Shadows and Light

Olympic Symphonium is a band with a unique and quietly understated sound that gently draws you into its depths. While I was listening to their concert I found myself flooded with metaphors to describe the experience and all of them positive. Honestly, I was expecting them to be a bit bland from their writeup (sorry fellas) but was absolutely seduced by their sound. I watch the audience during concerts to see how they are reacting and I would say that everyone in view was feeling as I was. View the image gallery with the track “A Lot to Learn” featured playing on it from the band’s recent CD “The City Won’t Have Time to Fight”. For those who want more of my thoughts on this concert, read on.

Olympic Symphonium at the Evergreen Theatre

The compelling effect of Olympic Symphonium’s music is due to the quietly insistent, gently harmonious sounds, much as rich, hanging moss over a dark pond beneath will inspire reflection and contemplation. This feeling is enhanced by Dennis Goodwin’s lap steel guitar weaving its distinctive sound around the rest of the instruments and voices. With Graeme Walker, Kyle Cunjak and Nick Cobham switching up to sing lead vocals (for their own compositions) and changing instruments as smoothly, the set was fluid and relaxing. This is not to say it was light weight, as at the same time the music stirred up undercurrents of deep feelings beneath the calm surface.

The entire concert had a consistency of mood and theme that flowed throughout the evening as they played songs from their previous releases and this latest CD including some of my favourites – ‘Picture That’, ‘Cold and Unbearably Blue’, ‘History Repeating’, ‘A Lot to Learn’, ‘Settle Down’ and the faster paced ‘This Flame’.

This was a great evening from a unique band!

Direct link to the image gallery (music playing over except on mobile devices).

All Evergreen Theatre 2011 performances can be viewed on the main gallery: here

Ellie and Steven

The night Caladh Nua played at the Evergreen was one of those extra special ones. This is a traditional band from Ireland composed of great musicians of considerable talent who have come together to share and spread the sheer joy they have in their music. They played a varied repertoire of traditional dance music, songs and recently composed pieces for us and you will get a feel for this in the gallery of photographs on this site. View the image gallery with two tracks featured playing on it from the band’s recent CD “Next Stop”. The first is a song entitled “The Cruel Lowland Maid” which leads into the instrumental “Miss Susan Coopers”. Thanks to the band for kind permission to use two of their tracks.

Caladh Nua at the Evergreen Theatre

One of the delights of this band, quite apart from the outstanding musicianship was their unassuming, relaxed, yet professional attitude. They were clearly having so much fun in their music that it was simply impossible to stop being swept up along with them in the energy of their sheer joy and exuberance. As a band they were tight, fully engaged and connected with each other and with their audience. The band is composed of Eoin O’Meachair (tenor banjo, mandolin, whistle & vocals), Paddy Tutty (fiddle, viola and bodhran), Lisa Butler (lead vocals and fiddle), Colm O’Caoimh (guitar, bouzouki and vocals) and Derek Morrissey (button accordion). (Incidentally he plays the same make of accordion that Steven does, a Bertrand Gaillard, so has impeccable taste!

I was having so much fun listening to this band that I did not jot down the set list in my usual fashion, but a few of the pieces that stand out in my mind were a particularly sensitive rendition of a beautiful song by Richard Thompson “Bees Wing” performed by Colm and Lisa; an American piece entitled “The Goldrush” played by Eoin and Colm; and a beautiful composition by Lisa Butler’s brother Eric, entitled “Farewell to You” as well as the music featured on our photo album.

It was, quite simply a great pleasure to be present. If you get a chance to hear this terrific band somewhere, grab it with both hands!

All Evergreen Theatre 2011 performances can be viewed on the main gallery: here

Ellie and Steven

The theatre lights failed us that night (so the photographs look a little different than usual), calling for emergency measures, but Gabriel Yacoub, the legendary French singer lit up the Evergreen and warmed the hearts of the appreciative audience. Quick link to the image gallery with a track entitled “La Belle Anversoise” from his recent CD “de la nature des choses” playing over it. Read on below for more on the concert.

Gabriel Yacoub at the Evergreen Theatre

Just to find a singer of such renown playing in the Evergreen Theatre is astonishing in itself. In Gabriel Yacoub we have a performer with such a long and impressive career that he might be expected to have a seriously superior attitude. Such was absolutely not the case as he was personable and warm, witty, friendly and down to earth to all. His performance was a well rounded mix of traditional French songs as well as his own compositions. His preambles about the pieces were as engaging as the music itself as he brought together the old world and the new with tales of tunes that he had found in Canada that had been preserved in a better state than could be found in the French tradition. His piece “Souvenirs Oubliés” (Forgotten Memories) was a poignant and beautiful reminiscence that we can all relate to, inspired by sad personal losses he incurred in a fire. He reminds us in this beautiful song of how our memories remain in our hearts for the rest of our lives, long after our physical possessions are dust or ashes.

Thank you, Gabriel Yacoub, for such a memorable concert night at our favourite theatre, in Margaretsville. Just as you expressed in the thoughts in “Souvenirs Oubliés”, we will cherish the memory of this night.

All Evergreen Theatre 2011 performances can be viewed on the main gallery: here

Ellie and Steven