Celebrated singer, harpist returning to Shelburne

Musician Adria Jackson is thrilled to be returning to Shelburne to share her unique blend of traditional songs alongside the accompaniment of her distinct harp playing.

“The Osprey Centre brought me in this last summer for their Ancient River Festival,” recalls Jackson about her first time playing the popular September event dedicated to the memory of Shelburne songwriter Robbie Smith.

At her solo show at the Osprey Arts Centre on Saturday, March 9 at 7 p.m., Jackson plans to perform a selection of traditional, classical and original songs.

She wrote two tunes specifically for the Ancient River Festival last summer. “I’ll be performing those again and I’m working on an arrangement for a Robbie Smith song called The Spanish Fisherman, since that’s where he’s from, so I’m really excited.”

For those looking for something a little more contemporary, Jackson is planning that as well.

“My sound engineer encouraged me to explore some Canadian folk singers, so I have a Joni Mitchell song I do and a Gordon Lightfoot song – like early ones – because ultimately they both started out doing traditional folk before they became singer-songwriters. There’s a little bit along the way (for everyone). It’s for any age group as well.”

Jackson will be showcasing songs from Troubadour, an album she released last June. Filled with a mix of traditional Celtic, classical Canadian folk and folk-inspired classical songs, the album has been gaining a fan base and climbed into the top 20 of Earshot’s monthly folk/roots/ blues charts for national campus and community radio.

That project was a labour of love that came together surprisingly quickly.

Jackson began recording Troubadour while she and her husband, who works in the military, were stationed in Alberta. Just as she was about to set down her songs, her husband was called back to Nova Scotia.

“I had to quickly record the album. I did it in three afternoons,” Jackson laughs. “I wrote all the arrangements, wrote the string parts, mixed it with my sound engineer and I produced the whole album.”

The album is not the only aspect of Jackson’s career that came together quickly. Although she is classically trained with a degree from Brock University specializing in classical voice, she only decided to pick up the harp about 10 years ago when she moved back to Nova Scotia after living in England for seven years.

For more information on the show, visit: www.ospreyartscentre.ca.