Note: this show is being presented at Birchcliff Bluffs United Church, 33 East Road (corner of Kingston Road & Warden Avenue)
Presented by the Flying Cloud Folk Club and Fiddles and Frets Music productions
The philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900) once remarked that: 'without music, life would be a mistake.' A century after it was first uttered, this maxim continues to resonate across the vast frontiers of musical time and space. In fact, we are reminded of it with striking intensity in this new recording from Canadian Master Fiddler, Pierre Schryer. Beckoned by the eternal beauty of a child's voice asking for her own polka - Tamsyn's Polka, composed for her by her papa - we are invited to explore this fabulous miscellany of Old World fiddling and New World music. Joined by a myriad of musical friends from all over North America and beyond, this novel recording is dedicated exclusively to new compositions from Pierre and several of his cohorts.
Musician, artist and luthier Pierre Schryer needs no introduction to aficionados of traditional music. For over two decades, he has enjoyed an iconic reputation that extends from the Canadian prairie to the windswept hills of Donegal, from the shores of Nova Scotia to the gentle waters of the Pacific. Growing up in a French-Canadian family in Sault Ste. Marie in northwestern Ontario, Pierre was blessed with parents and siblings who played music in a cultural milieu that encouraged and embraced their talents. As one of the celebrated Schryer triplets fiddling their way through concerts and festivals, dances and competitions all over Canada, Pierre's name reached Ireland, Scotland and Shetland long before he ever set foot in any of these musical strongholds. From his debut album New Canadian Waltz to his stunning collaborations with Dermot Byrne and Ian Clark, and his Juno nominated Blue Drag, his creativity and virtuosity have flowered to perfection. In this new recording, the barometer of artistic excellence is raised yet again.
An eclectic tapestry of sound and place, this album weaves a musical journey across the North American continent - from the icebergs of Newfoundland, through the folkways of Québec, from the shores of Lake Huron to the high rocky slopes of British Columbia. It also casts a backward glance at the Old World. The moving air Tanera M?r, a reminder of love and spiritual marriage, is set in Highland Scotland, while Dobres Swing, featuring gypsy guitar and fiddle, recalls the glory days of the Hot Club de France fronted by Stéphane Grappelli and Django Reinhardt in the 1930s. Strings, reeds, woodwinds, keys and brass all conspire to lead the listener through an enchanting odyssey - revealing the rhythmical joy of Reel Carrefour, the 'crooked' cadences of Berthier-sur-Mer, the energetic swing of Slap Happy and many more aesthetic wonders along the way. Even the imaginary Hooga makes an appearance in Pierre's new curvilinear reel Hooga's Here - no doubt tutored on jovial mischief by Kyran to whose world he belongs.
Timeless and yet very much of its own time, this album is a trésor musical in every sense. Félicitations, Pierre.
Dr. Gear?id ? hAllmhur?in, MBA, Ph.D. Smurfit Stone Professor of Irish Studies / Professor of Music Center for International Studies, University of Missouri-St. Louis
Tickets are $20 in advance and can be purchased by cheque (include your address, phone &/or email info) to:
Flying Cloud Folk Club, 1 Curzon St, Toronto, ON M4M 3B3
416 410 FOLK (3655) (messages)
flyingcloudfolk@gmail.com
www.flyingcloudfolk.ca website : www.pierreschryer.com |
