Shadows and Light

As regular audiences are well aware, the Evergreen Theatre as a venue and the audiences it attracts are always eager and willing to embrace a huge diversity of performance styles from near and far. From time to time, however, we are totally surprised, delighted and amazed with a particular evening’s entertainment. Such was the case last Monday, July 2nd when Chirgilchin performed there at what was another sell-out performance. (View gallery)

This throat singing group from the Republic of Tuva, a small Russian province north of Western Mongolia, features award winning singers and musicians practicing their extraordinary art and playing on beautiful instruments made by one of the group members. These instruments were beautifully carved with horse heads and other decoration, showing the level of craftsmanship employed in their creation.

It’s hard to imagine the versatility of the human voice when played as a musical instrument, carrying melody and harmonies in a single solo performance. One of the songs which is for a goat who has rejected her kids and will not feed them featured Aidysmaa Koshkendey, the female vocalist of the group and evoked a simpler, much harder way of life than the relatively pampered one we know in this part of the world – when portrayed in these songs, it seemed almost to be more real. The language, though foreign, was strangely familiar as the music with its haunting, almost mesmeric tones gently broke down barriers and told stories that became a part of our lives – stories of loneliness, love and communication with the flocks and herds that are part of their everyday existence. The audience at one point even joined in a song and became a most convincing flock of sheep baa-ing.

The performance was further enriched by the sight of the musicians in their gloriously richly coloured costumes of gold trimmed brocades in reds, blues and plums.

The gallery of photographs of the evening’s performance features a track from the group’s CD ‘Collection’ entitled ‘Khoomeige Yoreel’ (“In Praise of Khoomei’ – Khoomei is the word for this style of throat singing). This is performed by the three male members of the group, Igor Koshkendey, Mongoun-Ool Ondar and Aldar Tamdyn.

The band’s website:
www.chirgilchin.com

Ellie

Jill Barber is not new to the Evergreen Theatre and that is no doubt why she played to two packed houses on Thursday and Friday night of last week. Those who saw her last year, playing with Rose Cousins and Meaghan Smith were treated to a show featuring Jill alone this time. And we were not disappointed.(View Gallery)

Quite how she manages to embody the impossible combination of ingénue and sultry seductress I cannot tell you, but each person in the audience hung on to her every note as though she were sharing a secret with each of us. Les Cooper who plays on her latest CD and also produced it, accompanied her in the performance and together they gave us two wonderful evenings of songs and anecdotes that we will long remember. Thank you so much, Jill for those wonderful evenings, played with a broken arm as well! The photo gallery of the two performances features a song from her latest CD “For All Time”, entitled “Just for Now”.

Ellie

The Evergreen Theatre in Margaretsville was host for the first time to Canadian Singer songwriter David Francey and the audience was delighted to welcome him to that wonderful venue. David’s performance style reminds me of the mediaeval bards or minstrels who wandered the countryside, telling tales and singing songs of places near and far to delight and entertain and provoke thought.

(View Gallery) Friday night we were treated to a musical tour of the world that took us through story and song to Alaska, Edmonton, Oregon, the Great Lakes (on a boat), Quebec City, Cape Breton and Scotland. His stories wove their way effortlessly from spoken word to song and we were spellbound as he related events great and small that stirred memories and touched our deepst emotions. An expression that is often repeated in his stories is “to tell the truth” and that is just what David does straight from his heart to yours. In his song ‘Conversation’ which is featured on his photo gallery, relating the tale of meeting an old flame, he used a line that I think all of us would want to hear from such an encounter as we feel age creeping up on us “Hasn’t time been kind to you”. His tale of the death of his grandfather, along with the song that came from it, Promised Land, reminds us of old family values that still have the same meaning today. His relaxed style and the easy harmonies of his music (supplied by singer songwriter Craig Werth) had the audience singing along to old favourites (Old Screen Door, Red Winged Blackbird) as well as new, such as All Lights Burning Bright from his new album “Right of Passage”. In the photo gallery of this performance you will see an unusual instrument called a Shruti box played by Craig. This lovely reed instrument from India lent an exotic sound to the evening with its rich drone reminiscent of the pipes.

Thank you for a wonderful evening, David and Craig. I hope your wanderings bring you back to the theatre in the woods in Margaretsville soon again.

Ellie