Allison Crowe Flies Home for 10 Year Songbird Reunion at VIEX - Sunday, August 20
The Vancouver Island Exhibition is putting the wind beneath the wings of Allison Crowe next week, flying the internationally acclaimed musician home to Nanaimo, B.C. to join in some special fun at the island’s historic annual agricultural Fair. The vocal and piano sensation, currently perched on Canada’s Atlantic coast, recording her fifth album, will perform in celebration of the Songbird Talent Search Ten Year Reunion.
This year’s Fair runs from August 18 - 20 at Nanaimo’s Beban Park, and Island Radio (The Wave 102.3) brings a stellar flock of Songbirds to the Woodgrove Centre Community Stage. Since long before ‘reality-tv’ grabbed a hold of the concept, the VIEX has been hosting its more organic, and community-rooted, search for talented singers.
The Island Songbird event was created a decade ago by Jim Radford (Entertainment Director and past-President of the VIEX), Marv Gobel and Karen Clevette (VIEX Entertainment Director). This year’s 2006 Reunion, a cavalcade of home-grown talent, is dedicated to the late Mr. Radford, a dedicated, long-time VIEX volunteer.
His legacy is alive in the voices of Vancouver Island singers, at home and abroad. Allison Crowe, who will wrap up her next album, “This Little Bird”, when she is back on this coast, is readying for her second concert tour of Europe. She recalls feeling proud and very, very nervous on the Fair’s Mainstage when she was named Songbird of 1998. And, she says, “I remember walking home from the VIEX in a daze thinking, ‘Wow... this feels like the beginning of something big! And now I am doing what I love for a living.”
As just one of the many to benefit from the Songbird opportunity, Crowe says: “It is terrific to give up-and-coming singers of all ages a chance to get up on stage and shine in front of a great audience. It's a great thing for boosting your confidence, and it gives you fantastic performance experience. The Songbird is also a really cool way to be able to check out local talent, as an audience member, and also to showcase yourself to get future gigs. Basically, to help jumpstart a career.”
At 11:30 am on Sunday, August 20th, the 2006 Songbird Extravaganza begins with the return of previous year’s winners, including: Shirley Rainone, Heather Honey, Stephanie McGlenen, Michelle LaFortune and Carly Hughes. Lisa Marie Jones and Patricia Brennan are two Songbirds unable to make the migration to this year’s Reunion. Following this tuneful line-up of singers, the 2006 Talent Search artists will show their stuff and entertain Fair-goers. And, at 1:30 p.m., last year’s Songbird winner, Courtney Blunt displays her wide-ranging musical talent in a one-half hour performance for the crowd.
At 2:00 p.m., buoyed by this sea of Songbird talent, Allison Crowe will alight at the grand piano, generously provided by Allison Piano, and let loose with a batch of brand new songs and familiar favourites.
See you at the Fair!
