Detroit Spiritual Festival
Sat, Jan 29th, 2011 11:51:09 pm
Detroit Spiritual Festival - Bushnell Congregational Church, Detroit, MI
I'm typing this on the bus while returning home from Detroit with the Nathaniel Dett Chorale (NDC). As part of the Detroit Spiritual Festival, there were a numbers of community, church, and high school groups and soloists competing and performing. We, the Nathaniel Dett Chorale were the closing performance tonight.
Performing with NDC is always an exciting experience for me. It's a group of high-calibre singers who love what they do and are devoted to learning and performing afrocentric music well. I think I can speak for all in the group, when I say that internalizing and enjoying the music we perform is a priority as well as creating a wonderful (and sometimes educational) experience for our audiences.
Our repertoire for the evening was as follows:
O Hear The Lambs a-Crying by R. Nathaniel Dett
Go Down, Moses by Adolphus Hailstork
I Want Jesus To Walk With Me, Arr. by Colin Lett
Spirituals and Swedish Chorales by Dominick Argento
I. So I'll Sing With My Voice
II. Jehovah, Thee We Gorify
III. There's Singing Up in Heaven
IV. The Day is Surely Drawing Near
V. What Can That Shadow Be?
VI. 'Tis Finished! So The Savior Cried
Crucifixion ("He Never Said A Mumblin' Word") by Adolphus Hailstork
This is the second annual Detroit Spiritual Festival and when we arrived last year, we were moved by how readily the community there embraced us. This year was no different, and like last year, there were some very significant members of the African-American vocal/choral community present.
Perhaps most notably, internationally acclaimed tenor George Shirley was in attendance to adjudicate the African-American Art Song and Operatic Aria Competition named in his honor. Shirley, now 76, is known in North America as the first African-American tenor to be contracted by New York's Metropolitan Opera and has also performed in the most of the world's great opera houses over his long and still active career.
Also present at the festival was Dr. Marvin V. Curtis, who is the first African-American composer commissioned to write a choral work for a Presidential Inauguration, and renowned arrangers Stacey V. Gibbs and Damon H. Dandridge.
Before we sang, we had the pleasure of enjoying performances by the competition winners. It was made clear to us that there is a great deal of promise for the future of choral music in the young singers we heard perform in Detroit tonight. I personally am looking forward to watching this festival develop and grow.
For more information about The Detroit Spiritual Festival, please visit: http://www.unitedvoicesofdetroit.org/
HAPPY 2011!
Sat, Jan 22nd, 2011 10:29:10 pm
As some of you may know, last year was a big year for the Gillian Margot Trio (GMT) due to the recording and release of our first album. A great deal of time and effort went into this project, and we're still paying for it - literally.
Last November, we launched a fundraising campaign to help us cover the expenses from this great project. In fact, we are still gratefully accepting your donations.
Last December, the online Kapipal version of the fundraiser was posted and then re-posted due to some technical difficulty. I was unsure at first about the Kapipal method because not everyone is comfortable with paying-via-the-internet. So thanks to those who mailed us cheques instead.
I am extremely fortunate to be surrounded by some devoted supporters who keep me focused on realizing the goals of the GMT. For those of you who know me well you also know that I cannot easily ask for help.
So, I thought I'd start 2011 off with a big "Thank You" to those of you who have donated to our valuable cause. A special thank you goes out to Dr. Michael Rich, who persistently encouraged GMT to start fundraising in the first place.
We'd like to thank the following people for donating to GMT:
Peter Anto
Katie Davidman
Emilie McCabe
Steven James Miller
Ken McMillan
Sharon McMillan
Karen Petkau
Michael Leonard Rich
OUR PLANS FOR 2011
The Trio's plan for now is not unlike that for most bands: booking gigs, writing music, and returning to the studio. Yep, we are working towards album number two and will keep you posted. In the meantime, you can listen to us by launching the player on this website (Launch Music Player). You can preview and purchase our CD, "A Pink-Filled Sky" on iTunes or click here.
We also love receiving feedback. So if you have anything you would like to share with us, it can be sent to info@gillianmargot.com.
I've started blogging now, and I plan to keep it up. I have zero blogging experience, but then no one comes from a long line of bloggers. I'm going to try to post every Wednesday and Saturday and see how it goes. The topics will range from news about any music or other art projects I'm involved in to anecdotes about what it's like to be me as a performer, composer, model, agent, over-achiever, and budding recluse, with some information about the music scene in Toronto and how to survive as an artist. Perhaps my experience can be helpful to someone else.
Starting January 30th, I'll be on tour with The Nathaniel Dett Chorale until February 13th, 2011. I'll blog about every stop on the tour and write about our repertoire, concert experiences, and other fun or crazy things that happen. We're visiting Inuvik this tour. So, I'm excited and thankful for my awesome parka.
Help Support The Gillian Margot Trio
Mon, Dec 20th, 2010 12:30:00 pm
Dear Friends and Supporters,
As some of you know, the Gillian Margot Trio has been working very hard this year to produce and present our first album. We have put together a collection of original compositions and a few favourite standards for the debut. In doing so, we have learned a lot! Producing and releasing a CD is a costly business! It’s lucky that the three of us are a versatile bunch.
Pooling our own money and various skills have helped us so far but now we are appealing to you for some financial support. We would like to cover the cost of making this CD, and continue to create and showcase our original, Canadian music throughout this country and others.
We know that some of you generously donate funds yearly to charities and recognize the benefits of aiding certain projects. We also know that if you are reading this, then it is likely that you already support the Gillian Margot Trio – at the very least emotionally as our friend or family.
So, we are hoping that this time you will consider donating directly to our cause. Although we are not a registered non-profit organization, we do believe very strongly in cultivating an original art scene that is creative, innovative, and pushes the boundaries of what Canadian music is known to be!
We also believe in expressing our appreciation for your kind support: all “Friends of the Gillian Margot Trio” who donate $25 or more will get a CD sent to them.
For those of you who donate $50 or more, you will receive a personalized, signed copy of the CD. For donations of $100, $200, or more, there are more perks at each level, such as:
- tickets to an upcoming show,
- your donation name on our website and/or at our shows,
- a Thank You credit on our next CD,
- invitation to be our guest at our next CD launch.
Be sure to include your postal address and email, so we can send you the CD and confirm your receipt of it.
Should you prefer a non-electronic method of donating, please email us at info@gillianmargot.com to make arrangements. We are always happy to communicate with our audience!
Thank you for the continued support of our music! The launch of this project at Hugh's Room on November 23rd, was very well received and we will keep you informed of upcoming performances.
Sincerely,
Gillian, Stuart, and Jordan.
(The Gillian Margot Trio)
For those of you who are new to this site, here's the "official" blurb:
Announcing the much anticipated debut CD from Canadian vocalist Gillian Margot.
“A Pink-Filled Sky” takes an innovative approach, leading its listeners outside the box of traditional jazz. With a pared down ensemble consisting of piano, double bass, and voice, The Gillian Margot Trio achieves both an imaginative chamber quality and a very full jazz sound.
The album “A Pink-Filled Sky,” was recorded live for a studio audience in March, 2010. It features 7 original songs and 3 notable performances of standard jazz selections.
“Kiss” is an intimate and sensitive ballad written by O’Connor and Margot, which encapsulates the stillness and intensity of the kind of moment we are all familiar with.
“A Pink-filled Sky” playfully tells a tale of a nonsensical journey that awakens the senses, while clearly drawing influence from bands of the 1960s.
“Mood Indigo” - a bold performance of a Duke Ellington/ Irving Mills classic, which showcases the Trio’s ability to elicit a straight ahead delivery reminiscent of the early jazz tradition.
___________________________
Jordan O’Connor (double bassist) exudes sheer passion and conviction as a performer and is a perfect match for Margot’s dulcet voice. A dedicated composer and artist, he is currently studying 16th and 18th Century counterpoint and writing music for dance projects.
Stu Harrison (pianist) is known for his astonishingly intricate interpretation, which delivers more than accompaniment. A teenage competitor in classical piano at the national level, Harrison switched to jazz after finding inspiration in his improvisation as a church organist, and is a graduate of University of Toronto’s jazz performance program.
Gillian Margot (voice) has an inspiringly authentic sound, yet a creatively modern approach to music, which makes for unforgettable performances. A two-time recipient of the Ella Fitzgerald Award from York University, Margot was also awarded the Chalmers Professional Development Grant from the Ontario Arts Council, to study composition in New York. Now in Toronto, she is looking forward to writing for her next album.