As the saying goes, there’s no such thing as a free lunch. But a free holiday concert by a highly acclaimed singer/songwriter? You bet your bottom dollar.
B.C.’s own Allison Crowe has included Whistler in her holiday plans for the past few years and 2008 is no different. The passionate songstress continues the tradition with a free show at the Whistler Conference Centre on Saturday (Dec. 20).
The show caps Crowe’s annual Tidings tour — named after her 2003 television special, which still airs every year on A-Channel stations, and the 2004 album that followed. The Tidings tag line is “music for the season and all time.”
Crowe provides a blend of traditional carols such as “Silent Night,” “What Child is This” and “The First Noel” alongside more modern holiday favourites such as Joni Mitchell’s “River.” Non-Christmas selections, both covers and originals, are also part of the repertoire as Crowe’s powerful voice and expert piano weave together rock, jazz, folk, gospel and soul.
The Nanaimo-born artist is an accomplished singer/songwriter who is famous for both her original music and her gift for interpreting others’ songs in fresh and personal ways. Crowe is widely known for her stirring cover of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah,” among versions of songs by the Beatles, Aretha Franklin and the Rolling Stones.
Reviewers and others have been raving about Crowe for years. She’s been called a “stunningly talented performer” and “one of the mightiest talents on the singer/songwriter scene today.” One reviewer even compared Crowe to a young Joni Mitchell.
Joining Crowe in Whistler is special guest Billie Woods with her samba- and bossa nova-inspired tunes. The Salt Spring Island-based musician and photographer performs joyous vocal and classical guitar music in both English and Portuguese.
Forget about the economy and your holiday budget with a free show by Allison Crowe and Billie Woods on Saturday (Dec. 20) at the Conference Centre. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. and the performance gets underway at 8 p.m.
