Knowlton Players go folk
The Simon and Garfunkel Show
Donald looped through the familiar repetitive chords and, as usual, the song ended abruptly, his guitar and our two voices together. Our stools, music stands and mics, his pedals were set up in his basement, where we had practiced once the week before. An upcoming Knowlton Players show had prompted the rehearsing, as he (Donald O’hara, very recently on stage as Uncle Max Dettweiler in The Sound of Music) had agreed to support fellow Kper Jessica Brown in organizing a benefit for the Knowlton United Church, where KP rehearses each show before taking it to production week at the theatre.
“Do you know what this song is about?” I asked him.
“No, I don’t – but I’m going to look it up!”
According to No Words No Song via medium.com, A Hazy Shade of Winter was written by Paul Simon whilst living in England. So, was it the weather? Concern that he was not where he wanted to be in that period of his life, or that he hadn’t accomplished what he had hoped? Where was that elusive happiness, fulfillment, well-being?
A Hazy Shade of Winter was released on October 22, 1966, almost seven years to the day before I was born. In the 1980s many 60s songs saw a resurgence; and stars grasped at a second wind, often following long troubled patches since their heydays in the 60s and 70s. The eighties saw bands like Fleetwood Mac release music as solo artists, and regrouping for a whole new album and sound. The same went for many popular songs that were released in new forms by other bands.
As an 80s kid, I knew A Hazy Shade of Winter from its cover. In 1987 femme force band The Bangles covered the song for Less Than Zero, a film starring Jami Gertz, Andrew Mccarthy and Robert Downey Jr. (and apparently also featuring a young Brad Pitt who was paid $38 for his very minor role – more details at songfacts.com).
Buoyed by the great attention The Bangles put into their version, and the popularity of the film with an accompanying music video, they saw the song rise to #2 on the song charts in the US. When released by Simon and Garfunkel, the single made it to #17.
The celebration and tribute to music that influences artists is a powerful movement – such as Luke Combs’ 2023 release of his countrified version of Tracy Chapman’s 1988 moving hit, Fast Car.
Simon and Garfunkel had their own very famous cover – folk song Scarborough Fair was composed some time from the 14th – 18th centuries, a medieval love song related to Scarborough, Yorkshire (according to galaxymusicnotes.com), adopted as a haunting anti-war song. It was featured alongside the well-known Mrs. Robinson as a young Dustin Hoffman fumbles his way through an affair with powerhouse Anne Bancroft on the well-loved soundtrack of The Graduate.
Scarborough Fair will mostly definitely set waves of goosebumps through the crowd at the upcoming Knowlton Players tribute show and fundraiser (set for June 10th), as The Community Singers take it on acapella.
Speaking of Knowlton Players, it’s no secret within the KP community that Jessica Brown loves Paul Simon, and as a result also his beginnings with Art Garfunkel, and everyone gets it. The song-writing, the composition, the intention, the great harmonies, their work really is the whole package.
When Jessica reached out to the KP community about a tribute show, it was a no-brainer – the response was warm and immediate. On June 10th, in the park behind the Pettes Memorial Library, Knowlton Players and a few friends will gather to perform a tribute show and benefit concert for the Knowlton United Church – in gratitude for precious space shared, and also a celebration of local talent. In very Simon and Garfunkel folk style, show-goers are asked to supply their own seating - chairs and blankets will be the arrangement of choice.
The show will take place from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m., and admission is a donation to the Knowlton United Church that will be dedicated to maintenance of the building.
Come join in on the Simon and Garfunkel love, as Jessica Brown and Alan Gauthier, Bianca Beaulne and Olivia Brown-gauthier, The Community Singers, John Barr, Dawn Singfield, Sarah Biggs, Jacob Brown, Jeremy Wiggins, Donald O’hara and yours truly, and other KP members and friends gather to perform.
The timing for this event is perfect – we all need a dose of goodness – and after all, it’s “the springtime of our life”.
The celebration and tribute to music that influences
artists is a powerful movement – such as Luke Combs’ 2023 release of his countrified version of Tracy Chapman’s 1988 moving
hit, Fast Car.