Allison Crowe to aid St. Andrew's in fundraising
Concert will donate funds to renovate, repair historic city building
By Lynn Welburn, Daily News August 5, 2010
Nanaimo raised singer/songwriter Allison Crowe can still remember the first few times she performed at St. Andrew's United Church.
"That would have been with the Upper Island Music Festival. I can remember being so nervous about performing in front of people, of being tested and adjudicated," she says. Now of course, with scores of concerts under her belt, seven recordings, live tours including a new European one coming up in
the fall, she can laugh about those early days. But she admits there's little doubt that performing in the high quality acoustics of the church had an impact on her and helped form the musician and performer she has become. As well, every year she does a Christmas Tidings concert in the church to
raise money for charity.
That's why, when Crowe heard that the church was desperate to raise funds to repair and renovate the 117-year-old building, she was keen to help out.
"That's where everything started for me really," she says. "I was planning some Island dates anyhow and I like playing there so it just seemed like a nice thing to do to help out with their fundraising.
"They have always been so good to me over the years and it's such a beautiful venue . . . it looks beautiful and it sounds beautiful. The music resonates so well. I think it's all that lovely wood."
For her Aug. 13 concert, Crowe will do a solo concert presenting music from her latest CD, Spiral, some of the popular songs from her annual Tidings concert, plus revisit songs from each of her previous CDs.
"There are so many songs that I haven't played for a long time, and I wanted to revisit some of these songs from over all the years," she says.
"Also I'll be doing some new pieces, songs I have never performed here before. There's so much material so this is a kind of looking back over all the years," she says.
"Plus it will be a chance to share some stories, talk about some of the things I've been doing . . . a chance to catch up."
Crowe plans to spend much of the rest of August with her boyfriend who is performing in the Gros Morne Theatre Festival in Cow Head, Newfoundland. Then, in September, she begins a European tour playing Germany, France, The Netherlands, Austria and possibly Italy and Spain.
Tickets for the local concert are available in advance at West Coast Classic Floral, Lobelia's Lair, Fascinating Rhythm, Tom Lee Music, St. Andrew's United Church office or at the door on the night of the show.
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