All-star tribute to John Denver
As our world is increasingly getting louder, busier and more complicated, the Yang to our Yin is finding ways to ease stress and fill our lives with beauty, song and restful pleasure.
I don’t know of a better way to soothe the end of my long, loud week like a little John Denver, and as luck would have it, there will be a trio of concerts held in Kelowna and Vernon that will breathe life into his music again.
This iconic country-pop star of the 1970s and ‘80s dominated the charts with more than 33 million albums sold in just over a decade and has a 300-plus song catalogue with iconic melodies and simple beautiful stories that includes: “Sunshine on My Shoulders”, “Take Me Home, Country Roads”, “Thank God I’m a Country Boy”, “Rocky Mountain High," “Leaving on a Jet Plane,” “Calypso,” and “Annie’s Song” — to name a few.
Local artist, actor and singer, with large scale production knowledge, Rick Worrall, always had a little pilot light burning to create a show of this caliber and last year he looked his gift horse in the mouth when he grabbed the opportunity to perform with the Okanagan Symphony Orchestra a medley of Elton John classics. The featured artist of the night developed laryngitis and could not complete his performance contract.Worrall was asked to step in at the very last minute and as a result, that pilot light ignited and “Rocky Mountain High, a Tribute to John Denver” is the result.
It all began with a cold call and email to conductor Lee Holdridge — a long-standing collaborator of Denver’s as well as the writer of his musical arrangements as early as 1974 with the album “Back Home Again” — Worral wanted to get in touch to discuss the possibility of renting the original musical scores that he created for Denver. But, after a series of conversations and back and forth familiarities, Holdridge not only gave his consent to use his music but he wanted to come to Kelowna and conduct the symphony himself.
Lee Holdridge is as iconic as John Denver. Back when he was in New York City studying music, his career as a professional composer was blossoming. There, he composed chamber works, rock pieces, songs, theater music and background scores for short films, and eventually came to Neil Diamond’s notice who moved Holdridge to Los Angeles to write arrangements for his forthcoming albums. After several gold and platinum hits, the two collaborated on the Grammy Award-winning film score for “Jonathan Livingston Seagull.” Holdridge also wrote the theme tune for hit TV shows; “Moonlighting,” and “Beauty and the Beast,” as well as feature films like “Splash,” “Big Business,” “Mr. Mom,” and “Micki & Maude. “(Google him if you really want the whole list.)
Worrall is also no stranger to the to the stage. A recording artist in the rock/pop genre, signed to Attic Records in the late 70s and early 80s as well as A&M Records in 1991 and Hummer Records in 2000. Upon moving to the Okanagan, he got involved with Kelowna Actors Studio which resulted in lead roles in musicals to include: “Jekyll & Hyde” (Sir Danvers) , “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” (Caractacus Potts), “Fiddler on the Roof” (Tevye), and “Les Miserables” (Javert). Worrall has just recently retired as the principal set designer for KAS.
This concert is a huge production.With musicians from the Okanagan Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Grammy, Emmy, gold and platinum album award winner; Lee Holdridge, host vocals by Rick Worrall and guest vocalist Mia Harris, Delphine Litke, Steve Worrall and Justin Moore plus, added to the symphony will be the talented musicianship of Chris Steven on banjo, Sue Aylard on fiddle, Neville Bowman; piano, Brian McMahon; double bass and Scott Grant on drums.
This production is a one of its kind delight created here in the Okanagan. There are two shows in Kelowna on March 29 and 30 at the Kelowna Community Theatre and March 31 at the Vernon Centre for The Performing Arts.
Regular price tickets are $50 with discounts for student and seniors, plus tax and service fee.
You can purchase your tickets through Kelowna Tickets at their Orchard Park shop hotline: 250862-2867 or KelownaTickets.com and in Vernon through: tickets.ticketseller.ca