For our final concert of the season, the Sooke Folk Music Society is presenting Tower of Song, a creative tribute to the music of Leonard Cohen, this Saturday, June 1, at Holy Trinity Anglican Church. It will feature performances of Leonard Cohen’s music by Oliver Swain and Glenna Garramone, as well as Dave Gallant with Grant Jamieson and Jake Grant.
Tower of Song will be a night of rare and classic selections from the Leonard Cohen cannon fearlessly interpreted by these artists, with a few original compositions and readings, round out an evening that celebrates Canada’s greatest bard and his influence on modern songwriting. Hear Cohen’s timeless songs arranged for two voices, banjo, string bass, piano and guitar. Together Swain and Garramone have crafted vocal arrangements of the great works of Cohen that will satiate and astonish the die-hard Cohen fan in everyone. After several sold-out shows on Vancouver Island, Tower of Song continues to expand their geographical range to put “more power in the tower!”
Produced by Garramone, Tower of Song gave Swain and Garramone the chance to collaborate on Cohen’s rich material, and the chemistry was obvious — to them and to the packed houses and sold out shows.
Swain is a worker in song. After a dozen years in some of North America’s most loved roots bands (Outlaw Social, The Duhks, The Bills) Oliver released ‘In a BIG MACHINE’ in 2011 to rave reviews.
His performances are a musical journey that takes you from haunting old-time melodies to soaring new songs… sweeping vocal stylings, dazzling and dramatic skills as an instrumentalist, an evening spent with Oliver Swain will leave you breathless and joyful.” Visit http://www.oliverswainmusic.com/
Garramone’s music is a reflection of her fascination with the edge. Inspired by the geography and spirit of the places she has lived, from Nunavut to Hawaii, she harmonizes the experimental with the classical, and the unexpected with the organic. And that voice, somewhere between Keith Jarrett and Joni Mitchell, Garramone’s unique approach to songwriting was recognized when she earned the grand prize in the 2010 Artswells Songwriting Contest. Recorded in a solar-powered yurt in Hawaii, her newest album, Thank You Half Moon will be officially released in Summer 2013. When she’s not traveling, she resides in Victoria. Visit http://glennagarramone.com/
Please be sure to join us this Saturday at Holy Trinity Anglican Church on Murray Road. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. with the show commencing at 8. Tickets will be available at the door or in advance at Shoppers Drug Mart.
