Tidings of Music
|
Dec. 24 and 25 at Telus Conference Centre, photo Ben Strothmann |
Tidings of music |
Allison Crowe to give two free Christmas concerts Published Date: 2006-12-20 Time:
13:39:24 |
By Nicole Fitzgerald What: Tidings Who: Allison
Crowe When: Dec.
24 & 25 Where: Telus
Conference Centre Admission: Free Get
into the holiday spirit with free concerts from Allison Crowe
Dec. 24 and 25 at the Telus Conference Centre as part of the A
Whistler Holiday series. The
Nanaimo native will sing holiday songs from her album Tidings
for the solo piano show. “The
show will be a mix of half traditional Christmas songs and half
with the holiday spirit,” she said. A few
songs to look forward to include a jazzy rendition of In the
Bleak Mid Winter and a gospel-driven O Holy Night, rounding off
a night with songs of joy, peace and redemption. Her renditions
of songs by The Beatles, Rolling Stones and Sarah McLachlan also
join the Tidings lineup. Tidings
was originally created as a one-hour television special aired on
Chum’s A-Channel network three years ago. The special became
an album, one of only two holiday releases the Toronto Sun
awarded four stars — the other album was The Christmas
Collection from Frank
Sinatra. “The
high concept seasonal sampler is a triumph,” raved Joseph
Blake of the Victoria Times Colonist. In
addition to spirited holiday stylings, Crowe will also draw from
the music on her latest album The Little Bird.
Crowe was a bit of a bird herself in recording the 12-song
collection as she flew between the Gulf Islands and
Newfoundland. Sometimes working in recording studios on Salt
Spring Island other times playing the piano at her boyfriend’s
restaurant in the Maritimes, Crowe was able to record where and
when creative inspiration struck, thanks to her computer and the
desire to produce her music for the first time on her own. “Sound-wise
the album was a bit more experimental,” she said. “It was
great to work on my own schedule and have total creative input.
It’s neat to produce yourself and get what you want and sound
the way you want to sound. It was challenging learning how to
use the equipment, but I was always paying attention in the
studio and learning as I was going along.” The
Little Bird is Crowe’s
fifth album. And while she enjoyed the recording process, she
looks forward to touring and getting out on stage. “I
prefer performing to the recording studio,” she said.
“Recording is more about the technical side of things, which I
would rather ignore. (Laughs). It’s great to be on a stage and
have that reaction from the audience. Recording is good for me.
It forces you to analyze things a bit more — totally different
experiences.” Crowe
completed her second European tour this summer, with stops in
England, Ireland and Scotland. She
looks forward to spending Christmas in Whistler and putting in
some serious powder time on her snowboard. There
are two chances to get into the Crowe Christmas spirit with free
performances Christmas Eve at 8 p.m. and Christmas Day at 4 p.m.
in the Telus Conference Centre. |