"Tidings" of comfort and joy: Allison Crowe's music for the season & all time December 15, 2007

Delivering "music for the season and all time", Allison Crowe wraps the "Tidings" concert season in Nanaimo at St. Andrew's United Church (311 Fitzwilliam) on Saturday, December 15 at 8 p.m. Building on her holiday tradition, the exciting vocalist and pianist comes home to join some of the Harbour City’s finest young musicians in concert and to bring some aid to Woodlands Secondary School Basketball and Band Programs and The Mind’s Eye (NYSA) youth newspaper - inspiring a new generation of athletes, musicians and writers.

This year, along with her “Tidings” concert, Allison Crowe joins celebrations at Nanaimo North Town Centre. On Friday, December 7 at 7:00 p.m. Allison and Santa will lead an old-fashioned carol Singalong at Nanaimo North - helping raise funds and awareness for GABA-O, a program for autistic children (see separate listing for more word on this fun event).

Making music to warm body and soul, “Tidings” stirs together traditional Christmas carols and holiday favourites with Crowe's organic blend of rock, jazz, folk, gospel and soul. “The Yuletide find of the year," says The Record. “Be prepared to be amazed," says Christmasreviews.com. "Allison Crowe is a stunningly talented performer.”

Nanaimo-born Allison Crowe has just returned to Canada from the UK where she was a sensation at the John Lennon Northern Lights Festival. In Scotland, at the three-day event recently crowned the UK's "Best New Festival", her audience included members of John Lennon’s family alongside the Queen’s Master of Music, Sir Peter Maxwell Davies. The Scotsman reports: “Canadian angel Allison Crowe gave one of the weekend's most magical moments". Earning a standing ovation, “Her rendition of Lennon’s ‘In My Life’ (almost literally) brought the house down.”

Festival Director Mike Merritt describes Allison Crowe’s performance as "awesome" and "spine-tingling", adding: "Allison has put Canada well and truly on the map here!"

It's a wonderful time for the truly independent musician. On YouTube, more than one million people have enjoyed her simple, honest, videos. Crowe’s video rendition of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" has been viewed well over 600,000 times, and a major Hollywood movie producer has requested use of her "Tidings" album version of "Hallelujah" for an upcoming release.

On Last.fm - one of the world's largest social music networks - Allison Crowe’s "Tidings" CD is third among all albums tagged "Christmas". The other top holiday albums tagged by Last.fm's international audience are those by Bright Eyes, Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, and the Vince Guaraldi Trio. Just this week, Amy Lotsberg, Editor of Collected Sounds, declared “Tidings” her “favorite vocal holiday album”, noting “this one is a gem.”

Learning from the paths of Ani DiFranco and Loreena McKennitt, Allison Crowe puts her own stamp of freedom on artistic and commercial success. She's grateful, too, for the community support which aids a range of worthy causes - and gives a stage to top young talent.

The 2007 “Tidings” concert line-up features guest vocalists: Sara Anderson, Laura Ashley Brunet, Taylor Manns, Brynn Newman, Christie Ross, Kiana Smith & Briana Vojnovich. Accompanying on piano is Chelsea Peckett. (See below for fuller description of each performer and their “Tidings” performance.)

Tidings concert tickets are available at: Andrea Bertram Studio, Lobelia's Lair, NYSA-Mind's Eye, Thrifty Foods (Longwood Station + Port Place stores), & Woodlands Secondary School. Advance: $20 general/$15 students and seniors. (Door: $22/$17) For more info: www.allisoncrowe.com + [email protected]

Here is the "Tidings" concert line-up:

Brynn Newman - 16 years old from Dover Bay Secondary school. Brynn has been a District 68 Folk Song Competition winner, a VIEX "Songbird" finalist and she sang a duet at last year's Allison Crowe "Tidings" concert. Brynn wants to remind us how fortunate we all are in this special season. We take our blessings for granted when others are suffering abuse, poverty and need. Brynn performs a beautiful Martina McBride song, written by Stephanie Bentley and Rob Crosby, which expresses her compassion for those less fortunate: "Concrete Angel"

Briana Vojnovich - 17 years old and a student at Malaspina University College. She is currently the "Nanaimo Ambassador First Princess". Bri is a "Triple Threat" performer. She has also opened numerous times for Allison Crowe. She has been a "Songbird" finalist and is currently preparing the roles of "Baloo" in "The Jungle Book" for Kirkwood Academy's Spring production, and "Mrs. Potts" for the Parksville Ballet School production of "Beauty and the Beast". In keeping with that theme, Briana is presenting for us a solo version of the duet from Beauty and the Beast - The Enchanted Christmas: "As Long As There's Christmas".

Kiana Smith - 11 years old from Springwood Middle School in Parksville. Kiana is also a "Triple Threat" performer. She has been a Provincial Finalist in Dance, has starred in the Bard to Broadway musical "The Sound of Music" and will be the youngest performer to open for Allison Crowe at this year's "Tidings" concert. She is performing the elegiac ballad, from The Polar Express, written by Glen Ballard and Allan Silvestri, and performed originally by Josh Groban: "Believe".

Laura Ashley Brunet - 17 years old from Aspengrove School. Laura Ashley has opened for the "BC Summer Games", been a PNE "Talent Showcase" finalist, a VIEX "Songbird" finalist and sang a duet at last season's "Tidings" concert. She is bringing the spirit of the season with the lovely contemporary Christian ballad, written by Mark Lowry and Buddy Greene, and covered by many artists from Reba McEntire to Clay Aiken: "Mary, Did You Know?"

Christie Ross - 17 years old from Ballenas Secondary School in Parksville. Christie has been a Provincial Finalist for the Upper Island Musical Festival, has had many leading roles with "Bard to Broadway", also been a VIEX "Songbird" finalist and participated in past "Tidings" concerts. Christie is currently preparing for the role of Satine for the Ballenas Secondary production of Moulin Rouge which runs Spring '08. She will be performing the Amy Grant and Chris Eaton seasonal favourite "Breath of Heaven".

Taylor Manns - 13 years old and a Wellington Secondary student. Yet another of Nanaimo’s "Triple Threat" performers. Last season she had the starring role in Kirkwood Academy's production of The Little Mermaid, was an Upper Island Musical Festival Bursary winner and a "Songbird" finalist. On concert night, Taylor sings the Andrew Lloyd Weber "Pie Jesus" to remind us of the reverence of the season.

Sara Anderson - Sara will be graduating Malaspina University College and soon leaving Vancouver Island, and so this is one of her last performances for our community this season. She has had leading roles in many musical theatre productions, and is a veteran performer of "opening for Allison Crowe" since the Fall concerts at Bailey Studio became the "Tidings" concerts and are now the "Tidings" tour. Sara closes the solo set with her moving performance of the Arthur Herzog Jr., Billie Holiday "blessing":
"God Bless the Child'.

Chelsea Peckett - Piano accompanist for the Allison Crowe concert, Chelsea is a graduate of the Woodlands school music program. Chelsea studied collaborative piano with Sharon Wishart and at the Victoria Conservatory and is currently studying with Pat Millar. Chelsea is the official accompanist of the Andrea Bertram Studio, a freelance musician, and a piano teacher.

Official Website: http://www.allisoncrowe.com/tour.html