Heart of Canada

Just...Wow

Photo: Ray Mickshaw/FOX

Taylor Hicks!

Dala Girls

This album is so awesome...

Check out Dala Girls!

Yes, Melissa! (but how about that Bird?!)

Melissa O'Neil -- what an incredible, absolutely magnificent, surreal voice and super-duper personality. I certainly will buy her cd when it comes out. I have to say all that first, before I say to anyone who watched Canadian Idol tonight...where can I get a copy of, well ANYTHING AT ALL, sung by Deborah Bird? I don't care if it's just "Happy Birthday." Wowowowowow!

Kokopelli!

For your enjoyment, the Kokopelli Choir from Edmonton.

All Brass 1812

If you never have had the occasion to hear Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture played by an all-brass band, please let me recommend the experience to you. This evening, I attended the evening performance at the Prairie Brass Band Festival, which included

- Rupertsland Brass Band, Winnipeg
- Queen City Brass Band, Regina
- Mill Creek Colliery Brass Band, Edmonton
- Saskatoon Temple Salvation Army Band
- Saskatoon Brass Band

These five groups combined together to play the 1812, as described in the following promo excerpt:

Capping off the evening will be a stirring performance of Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture. The impressive sound of over 100 brass and percussion players performing this classic and popular tribute to Russia’s victory over Napoleon’s armies has never before been heard in Saskatoon. Guest conductor for the combined band will be Bob Gibson.

"Stirring" was the correct word. With regard to the five bands participating, while each can be commended for its work, the Mill Creek Colliery Brass Band from Edmonton reached extraordinary heights of precision and dynamics, particularly with the gracefully dignified and captivating Hymn to Diana.

Bravo!

If you ever have the opportunity to hear the 1812 Overture performed all brass, I highly recommend it. In the mean time, enjoy this full-orchestral snippet of the Cincinnati Symphony's version.

Kalan Porter: Beauty Still Exists After All

The show was much, much larger than the venue in which it was performed. The lighting, the sound, edge were all reminiscent of those massive rock shows we used to lose ourselves at when we were teens; yet tonight's audience was very different from back then. By the way, we were in the rafters, but managed to get a few decent pics. Kudos to the show producers, who allowed non-flash pics to be taken.

Tonight, Kalan played to a sold-out, mostly female crowd in Saskatoon's Centennial Auditorium. I went with my daughter, a plan that I cleverly disguised as a Christmas present for her last December. The age range in the crowd was unusual, probably extending from 7 to 70. He sang some new tunes from his album, but, given my age, I especially enjoyed his rock classics, including covers of David Bowie, Charlie Daniels, The Doobie Brothers, Peter Gabriel, and the song that made me give him a standing ovation, Neil Young's "Old Man."

At one point, Kalan performed a song he wrote himself, the theme of which was that, despite all the conflict and horrors in the world, beauty and goodness exist. Kalan shouldn't ever doubt that beauty exists in the world, as he, himself, embodies it, reminding people that goodness walks among us.

After the show, mobs of girls waited outside what they thought was Kalan's bus for a glimpse of the young star. Clever decoy tactics ensued and, after a quick wave, Kalan was spirited away in a completely different vehicle, with security forces running after it long enough to prevent swooning fans from catching up. It was quite a sight.

The band backing Kalan had a rock-and-roll soul and handled everything from love ballads to acid-rock riffs that made me glad I was there. I couldn't help but think that, if Kalan continues with the kind of back-up vocalists and musicians he performed with tonight, then I'll look forward to the day he has a full cd of his own rock music.

If I were my daughter's age, I would have been awfully worked up about seeing Kalan Porter. However, in my much more, er, mature manner, I appreciated his talent and was amazed that he seems to fiddle better than Charlie Daniels. I liked the way one Amazon.ca reviewer summed it up:

The emphasis on contemporary pop will likely make Porter’s teen fans happy. His future, however, is rooted in his love of timeless melodies. In fact, the disc’s highlight is the cover of Cyndi Lauper’s "True Colours" with fellow Idol alumni Theresa Sokyrka, a reminder that Porter’s voice makes a great song even greater--which will serve him well as he grows into a Canadian adult, rather than just an Idol.
-- Denise Sheppard

Would I pay to see him again? Absolutely.

The show was awesome. I loved it,
and, uh, clearly I wasn't the only one!

Rock on, you wonder boy, and come back soon!

Eastern Christian Music

I received a postively exciting cd in the mail the other day. It is a cd that celebrates the Centennial of the Order of St. Basil the Great in Canada. Entitled, Liturgical Chants & Hymns, the cd consists of very old "samoyilke" pieces performed by the Basilian

Students and Associates along with the Schola Cantorum from Edmonton, Alberta. The cd is adorned with a beautiful jacket in both Ukrainian and English text. The jacket includes an icon of Our Lady of All Graces and a photo of the singers in front of the magnificent iconostas the Basilian Fathers recently had designed for their House of Studies in Edmonton.

The pieces on the cd were collected, arranged, and conducted by Fr. John Sembrat, OSBM, who is well-known for his exceptional knowledge in the area of Eastern Christian musicology. I once had a conversation with Fr. Sembrat during which we were discussing a particular chant that is sung in Eastern Catholic churches. I commented on one particular arrangement of the chant, and he quietly commented in his extraordinarily humble manner that he had collected dozens of versions of that particular chant from all over Eastern Europe. I was shocked.

What is so very rare about this cd is that it collects chants that have become lost from congregational practice. As I listened to the cd, I was surprised at the number of arrangements I had not previously heard. I was also struck by the number of pieces I had heard sung before, but only in my childhood. A particular kind of samoyilke arrangement has become common in Eastern Catholic churches, kind of a "standard" chant that has been dominating liturgies. Unfortunately, the standardized usage of this particular style has squeezed out other versions and arrangements, some of which are much more beautiful and ornate but equally suitable for congregational participation.

If you would like a copy of this cd, e-mail me (above), and I will let you know how to obtain it.

Young People Have So Much To Offer

This must be one of the most beautiful songs ever. I never really listened to it very closely before, but, gosh, Josh Groban and Charlotte Church just take my breath away.

Now It's Just The Slugs

Doug Bennett, of Doug and the Slugs, passed away today in Calgary. He was in his early 50s and apparently had been ill for a long time.

Sad.

Despite my hard-rock roots, the music of Doug and the Slugs reminds me of my young adult years and of the friends I had during that time.

You can send the band condolences here (just ignore the blatant political plug at the top of the page).

You can reminisce about their music (and buy it) here.

Credit Where Credit is Due

I've been watching Kalan Porter videos from Canadian Idol over the past week, and I've come to my own conclusion about his talent. If you're over 40, brace yourself.

Kalan Porter's voice is better than Jim Morrison's.

*gasp*

Now, I don't make this claim lightly. I'm a huge Jim Morrison fan, but I have to admit that the range, resonance, and quality of Kalan's voice is better...plus he has that amazing soul. Just wait until he's even older. I hope he can write his own songs.

I also hope he doesn't take on the same kind of lifestyle that Jim Morrison did. I'd much rather see Kalan around doing his thing for a long, long time. The question is...will he ever be bigger than Jim Morrison?

Kalan rocks, for real. Please, please, BMG, don't make him sing kiddy pop.

Postscript:

If you liked this post, you'll probably like this one, too.

UPDATE: Here's a post with pics about Kalan's 219 Days show.