Columnist Dan MacDonald details Eleanor McCain’s major musical project.
Ashley MacIsaac rocks the Old Triangle
We’ve just finished celebrating 150 years of Canada as a nation. We did it with special events, parades, presentations and even some protests. But that’s the Canadian way.
We also did it with music and there were any number of events of this kind (locally and nationally) designed to remember the anniversary.
One of the most ambitious projects centred around New Brunswick singer Eleanor McCain who had a vision of a major recording of selected Canadian music, presented in an orchestral setting. It took years of planning, but it happened. I received a copy in late fall and let me tell you, it’s impressive.
“True North The Canadian Songbook” is a two-CD project containing 32 songs, with origins from coast to coast to coast. A few were international hits, most have a national reputation, some are only known regionally, but all are wonderful and a favourite of the singer.
So, what’s the local connection? There are a number of them and they are pretty significant.
The recording included 15 different orchestras from Victoria, B.C. to St. John’s, N.L., and each was conducted by the same person, Ironville native Martin MacDonald. The arrangers included Scott Macmillan (who has a home in the Mabou area). The special guests included Lydia Adams and the Elmer Iseler Singers, Natalie MacMaster and The Men of the Deeps and some of the recording was done at Lakewind Sound Studios in Point Aconi.
And then you look at the list of songs and you find, nestled in between such hits as “Rhythm Of My Heart,” “Up Where We Belong,” “Four Strong Winds” and “Hallelujah” are four Cape Breton compositions — “Get Me Through December,” “We Rise Again,” “Song For The Mira” and “The Island.”
A pretty significant connection.
Certainly, it’s just one singer’s version of a slice of Canadian musical history but the time, effort and planning involved is astonishing and the results fulfilling.
You’ll enjoy our local songs, your interest will be piqued by what you didn’t know and you’ll marvel at those that you didn’t know were from here. Yes, “Rhythm Of My Heart” is Canadian, co-written by Marc Jordan who performed it live at the Highland Arts Theatre a few months ago.
Folks, this is a recording worthy of your attention.
Ashley MacIsaac made several appearances at Sydney’s Old Triangle during the holiday season.
On Dec. 27 he was joined by Brenda Stubbert and the following night by Robbie Fraser.
I was there the second night, part of a large crowd who ate, drank and made merry, feeding off the energy of MacIsaac’s performance. He played the tunes and Fraser rattled the keys. They even switched instruments and proved that both are extremely competent on either.
MacIsaac played well beyond the expected time and then chatted, signed autographs and posed for pictures for all who stopped by. It was a great night of music, something that usually happens when MacIsaac plays the Old Triangle.
On Jan. 6, I was part of a large crowd at the Highland Arts Theatre for an event with a difference — called CapeTrad, the show was also simulcast online.
The lineup was impressive with Dwayne Cote, Richard Wood, Colin Grant and Jason MacDonald providing the bulk of the entertainment, enhanced by piper Courtney MacPherson and dancers from the Island Steppers, the MacArthur School of Dance and even a few steps from Hilary Romard.
All involved gave stellar performances, but it was particularly good to see and hear Richard Wood again. It’s been a few years, but his on-stage energy is still there and his musical selection was spot on. He also backed up Cote on piano and Cote returned the favour, surprising a lot of people with his ability on the guitar.
Besides the large local audience, there were people watching online from across Canada, Scotland, parts of the U.S. and elsewhere, even as far away as Costa Rica.
Hopefully it was a successful venture and we’ll see more of these shows in the future.