know that in our musical line ups, there will be something in the season that will delight them.”

Fresh from setting up their new office at the OETIO (Operating Engineers Training Institute of Ontario), site of the St. Lawrence Acoustic Stage, Whitworth and Hunter shared funding and performance news about the 2012-2013 season.

This is the St. Lawrence’s Stage’s seventh year in Morrisburg. In May of this year, MP Guy Lauzon presented the Stage with a Heritage grant. The board also learned that the Ontario Arts Council would continue to maintain the Stage’s Arts Council grant, while the Township of South Dundas will also continue its support. 

These grants are vital to the Stage’s ability to book performers early, and to establish a season.

“When we first began this venture,” Whitworth explained, “we could only plan our concerts one show at a time. Even three years ago, we were not able to set up a full fall line up in advance. This funding allows us now to create the fall and the winter concerts, and to book performers ahead. We have the security now of being able to envision different types of music and to seek out interesting performers.” 

The ongoing support of platinum sponsor Coffey’s Coffee also ensures the kind of quality concerts the St. Lawrence Acoustic Stage is becoming well known for.  “We hope to increase our business support for the Stage,” Whitworth said. “This is an area we are seriously exploring.”

Whitworth reports that audience sizes have doubled in the last couple of years at the Stage, with two shows, Serena Ryder and Don Ross, actually sold out. The board hopes this trend will continue in 2012-13, as more people realize the incredible musical jewel right on their doorstep.

Joining the 2012-13 volunteer board, which also includes Bill Carriere, is Tony McCadden, a Morrisburg resident, who plays in the Ottawa-based percussion ensemble, Kunundrum.

Jeanne Ward, “the last of the original founding members of the St. Lawrence Stage,” said Derek Hunter, “and our former president, had to leave the board this year. While she has moved out of the SD&G area, she has promised to attend our shows.” To honour her dedication and hard work for over seven years, the Stage presented Ward with a special plaque and gave her a “life time” pass to all future St. Lawrence Stage concerts.

And if the concerts booked for this fall are any indication, audiences can look for premier entertainment at the Stage.

Those who attended Stuart McLean’s Vinyl Cafe at the Playhouse this winter, will be delighted to hear that Jadea Kelly (who appeared on that show) is opening for Catherine MacLellan on September 15. 

“Jadea has a pristine voice, clear as a bell,” said Whitworth. “And Catherine MacLellan (whose father Gene wrote Snow Bird) is an established, versatile performer with a dark, husky voice. The two will be a dynamic singer/songwriter combination on the stage.”

In October, the phenomenal Kevin Fox, (“our first cellist,” Whitworth laughed) will headline. He is a singer/writer/composer of note, who performs both original music and covers, using a looping pedal to create a full, rich sound. His CD, Songs for Cello and Voice, is truly “an experience.”

Opening for Fox is Dave Simard, first seen at the Stage in an emerging artists show case in 2010-2011, where he drew audience raves. Simard has since gone on to build a strong career with his unusual approach to music. He even created his own term for it, “avant-garde folk.”

Terra Hazelton and Her Easy Answers explode on stage in November when she brings her jazz/swing band (with a taste of blues added to the mix) to the St. Lawrence Stage. Jeff Healey’s vocalist of choice with his jazz band,  Hazelton and her quartet will perform a wide range of exciting music from classic to modern jazz. 

Unique in performance and unique to the St. Lawrence Stage is the second performer in November, Evalyn Parry and her show, Spin.

“I saw Evalyn Parry perform Spin, and she was simply an incredible presence on stage,” Whitworth explained. “Her show actually uses a bicycle both as a metaphor and an instrument. Her concert will involve the spoken word, wonderful music and theatre. She literally draws audiences in. What a show hers will be!”

The winter line-up at the St. Lawrence Acoustic Stage is being finalized, but tickets for the outstanding fall season (as well as season passes) are available at www.st-lawrencestage.com. The Basket Case, Strung Out Guitars and Compact Music also carry tickets.

Some of the best musical entertainment in Eastern Ontario is here at the St. Lawrence Acoustic Stage. 

[…]

 

Audiences ‘checking in’ to Hotbed Hotel, Upper Canada Playhouse’s 2012 summer season opener, can anticipate a ‘stay’ that’s filled with zany guests, colossal misunderstandings and impossibly funny situations.

The only guarantee at this one-star hotel is that you won’t actually die laughing: it may just be a near thing. 

The production, which features a large and talented cast of nine, is being directed by Playhouse artistic director Donnie Bowes, and opens on June 7 running until July 1.

“This is a very funny Michael  Parker farce,” Bowes said. “It’s the third one we’ve produced at the Playhouse by Parker. The other two, which audiences thoroughly enjoyed, were the Amorous Ambassador and the Sensuous Senator. 

Parker, an Englishman now living in the United States, has all the gags and the crisp dialogue of traditional English farces in his very popular plays.”

Bowes has assembled a stellar cast for the Playhouse’s summer opener. 

“This show demands every skill an actor has,” Bowes said. “The pace is vital. The characters never have time to stop, think or reason, because that, of course, would destroy the humour.”

As the owners of a  dilapidated ‘one star’  hotel in the Florida Keys, Terri and Brian Cody are desperate to convince a New York buyer to commit. The problem is, he hasn’t actually seen the property. He is also under the impression that there are lots of paying guests staying at the hotel as well as a functioning and efficient staff.

And he is showing up to inspect the site within the hour, not in two weeks as originally planned. 

“That sets up the problem,” director Bowes laughed. “The characters begin making decisions that they will definitely come to regret. Those hasty decisions lead to ever increasing misunderstandings and confusion.”

Debra Hale, who plays Terri Cody, explained that her character “wears the pants”  where this husband and wife are concerned.  She is determined to see the sale through and ropes some of the hotel’s more colourful characters into the scheme. 

“I’m the manager in name only,” laughed Timm Hughes. “Poor Brian, the husband, has no control over anything at this hotel. He just ends up going along.”

Retuning to the Playhouse is AnnaMarie Lea, in the role of maid Maureen. “I think she’s just off the cabbage farm, in her first job, with no idea how to do it. When they also make her room service and reception, well, it’s more than she can handle.”

New comer to the Playhouse but a renowned stage veteran is Mo Bock, as maintenance man Hopkins. 

“Hopkins’ primary objectives in life are to stay employed, to stay drunk and to get it on with the ‘Barracuda’,” Bock grinned.

“The Barracuda” is played by Susan Greenfield. “She is actually a real guest at the hotel, who returns yearly for a week pursuing any and every man within reach.  They’re all fair game,” Greenfield said.

“The Barracuda is a character totally unlike Susan, of course,” Bowes immediately said, to much cast laughter.

Doug Tangney returns to the stage in the role of the long-winded, often befuddled Major Posenby, a retired guest staying at the hotel. “He really wants to help the Codys, it just goes very wrong,” Tangney explained.

Richard Bauer is Sam Lewis, “the prospective New York buyer and a bit of a prude. Although he does have a secret or two of his own.”

“I’m one of those secrets,” laughed newcomer Erin MacKinnon, who plays Sam’s travelling companion, Ashley. “While I can’t say too much, through no fault of her own, Ashley keeps misplacing her clothing.”

Brenda Quesnel, as Dorothy, also can’t “say too much. I’m sweet and charming. Is that cryptic enough?”

The impressive set for this show was designed by John Thompson, with lighting by Sean Free. 

Backstage at Hotbed Hotel is “almost as exciting as on stage in a farce,” Bowes explained. “There are a number of physical gags that have to be rigged (audiences love these) and the set itself is very complex with multiple doors leading to multiple areas. It takes a long time to lift this kind of show off the page.”

“There are complicated props and tricks and hand-offs,” said stage manager Liz Campbell. With ASM Alice Barnett and production intern Liam Collins, this crew is very busy. “Timing is vital, and everything has to be precise, everyone in place. It’s like trying to track a pinball at times.”

What this all means for audiences, however, is side splitting fun in a top notch theatre production. 

Contact Upper Canada Playhouse (613-543-3713) and check in to Hotbed Hotel.

[…]

 

MP Guy Lauzon was on hand on Thursday, May 24, at the Morrisburg Meeting Centre to formally present the board of the St. Lawrence Acoustic Stage an $8,000 grant through the Canada Arts Presentation Fund of the Department of the Canadian Heritage. “This is the best part of my job,” Lauzon said, “giving a worthy organization a bit of help financially. I am proud of our government’s commitment to supporting the Arts in Canada. The Stage actively encourages professional and amateur musicians, and generates economic growth in this area.” “We really appreciate how much the Stage does for our community,” said Charles “Chuck” Barkley, president of the South Dundas Chamber of Commerce. “We encourage everyone to support their shows.” “This grant was very good news for us,” said board member Sandra Whitworth. “It allows us to book artists in advance, and set up attractive packages for our next season. We really appreciate the support of the government and of our community.” Left to right are Sandra Whitworth, MP Guy Lauzon, Jeanne Ward, Bill Carriere, board members, and president Chuck Barkley.

[…]

 

The St. Lawrence Acoustic Stage finished off its 2011-2012 season in a big way on Saturday, May 26, at the Morrisburg Meeting Centre.

Not only was the Stage the recipient of a Canadian Heritage grant, presented by MP Guy Lauzon earlier in the week, but three outstanding artists rang down the concert series curtain on a very special high note.

Ambre McLean, Fraser Anderson and Tara Holloway  did not know each other before they shared the stage Saturday night. 

“We were a little mean about this,” board member Sandra Whitworth laughed, just before welcoming the trio to the stage. “We threw these three artists together, performers who had never met each other, just to see what would happen. However, the singers assure me that they are going to enjoy this.”

So did the audience at Saturday’s concert.

It was, as Tara Holloway had suggested in an earlier interview, “some sort of combustion, a magical moment when these song writers (came) together to sing.”

The individuality of each of the performers’ vocal styles made the on stage mix a very interesting  and unexpected one.  

While none of the artists can be pigeon-holed into a particular genre, Ambre McLean’s soaring, beautiful voice has a  rich, jazz/blues flavour colouring it. Fraser Anderson, a slight Scottish burr underlying his wonderful,  seemingly effortless vocals, might, in another era be described as a balladeer, a romantic. Tara Holloway is a powerhouse on stage, her vocals strong and uninhibited and daring.

Anderson, born in Scotland, but now living in France, often prefaced his music with anecdotes. (“My son is attending school in France. He came home shortly after he started classes and announced, “Dad, I learned to say something in French!”  “Wonderful son, what is it?” “I can say sit down and be quiet.”)  

It led to an Anderson number, an hilarious musical blending of French and English lyrics (“I just can’t choose ce soir…is it masculin ou feminin?”) and brought Tara and Ambre in on the chorus, creating a truly spontaneous magical moment.

To considerable audience approval, McLean performed her beautiful award winning song, “Me, Myself and the Moon.” 

“I got the idea for this song when I overheard a woman in a restaurant say that she knew she was in love, because she felt it ‘with her whole body,’” Ambre explained. “Doesn’t that make you weak? When you fall in love, it is the simplest, most amazing time in the world.”

Tara Holloway, who creates some very unusual harmonies, powerfully delivered on “Girls, Girls, Girls,” and was joined, again spontaneously, by Fraser and Amber, on  “The Heart Goes” from her newly reissued CD Sins to Confess. 

Throughout the evening, I was repeatedly impressed with the lyrics of the songs I was hearing. Anderson, Holloway and McLean are genuine originals. Their  individual themes, their plays on words, their ability to express even traditional ideas in the most unexpected of ways, was a source of real pleasure.

At the end of the evening, Fraser Anderson, Tara Holloway and Ambre McLean united their voices in a beautiful ballad by Anderson. Music really does bring strangers close together. 

We all saw that on Saturday evening.

Look for the upcoming 2012-2013 concert series at the St. Lawrence Stage this September.

[…]

 

The final concert of the St. Lawrence Acoustic Stage’s 2011-2012 season is going to be one for the records.

Three great artists, Fraser Anderson, Tara Holloway and Ambre McLean, will be performing “in the round”  on the St. Lawrence Stage, in a program that will be a true mix of styles: folk, blues, country and even a bit of pop.

“We’re the ones who have put them together in this mix,” explained Sandra Whitworth, on the board of the St. Lawrence Stage. “They don’t tour together. We’ve kind of thrown them together to see what happens. 

What they all share, besides their impressive musicianship, are absolutely stunning vocals and song-writing chops. We think the synergy that gets going among them in an ‘in the round’ format is going to make for a spectacular end to our season on Saturday, May 26, at the Morrisburg Meeting Centre, at 7 p.m.”

The opportunity to talk to all three artists simply confirmed for me Whitworth’s prediction that this is going to be a great show.

Fraser Anderson, a renowned performer in his native Scotland, makes his home in France, where his music has been winning fans all over Europe. He is looking forward to Canada. 

As an artist, Anderson refuses to be musically confined. “I wouldn’t like to even try to describe my style for fear of restricting something. I have always had a love of soul music and old school hip hop, so grooves and a vibe to make you nod your head is my music too sometimes.” 

Anderson cannot recall a time when he wasn’t singing. “It always made me feel better inside.” A composer as well as a singer, he finds his themes in some unexpected places.

“I feel drawn to old men with their stories and wisdom. Whenever I see an old couple holding hands, I feel my eyes tear up a little. Just a little!”

He loves people watching and creating music about the individuals who cross his path. “I was once told to just write about what you know and that turned out to be very good advice.” He is currently writing lyrics for Terez Montcalm’s new album, a challenge he is enjoying. 

I caught up with Tara Holloway while she was enroute to a rehearsal. 

 “As long as I’m able to travel, I’m going to stay a gypsy,” she laughed. “I have a blast standing in front of different audiences. The sharing of the music, the intensity of the moment are wonderful. You don’t get 10 tries to get it right. When you make that connection with an audience, it’s awesome.”

Like Anderson, she chooses not to be stereotyped.

“I’m one of those professionals who doesn’t like sounding the same every time, or doing a song the same way every time. I change songs vocally and melodically when I perform. I call it,” she added with a laugh, “my creative side. I simply love to sing, live to sing.”

As a lyricist, Holloway finds “the intimacy of life the basis for most of my writing. My music seems to come out of those challenging times in life.” 

She is excited to be sharing the Stage with Fraser and Ambre. “This was a neat idea of the St. Lawrence board to put the three of us together. I suspect there may be some sort of combustion, maybe a magical moment when these song writers come together to sing.”

Music has always been part of Ambre McLean’s life, but she admits that she only made it her full time career in the last few years. With a mother who sang folk, a father who was a rock musician and a godmother who was a jazz singer in Toronto, McLean  (trained classically herself) refuses to be “locked into a particular genre. How I perform, my style, may often be based on just how I’m feeling that day.”

Like many young artists, Ambre gained a lot of experience with the ViaRail “On Board Entertainment” program, which showcases up and coming Canadian musicians. She travelled throughout Canada, honing her musical skills, developing her unique voice.

“I write a lot from a very personal point of view. Feelings, and dealing with the emotional issues of life are reflected in my writing. Although,” McLean said, “as a very new mother, I have recently added lullabies to my repertoire. I often end up writing my songs on napkins or receipts or into my cell phone,” she laughed. “When musical inspiration strikes, it’s a right now thing with me.”

Past winner of a CBC song writing challenge, McLean loves the challenges of composition, and of performance. “I think my performance in Morrisburg may be a bit fluid, perhaps a little unexpected.” 

Tickets for this spectacular final concert, in a series of stand-out shows this season at the St. Lawrence Acoustic Stage, are $15 in advance or $18 at the door. The concert begins at 7 p.m at the Morrisburg Meeting Centre. Contact the Basket Case or Strung Out Guitars, or go on line at http://www.st-lawrencestage.com/shows.html

[…]