Bronwynne Brent: “Creating songs that feel like you can live in them”
AMERICANA singer-songwriter Bronwynne Brent travels all the way from the Mississippi Delta to the howling winter winds of Yorkshire to play Selby Town Hall tonight (March 6).
“I absolutely love Bronwynne’s darkly brooding voice,” says Selby Town
Council arts officer Chris Jones. “She creates songs that feel like you can
live in them, and somehow she manages to sound like Lee Hazlewood and Nancy
Sinatra rolled into one.”
Tonight’s 8pm show will be Brent’s Selby debut, performing with her trio.
“Born and raised in the Mississippi Delta, she has the kind of
stop-in-your-tracks voice that sounds like Southern sunshine,” says Chris.
“There’s a hint of Delta blues behind the ache in her songs, a glimpse
of honky-tonk twang, an echo of riverboat can-cans, a whiff of Ennio Morricone
and an atmosphere that conjures up of the darker side of country song-writing.”
Harking back to the glory days of Lee Hazlewood and Gram Parsons, Brent’s
writing taps into the murky undercurrent of country that starts with old
Appalachian murder ballads and continues through to today’s crop of psychedelic
country songwriters. “Like a juke-joint Nancy Sinatra, Bronwynne unites all the
best elements of Southern American roots music and ties these many different
influences into a sound that’s both comforting and refreshing,” says Chris.
Brent has released two albums, 2011’s Deep Black Water and 2014’s
Stardust, the second produced by Seattle’s Johnny Sangster with a “spaghetti
northwestern” feel to it.
Playing with Calexico drummer John Convertino and Fiona Apple’s bassist, Keith Lowe, on Stardust, she sang songs with a heavy weight on their shoulders: her stories populated by battered women, defeated lovers, devilish characters, highway ghosts and lonesome wanderers.
Looking forward to tonight, Chris concludes: “Bronwynne Brent is
incredible: one of the very finest contemporary voices you’re likely to hear.
Her songs are so rich and brooding. They’re astonishingly well-crafted with a
compelling dark underbelly mixing country, folk and glorious speakeasy jazz
sounds. This show will be an absolute treat.”
Tickets cost £14 on 01757 708449 or at selbytownhall.co.uk or £16 on the
door from 7.30pm.
Heather Findlay, left, Jess Steel, Beth McCarthy and Annie Donaghy relishing I Feel Like A Woman at A Night To Remember. Picture: David Harrison
REVIEW: Big Ian’s A Night To Remember, York Barbican, February 29
DEMENTIA
is a team game, says Ian Donaghy, now as much a motivational speaker at
conferences as a showman, fundraiser and event host.
Not only Dementia
Projects in York, but also St Leonard’s Hospice, Bereaved Children’s Support in
York and Accessible Arts and Media benefit from these nights to remember.
Saturday,
sold out as ever, was the eighth such night, nights that had raised £150,000 so
far. Big Ian is yet to confirm this year’s total, but £5,700 was taken in bucket
collections alone.
Torch singer! Big Ian Donaghy has the phones out for Lionel Richie’s Hello at A Night To Remember at York Barbican. Picture: David Harrison
Yes, the
fundraising is important, but Big Ian puts the fun into that fundraising, as
well as the heart and soul, in a community event that, no matter what hell of a
world is going on outside right now, always brings out the best in York.
Here’s
the news, delivered in a specially recorded Look North spoof bulletin from Phil
Bodmer, devotee of Big Ian’s Guestlist nights at York Racecourse. This would be
the biggest gathering of A Night To Remember yet: not only the old father time
of musical directors, George Hall, on keyboards with his band of bass, guitars,
drums and percussion, but 14 brass players to boot, four from Big Ian’s band
Huge and a whole heap of shiny young players from York Music Forum, gathered
under the tutelage of Ian Chalk.
What’s
more, the musicians and singers had an 80-year age range, from those fledgling
brass talents to 93-year-old Barbara from the Singing For All choir, a force of
nature who summed up everything joyful about this celebration of the power of
music throughout our lives.
River deep, mountain high: Graham Hodge conquering Cry Me A River. Picture: David Harrison
Big Ian
took the lead, brass assisted, on Elton John’s I’m Still Standing and, yes, he
would still be standing three hours later, still urging us to fill those
buckets.
Simon
Snaize’s rendition of Peter Gabriel’s Sledgehammer, with the brass section breathing fire, was an early highlight; Boss
Caine’s mine-deep voiced Dan Lucas turned Dolly Parton’s 9 to 5 from daytime to
night-time hours; Jess Steel, as vital to these nights as Big Ian, climbed the
first of several vocal mountains with Barbra Streisand’s The Way We Were.
Songs
were interspersed with Dementia-themed video clips, usually recorded on Ian’s
phone, some bringing tears, others cheers, all indeed making it a team game.
Thank you for the music: A Night To Remember’s singers and musicians take a bow at the finale. Picture: David Harrison.
Kieran O’Malley’s
fiddle bow was a wand of magic whenever he played, whoever he accompanied;
Heather Findlay and Simon Snaize’s duet for Fleetwood Mac’s The Chain had exactly
The Chain reaction it deserved, guitar solo and all.
Ken
Sanderson, alias Las Vegas Ken, normally restricts himself to a solo slot, but for
the first time, he was joined by Hall’s band, at Big Ian’s urging: another hit
at this “Gang Show with people we really like”.
Later, a fellow staple of these shows, 6ft 3 folk stalwart Graham Hodge, newly turned 70, would be seen as never seen before, again at Donaghy’s suggestion, as he eschewed folk balladry for a dinner jacket to knock Cry Me A River out of the park with the vocal performance of the night. Better than Bublé? No troublé!
Jessa Liversidge, front, centre, leads one and all in I’d Like To Teach The World To Sing..and she did! Picture: David Harrison.
What better way to open the second half than radiant York singer Jessa Liversidge leading her Singing For All group, ebullient Barbara and all, in fact all the audience, as we sang I’d Like To Teach The World To Sing. In perfect harmony, of course! “I’m a bit c**p these days,” said Barbara, but singing is about so much more than the act of singing, and you could see how much it means to her after all these years.
From Annie
Donaghy’s Careless Whisper to Beth McCarthy’s U2 and Guns N’Roses mash-up, Hope
& Social’s Gary Stewart turning into Paul Simon for You Can Call Me Al, to
Annie, Beth, Heather and Jess, all in black and white, for Shania Twain’s I Feel Like A
Woman, the show-stoppers kept coming.
Out came
the phone torches on Big Ian’s command for Lionel Richie’s Hello and a big, big
finale followed up the apt Don’t You Forget About Me with Jess does Dusty for
You Don’t Have To Say You Love M and, what’s this? A video message of support
from Rick Astley that arrived in Ian’s in-box from Sydney, Australia, at quarter
to five that morning.
Cue a Never Gonna Give You Up singalong, and no, you just know Big Ian is never gonna give up on these special nights, his belief in making every life vibrant and vital to the last. Well done big fella, well done sound techie Craig Rothery, well done York.
Even the audience’s shoes were shining stars on A Night To Remember at York Barbican on Leap Year Saturday
New York Brass Band: seven-piece Mardi Gras jazz powerhouse from York, although there appears to be nine of them here
POCKLINGTON Arts Centre will be celebrating its 20th
anniversary on Friday (March 6) with a party night.
A private reception at 7pm will be followed by a
public performance by North Yorkshire’s only contemporary New Orleans-inspired brass
band, the New York Brass Band from old York.
This seven-piece powerhouse, complete with
percussion, sax, trumpets, trombones and sousaphone, will raise the roof with
their rousing brand of Mardi Gras jazz from 8pm.
Looking forward to Friday’s celebrations, director Janet
Farmer says: “New York Brass Band are a far cry from being your typical brass
band. This is up-on-your-feet dancing, party-loving, Mardi Gras-style funky
brass music that will be a lot of fun.
“As Pocklington Arts Centre celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, we felt a band like this
added a true party vibe to our diverse programme of live music.”
Hailing from the ancient streets of York, New York
Brass Band are at the forefront of a funky brass revolution now sweeping Great
Britain.
“Inspired by Rebirth Brass Band, Soul Rebels, Hot
8, Youngblood and Brassroots, New York Brass Band pack a powerful punch of
relentless drums, rumbling tuba and wailing horns,” says Janet.
“Nothing kicks a party into gear like the sound of
a smokin’ New Orleans Mardi Gras jazz band.
Although New York Brass Band’s inspiration is drawn from New Orleans musicians, their repertoire ranges from Marvin Gaye to George Michael, from Cee-Lo Green to Stevie Wonder, with some funky, gritty northern originals thrown in for good measure.
Their past performances include Glastonbury Festival from 2014 to 2017; Bestival on the Isle of Wight; Durham Brass Festival; Cork Jazz Festival; Le Tour de France; the Monaco Grand Prix and England’s cricket Test matches.
New York Brass Band have entertained guests at
celebrity parties and weddings for comedian Alex Brooker, Liam Gallagher, ex-Scotland
footballers Joe Jordan and Gordon McQueen and Jamie Oliver.
Tickets for Friday cost £11 each on 01759 301547 or at pocklingtonartscentre.co.uk.
Laurence Knight performing in Bowie Experience. Picture: Charlie Raven
A BRACE of tribute
shows is lined up for the Grand Opera House, York, next weekend, Bowie
Experience and Re-Take That.
On March 7,
Laurence Knight leads Bowie Experience, a concert celebration in sound and
vision of Bowie’s hits from Absolute Beginners to Ziggy Stardust.
On March 8, Re-Take
That promise the “ultimate Take That party night” with a fully interactive
singalong experience with song lyrics for the greatest hits on screen.
Tickets for these two 7.30pm gigs are on sale on 0844 871 3024 or at atgtickets.com/york.
Annie Donaghy, Big Ian Donaghy, Beth McCarthy, Heather Findlay and Jess Steel at A Night To Remember in 2019 at York Barbican. Picture: Karen Boyes
A NIGHT To Remember, tomorrow’s charity concert at York Barbican,
has sold out but any returned or cancelled tickets will go on sale this morning
from 10am.
Now in its eighth year, this annual fundraising event helps good
causes in the city to make a difference, as organiser and host Big Ian Donaghy
brings together “the finest musicians and singers for a gang show like no
other”.
Tomorrow
night, all the singers will perform as an ensemble exceeding its constituent
parts. “When you have a dream team on the stage, it seems a shame to not use
them, so everybody sings on everybody else’s songs,” reasons Big Ian.
Jess Steel: taking on “near-impossibly demanding songs” at York Barbican
A Night To Remember lets singers take on their favourite songs.
“Soulful Jess Steel will take on a Dusty Springfield classic, as well as other
near-impossibly demanding songs that she’ll deliver in the manner she’s now
well known for.
“Heather Findlay will bring her class into the mix, performing
two of her favourite songs,” says Big Ian.
Beth McCarthy, who made her debut at the Mount School when Big
Ian ran a School of Rock concert there, will be stepping out of her comfort
zone to rock the Barbican foundations.
Beth McCarthy: “Stepping out of her comfort zone to rock the Barbican foundations”
Annie Donaghy will put her spin on a George Michael classic on a
night when the set list will feature covers of Dusty Springfield, Shania Twain,
Simple Minds, Paul Simon, Michael Buble, Guns N’ Roses, Barbra Streisand, Peter
Gabriel, Elton John and Marvin Gaye classics, as well as a few surprises.
York singer Jessa Liversidge will lead her fully inclusive
Singing For All choir, a group with members aged up to 98, who will sing The
New Seekers’ I’d Like To Teach The World To Sing.
Among the men, Graham Hodge will “venture into very different
areas” as he celebrates his 70th birthday; gravel-voiced
Boss Caine, alias Dan Lucas, will tackle a country favourite that nobody would
ever guess; Hope & Social’s Gary Stewart will play the congas, as well as
singing a Paul Simon rouser.
Jessa Liversidge: bringing her Singing For All choir to York Barbican
The gig’s house band will be led by York music stalwart George
Hall, joined by powerhouse duo Rob Wilson and Simon Snaize on guitar duty.
“This year, the show has a bigger, brassier feel with a 12-piece
brass section, made up of Kempy, Pete, Stu and Chalky from my band Huge, being
joined by funk horns and brass players from York Music Forum, ranging in age
from 13 to 18, led by Ian Chalk,” says Big Ian.
He also
promises “ground-breaking, heart-warming and heart-breaking films” to raise
dementia awareness. “Watch out for surprise appearances, as previous years have
included messages from Gary Lineker, Alan Shearer, The Hairy Bikers, Rick
Astley, Nick Knowles, Anton du Beke and Kaiser Chiefs’ Ricky Wilson,” he says.
Oh, what A Night To Remember as singers and musicians gather at the finale of last year’s fund-raising concert at York Barbican. Picture: Ravage
“But the
real reason these musicians come together is to help St Leonard’s Hospice,
Dementia Projects in York, Bereaved Children Support York and Accessible Arts
& Media.”
Any
returned or cancelled tickets for tomorrow’s 7.30pm concert will be on sale on
0203 356 5441, at yorkbarbican.co.uk or
in person from the Barbican box office.
Delta Saxophone Quartet: Friday night is Late Music night at the Unitarian Chapel
YORK Late Music’s 2020 season opens with
a trio of concerts next week, one on March 6, two on March 7, at the Unitarian
Chapel, St Saviourgate, York.
First up, at 7.30pm on the Friday, Delta
Saxophone Quartet celebrate the music of iconic composer Steve Martland alongside
new works by David Power and Steve Crowther in the first half.
The second half has four pieces from Project Flicks: silent film with live music featuring Frank Milward’s Brian And Banksy and David Lancaster’s Rendezvous.
Murphy McCaleb: tackling climate change in his Instruments Of Change concert
On the Saturday, York St John University senior lecturer in music Murphy McCaleb and his ensemble present Instruments Of Change, addressing the issue of climate change at 1pm.
Dr McCaleb is a bass trombonist and pianist who can turn his hands to classical, jazz, rock, pop, electronic and experimental music.
Later that day, singer Merit Ariane Stephanos’s 7.30pm concert tells the love story of the sun and the moon. Destined never to meet, their enigmatic relationship affects our lives deeply, rules our daily rhythms and fires up our imagination.
Merit Ariane Stephanos: singing songs to the sun and the moon
“The cycles of light and dark in which
they are intertwined create breath-taking displays,” says Merit, who will be
performing with Jon Banks on accordion, qanun and santur, Antonio Romero on percussion
and Baha Yetkin on oud.
“Punctuated with Shakespeare and anonymous quotes
and rhymes, our songs journey through musical styles, eras and languages,
illuminating each other in an ever-changing light.
Tickets on the door cost £5 for the lunchtime recital; £10, £8 concessions, for the evening concerts.
In the swing of it: Crooners celebrates the golden age of song and dance
CROONERS, a rip-roaring comedy music
show with a splendiferous injection of big band swing, charms its way into the
Grand Opera House, York, on March 6, at 7.30pm.
On a mission to bring old-school
variety back to the theatre with a “quintessentially British twist to the genre
symbolised by the crooner”, this new collaboration bonds comedy writer and
performer Roman Marek with the outrageous ten-piece swing combo The Mini Big
Band.
“I’m asong-and-dance man,” says Marek. “I was brought up on the music of the super-cool crooners, but also on the quintessentially English stage humour of Morecambe and Wise, Bruce Forsyth and Max Bygraves.”
Crooners revels in the songs of the Rat Pack’s Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr, together with Tony Bennett, Bobby Darin and Britain’s very own crooner, Matt Monro.
“We have a set listofmaterial never before heard in a theatre production,” says Marek. Tickets for this “truly British swingin’ affair” are on sale on 0844 871 3024 or at atgtickets.com/york.
Review: Michael Ball and Alfie Boe, Back Together, Leeds First Direct Arena, February 25
INDEPENDENTLY, Michael Ball and Alfie Boe are two of the biggest entertainment draws. Together they are a phenomenon.
Three mega-selling albums, imaginatively named Together (2016), Together Again (2017) and Back Together (2019), have established the pair as the UK’s absolute best-selling act of physical CDs.
Regulars of the Leeds First Direct Arena, Messrs Ball and Boe are just so comfortable in their complimentary talents and know exactly how to pick a set list that will enthral their very loyal audience.
Almost predictably, kicking off with a rousing version of The Greatest Show, from the Hugh Jackman film soundtrack, Ball and Boe present consummate covers of famous duets I Knew You Were Waiting For Me (Aretha Franklin and George Michael) and Something’s Gotten Hold Of My Heart (Marc Almond and Gene Pitney).
Other well-chosen covers include Army (The Shires), Labi Siffre’s (Something Inside) So Strong and, most convincingly, John Farnham’s anthem You’re The Voice.
Individually, Ball covered Anthem from Benny, Bjorn and Tim Rice’s Chess while Boe stole the show with his emotive cover of Snow Patrol’s Run, which gave the audience a chance to wave phone torches in the air. What fun!
Of course, Michael and Alfie had to showcase the very best of musical theatre, including Sunrise, Sunset (Fiddler On The Roof) and surprisingly Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again (Christine’s solo from The Phantom Of The Opera).
Hot from their historic engagement for Les Miserables – The Staged Concert, overjoyed fans were treated to Stars, Bring Him Home and One Day More, which felt as if this was the climax of last night’s concert.
This was not the case as the orchestra and choir then launched into a Lion King Medley and a trio of Queen songs, two very fine Freddie Mercury songs, Who Wants to Live Forever and The Show Must Go On, and one of Freddie’s off moments, Friends Will Be Friends. Never mind.
An encore of Paul Anka’s My Way would have kept the audience happy. However, the surprise of the evening was the Grease Mega Mix: Grease, Greased Lightnin’, You’re The One That I Want and We Go Together. Everyone left elated!
Super troupers Bjorn Again say thank you for Abba’s music
BJORN Again can pick a host
of Abba winners when rounding off the day’s racing at York Racecourse on June
27.
First up, Money, Money,
Money will be The Name Of The Game as the runners and riders invite you to Take
A Chance On Me and The Winner Takes It All (along with other winning bets too,
before pedants start writing in) from the seven-race afternoon card on Summer
Music Saturday.
Next, the long-running Abba tribute act will take to the stage,
notching up another addition to a list of 7,000 shows in 100 countries since
forming in Melbourne in 1988 en route to Bjorn
Ulvaeus saying the Aussie doppelgangers single-handedly initiated the super-Swedes’
revival.
Bjorn Again’s post-racing set
will be preceded earlier in the afternoon by Abba karaoke singing and a Silent
Abba Disco.
Prizes will be awarded in the 1970s’ Fancy Dress Contest, for which racegoers are invited to create a stylish look from such fashion favourites as flares, platform boots, 1970s’ jackets and kipper ties. Look out for the “selfie stations”, on hand to help share the good times with the wider world.
On the Knavesmire track, £150,000 will be won over the seven races. Tickets for the racing and music double bill are on sale from £25 (for an advance booked group of six), with no booking fees and no parking charges. Under 18s will be admitted free of charge with an accompanying adult.
James Brennan, head of marketing and sponsorship at York Racecourse, says: “We wanted to offer people the chance to have fun, we hope in the sun, and what better way than in celebrating all things Abba.
“You only have to remember how popular the Mamma Mia films and Mamma Mia The Party have been to understand the affection across the country for the famous Swedish quartet. Obviously, they aren’t able to join us, but the rave reviews for Bjorn Again demonstrate the show is a great performance.”
Brennan continues: “There’s a lot of choice for music events around Yorkshire this summer, so we think this offers something different, a little more relaxed and at a more affordable price.
“Of course, we have the additional excitement of Pussycat Dolls and Rick Astley set for late-July, so a little bit of ABBA fun seems a great way to kick off our music events.”
The York Racecourse Music Showcase Weekend will bring the re-formed Pussycat Dolls to Knavesmire for the July 24 evening race meeting, followed by Newton-le-Willows crooner Rick Astley at the July 25 afternoon card.
Tickets can be booked at yorkracecourse.co.uk and on 01904 620911.
Katherine Jenkins: from The Masked Singer’s Octopus to a cinematic new album and 2021 tour
KATHERINE Jenkins, the biggest-selling classical artist of the
century, will return to York Barbican on February 5 next year.
The Welsh mezzo-soprano, 39, will be showcasing her 14th
studio album, Cinema Paradiso, set for release on Decca Reecords on April 17
this spring.
Tickets go on sale on Friday (February 28) at 10am on 0203 356 5441, at yorkbarbican.co.uk or in person from the Barbican box office.
Sharing its name with Giuseppe Tornatore’s 1988 Italian film, Cinema Paradiso is a collection of “unforgettable songs from some of the world’s best-loved movie moments”, such as Moon River, from Breakfast At Tiffany’s; Pinocchio’sWhen You Wish Upon A Star; a duet of Tonight, from West Side Story, with Welsh singer and actor Luke Evans, plus themes from Schindler’s List, The Lord Of The Rings and Dances With Wolves.
“I’ve always loved movie soundtracks,” says Katherine, who turns 40 on June 29. “I wanted to create an iconic movie moment with this record: all the best film musical themes that we know and love, all together on one album.
“The last few albums I’ve made have been inspired by what’s happening in
my own world. This one, in particular, was inspired by the things that were
going on around me. Having played my first movie role last year, it felt like a
natural transition for me.”
The poster for Katherine Jenkins’ 2021 tour
Katherine’s endeavours in the world of film have been a huge inspiration
in the making of Cinema Paradiso, especially her role in the upcoming Minamata,
directed by her husband, Andrew Levitas.
Katherine not only makes her film debut, performing alongside Johnny Depp
and Bill Nighy, but also she co-wrote the title track with Eminem’s right-hand
woman, Skylar Grey, and performed on the film score written by Sakamoto, the
Academy Award-winning singer, songwriter, record producer, activist and actor.
Minamata will be released later this year, having received its world premiere at this month’s Berlin International Film Festival with Katherine in attendance, amid glowing reviews from the film industry and fans alike.
Returning to discussing the album tracks, Katherine says: “West Side Story has always been up there for me in
terms of musical films. Somewhere has been specially recorded for this album –
minus the Octopus mask [from the ITV series The Masked Singer] and I’m thrilled
to have Luke Evans join me on Tonight. I loved seeing some of his TV
performances last year and it was great fun to create an all-Welsh version of
the duet!”
Another pick for Cinema Paradiso, I’ll Never Love Again, from A Star Is Born, has been released as a single, going straight to the top of the iTunes Classical Chart.
I’ll Never Love Again also kick-started Katherine’s journey on The
Masked Singer in the guise of The Octopus, en route to finishing third. “My job
can be quite serious at times, but I have a four-year-old daughter who
absolutely loves Blue Planet, so I created ‘The Octopus’ character for her,”
she says.
“The hope with this album is that each song conjures up an iconic image from cinema,” says Katherine Jenkins
“Her favourite colours are pink and purple with sparkles and I thought
it would be something to allow her to understand more about what mummy does. I
can’t think of a better reason to do the show”.
Katherine adds: “The hope with this album
is that each song conjures up an iconic image from cinema. A Star Is Born is
quite a recent film, but the scene where Lady Gaga sings I’ll Never Love Again
is so touching and memorable that it felt completely right to include it as one
of my favourite movie musical moments.
“In a bid to disguise my voice on The Masked Singer, I chose songs that weren’t the norm for me, and so this track is a happy experiment for me, and after Ken [judge Ken Jeong] said it was the performance of the season, I felt it deserved a place on the album.”
In 2017, Katherine was crowned the number one-selling Classical Music Artist of the Last 25 Years by Classic FM and she made chart history in 2018 when Guiding Light became her 13th UK classical number one album.
Katherine last performed at York Barbican in May 2019, having previously
sung there in February 2012 and February 2015.
