In My Life - Day 25 on the Musical Advent Calendar

Fab song of love, remembrance - Day 25 of the Musical Advent Calendar: “In My Life”:

Each day through Christmas open a new song on Allison Crowe’s Musical Advent Calendar @ http://allisoncrowe.com/MusicalAdventCalendar2016.html

Blue Christmas - Day 5 on Musical Advent Calendar - "All the Colours of a Song"

Day 5 of our Musical Advent Calendar opens with “Blue Christmas” – from Allison Crowe’s remarkable all a cappella collection, “Souling” (2015). Composed by Jay W. Johnson & Billy Hayes, the song’s first recorded in 1948 by Texan Doye O’Dell - “All America’s Cowboy”. Several popular renditions followed – and, in 1957, another singer/actor, this time from Tupelo, Mississippi, stamped it indelibly as an holiday classic.

Blue Christmas from Allison Crowe on Vimeo.

Allison Crowe’s fresh arrangement and performance of an Elvis Presley signature tune launches December’s 25 song videos - blending her own originals alongside music from The Beatles, Leonard Cohen, Gary O’Driscoll, Aretha Franklin, Eartha Kitt, Stevie Wonder, Patty Griffin, Phil Ochs and Nat King Cole. (November’s calendar revealed Crowe’s takes on gems heard decades earlier by Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Joni Mitchell, Ryan’s Fancy, Harry Hibbs, Bell Island’s Ray Mclean +.)

Allison Crowe’s repertoire, including her classic “Tidings” and a cappella “Souling”, unites traditional tunes, carols and hymns, with sounds of rock, jazz, folk, Celtic and soul to celebrate “music for the season and all time”. "You really have to see Allison Crowe live. The way she splits those notes, it's like light through a prism - all the colours of a song," reflects longtime radio/tv host Rick Dennis. From a vantage point atop a snow-peaked mountain in Canada, print journalist Stephen Smysnuik observes: "Crowe's voice (is) as much a manifestation of Christmas spirit today as Bing Crosby's was in 1942. It's as warm as an open fire; as gorgeous as snow-frosted evergreens; as tender as that hug you give your mother on Christmas day."

Each day through Christmas a new music video link will open @ http://allisoncrowe.com/MusicalAdventCalendar2016.html 

Musical Tidings on tap: Allison Crowe @ ACC

Capping a sensational year - concert tours in Europe and Canada for her 20th international record release - being home this week and part of “A Beary Merry Christmas” festivities at the Arts and Culture Centre heralds a joyous holiday season for Allison Crowe. Before stockings are hung by the chimney with care the Corner Brook musician rejoins her mates at Theatre Newfoundland and Labrador to load up the sleigh with still more delights.

In 2016 Crowe helmed her fifth Summer as Musical Director of TNL’s much-loved “Newfoundland Vinyl” – performing, too, on-stage in “Vinyl” and with the ensemble of “Neddy Norris Night”, a traditional music hit at the Gros Morne Theatre Festival in Cow Head. Crowe’s now MD for “Ed & Ed’s Newfoundland Christmas Concert” which delivers Yuletide spirit to the ACC CB from December 1st – 4th. Hosted by three wise-cracking charmers, Ed, Ed & Edna, TNL’s old-tyme revue bundles fashion, fortunes-told, and an original Mummer’s Play into family-friendly fun - skits, songs, carols, even a sing-along: http://www.theatrenewfoundland.com/shows/ed-eds-newfoundland-christmas-concert

Peals of merriment will be echoing from “Ed and Ed’s” encampment, (of the weekend prior), when Allison Crowe enlivens the ACC stage on Saturday, December 10th (8pm start) for her annual “Tidings” concert. Invigorating songs of Newfoundland and from o’er the sea flow freely, tapped alongside barrels of the singer-songwriter’s own compositions and cherished carols.

It’s a thrilling blend of rock, jazz, folk, Celtic and soul that Allison Crowe pours out in song. Crowe (vocals, piano, guitar, fiddle & bodhran) is sure to be joined by surprise musical guests for a singular night of celebration sharing timeless carols, vital originals and fresh takes on trad tunes spanning centuries as well as modern classics. “Be prepared to be amazed.”

http://music.allisoncrowe.com/album/tidings

TIDINGS TICKETS: $29.00 General / $24.00 Students/Seniors (HST and Service Charge Included in Ticket Price) @ Corner Brook ACC Box Office, 11 University Drive, Corner Brook NL A2H 6C3 Telephone: 709-637-2580 https://artsandculturecentre.com/cornerbrook/online/default.asp

Wishing you Joy, Peace & the Very Best of Health and Times! Sláinte!

In My Life - Allison Crowe performs The Beatles from Allison Crowe on Vimeo.

In My Life

“In My Life” – marking John Lennon’s birthday, here’s a “John song” from The Beatles – live-in-the-studio video from Allison Crowe.

 

The original (lower-res) video has been enjoyed over one million times on YouTube - thanks, in no small measure, to film-maker Alex Postowoi and crew, and audio engineer/producer Larry Anschell capturing faithfully the beauty of this song and performance.

"16 Songs" Video Album from Allison Crowe = Music + Movie Magic

"Soulful. Alive. Joyous. Grievous. Real, true, music is what I want to make."

 

That’s how Allison Crowe framed things near the start of this century before launching Rubenesque Records Ltd., one of the world’s truly independent music labels.

 

Through legendary live performances, broadcasts, and a dynamic oeuvre of recordings, globally-acclaimed and loved, Crowe’s distinguished herself among today’s finest songwriters, recording and concert acts, and as a supreme interpreter of popular song.

 

Combining versatility and virtuosity, the amazing Canadian musician transmits emotion into a visceral joy – sharing heart and soul with audiences.

 

Timeless artistic expression has its own tradition in Canada, a land plentifully represented by: wordsmiths & tunesmiths, Joni Mitchell, Leonard Cohen, Gordon Lightfoot and Neil Young; by jazz pianist/composer Oscar Peterson; classical composer Marjan Mozetich; in theatre and opera – beautiful voices of Teresa Stratas, Richard Verreau, Léopold Simoneau; and other sublime standard-bearers.

 

Allison Crowe’s singularity carries her across the globe and into such company as the Master of the Queen’s Music, Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, Britain’s Poet Laureate, Carol Ann Duffy, and dates with Canada's Royal Winnipeg Ballet. Thrilling, fun, and moving, the Nanaimo, BC-born musician traverses Europe and North America from home-base in Corner Brook, Newfoundland earning hoorays even from Hollywood where appreciative movie Director Zack Snyder invited her to cameo in the latest Superman blockbuster.

 

Coming soon Allison Crowe releases “16 Songs” a video album reimagining century-spanning film, three decades of songwriting, and a dozen albums of modern music. Renowned for gorgeous, often ground-breaking, interpretations of Mitchell, Cohen, The Beatles, Pearl Jam +, Crowe’s set-list here is radiantly international, mixing original tunes (Disease, Circular Reasoning, Double-Edged Swords +) with covers of: Annie Lennox & Eurythmics, Radiohead, Tori Amos, Elton John & Bernie Taupin, Matthew Good, Hunters and Collectors.

 

"16 Songs" Video Album from Allison Crowe Coming Soon

 

We’ve recently witnessed novel approaches to twinning of music and video releases in the American mainstream. In December 2013, pop superstar Beyoncé paired a video with each of her album’s 14 new song tracks adding three bonus music videos all as part of the “Beyoncé” album physical release. Partial clips of the vids were posted online upon the album’s surprise launch.

 

This Summer “Weird Al” Yankovic built upon the model of his 2011 “Alpocalypse” album. For his July 2014 release, “Mandatory Fun”, pop music’s über-parodist-satirist-accordionist amped awareness by production-partnering with an array of web portals to release eight videos online the same week his album’s 12 music tracks became available.

 

Allison Crowe’s music videos for most of this millennium comprise, either, documentary, live-in-performance, films (eg. the hugely popular “Tidings” series from director Alex Postowoi’s cinéma vérité crew), or, audio recordings with ‘still’ images. The exceptions – a pair of music videos in narrative style - were both made in 2003: “Midnight” (also directed by Steadiman’s Postowoi), and “Scared” (from the transmission2media duo of Angela Kendall and Brian Dutkewich – known for their later work with musical twins Tegan and Sara).

 

Starting with 2011’s luminous “Arthur” – a song exploring love, memory and aging – Crowe’s videos also marry her song recordings with vintage footage from home-movies, silent films and classics of Georges Méliès, Dimitri Kirsanoff, Nadia Sibirskaia, Salvador Dali, Dominique Monfréy, Josef von Sternberg, D.W. Griffith plus other pioneers and visionaries of cinema (impressionists, surrealists, Dadaists, avant gardists, pop-artists+).

 

“The strange thing about cinema, and this would go for television film, is that no one really knows why music is needed. I would say after a lifetime in it I could not tell you why. But it is not complete without it… As a matter-of-fact, I may be bold enough to say that with very few exceptions, a piece of film, or a film cannot come to life without the help of music of some kind,” reflected composer Bernard Herrmann, a frequent collaborator with film director Alfred Hitchcock.

 

The “Master of Suspense”, Hitch himself, observed: “Art is emotion.”

 

“16 Songs” is an artful collection of Allison Crowe musical works with visuals from great creators and innovators - film-makers, animators, painters, photographers: Fernand Léger, Jean Vigo, Buster Keaton, Dave Fleischer & Max Fleischer, Edwin S. Porter, Man Ray, Hans Richter, Marcel Duchamp, Alexander Calder, Winsor McCay, Augusto Genina, René Clair & Georg W. Pabst. Iconic images and figures - Louise Brooks, Lois Lane and Clark Kent/Superman, Michel Simon, Dita Parlo, Jean Dasté, and Kiki de Montparnasse - populate the video album playlist.

 

“Oh, this is wonderful, it really is,” says Slovenia’s Milka of an advance screening, “I love it.” The art-aficionado from Izola comments: “It is marvellous amalgamation of Allison's voice and movie's poetry. Both benefit from each other and give a viewer another dimension for song's interpretation. While the movie, not known to me, suddenly takes me to place where one never ages. Love it.”

 

Curtains rise on Allison Crowe’s “16 Songs” video album daily from the New Moon of September 23 to the Full Moon of October 8, 2014. Visit your favourite online video portal to know how it feels.

Sing Out! In Our Global Village

‘The Leonard Cohen Files’ now lists 567 different cover versions of Leonard Cohen’s much-loved “Hallelujah” – recordings made in dozens of countries and numerous languages: http://www.leonardcohenfiles.com/coverlist.php 

“Hallelujah” is a popular song we’ve been able to widely and directly witness become a standard – as this process has occurred during, and, in part, thanks to, this age of the internet reaching near-ubiquity.

The global expanse of songs such as The Beatles’ “Yesterday”, (with some 3000 interpretations on record), and Joni Mitchell’s “Both Sides Now”, (nearing 1000 covers at latest count - http://jonimitchell.com/music/covers-most.cfm ), and most other tunes which have become standards in the canons of pop and rock – and many more in folk, jazz and other genres – has, largely, been a phenomenon experienced offline (and these songs grew into universal favourites not in our real-time view).

The introduction of “Hallelujah” to a mass audience – via such channels as 2001’s Hollywood hit animated film “Shrek” – has been augmented and amplified by the world wide web.

Music and video sites online enable songs to be shared around, enjoyed and learned – grassroots traditions of jam sessions, campfire sing-alongs, church choirs and other communal ways that music is transported, today can be propelled by the advance in technology (and digital devices, in hand, enable more people to make recordings).

Not only can people world-wide experience music more readily, and in greater richness and variety, than in pre-internet times, folks are now able to express what it all means to them and reflect back to the same giant community “so that all souls can see it”.

For myself, serving as manager to Allison Crowe, a musician creating in these exciting times, one of the profound pleasures now possible is regularly hearing how people are moved by music.

“Reflections on Hallelujah” @ http://blog.farmgirlwrites.com/2014/06/reflections-on-hallelujah.html - posted by Washington, DC-based blogger, “Farmgirl Writes”, is the sort of thing that inspires appreciation and understanding of a song and our fellow beings.

And, (especially for those with more dexterity and musical talent or dedication to this course than I), there’s such sites as “Chordify” – which show how we can play the music we love - http://chordify.net/chords/allison-crowe-hallelujah-live-in-the-studio-adrian22

“Joni Mitchell: In Her Own Words” – a new book that’s exactly what its title promises – Joni’s voice heard through a trio of decades-spanning interviews with her friend, artist and journalist, Malka Marom - is released this week (officially, September 9, 2014).

Allan Showalter, aka DrHGuy, offers a typically entertaining and enlightening post in review @ http://1heckofaguy.com/2014/09/03/book-review-joni-mitchell-talks-about-growing-up-art-songwriting-love-and-leonard-cohen

I’ve mentioned this previously in a post to my own (Adrian’s personal facebook) page and – not unrelated to L. Cohen, the nature of popular songs, their interpretation and sharing – this book includes choice commentary.

"River... Joni Mitchell's whole album Blue is timeless," Allison remarked when she covered the uniquely ever-green song on her own album “Tidings” in 2004.

And “River”, like “Hallelujah”, has witnessed an accelerated cultural expanse and embrace in these digital media times. Currently, Bob Muller, the Grand Poobah of Covers at JoniMitchell.com, tracks 402 different versions of Mitchell’s song @ http://jonimitchell.com/music/covers-most.cfm

The song established itself steadily over the decades – with some 200 covers being made from the time of its release on “Blue” in 1971 to 2007. In these last seven years, the total number of “River” covers has doubled.

In this new book, the brilliant singer, songwriter, composer, painter+ tells her confidante and interviewer: “There was a funny article in the L.A. Times. The guy was ranting, ‘Why are all these people covering Joni Mitchell’s ‘River’? It’s overexposed.’ That’s what he said, and I thought, ‘This person has no concept of what a standard is. A standard is a good song enjoyed by many.’ A lot of singers wanted to sing it, and it kept the song alive.”

Malka asks: “How do you feel when people sing your songs, any song, or play it completely different, like with ‘normal’ chords, and different arrangements?”

Joni says: “I think it’s great, I feel honoured. I like the idea of songs being sung. I like the idea that people who can’t even sing are singing them...” 

"Imagine" peace again - and again

Among her interpretations of songs by the Beatles, during the group’s collective and solo years, chanting the mantra - peace and love – here’s “Imagine” performed “Live at Wood Hall” by Canadian musician Allison Crowe.

Gerry Deiter, assigned by 'Life' magazine, was the only photographer present for the entire eight-day Bed-In staged by John Lennon and Yoko Ono at Montreal’s Queen Elizabeth Hotel in 1969. His collection of images from that happening come together in the book "Give Peace a Chance: John & Yoko's Bed-In for Peace" - compiled by Joan Athey and edited by Paul McGrath.

And Joan Athey’s graciously allowed Gerry Deiter’s photographs to accompany the music to make this video.

Since it’s Groundhog Day leading us into the week celebrating 50 years of Beatlemania in North America+ - here’s an encore version of “Imagine” recorded by Allison at home – with peace signs courtesy of Top Pun.

Let It Be ~ "Tidings Concert" (song 13)

Allison Crowe's exciting and inspiring year on the road - embracing musical theatre, ballet, movies, and concert tours - is a wrap. We now return to our regular program of sharing comfort and joy online. Catching up a wee bit today, with a double-bill from Allison's new "Tidings Concert" album. Here be a "Paul' song - from the ever-gladdening Beatles repertoire - and songs of John Lennon and Paul McCartney: "Let It Be"

In My Life + Imagine - Allison Crowe's "Tidings Concert" (encore songs 1 + 2)

"In My Life", penned by John Lennon and fellow Beatle Paul McCartney, the first encore song of "Tidings Concert", performed by Allison Crowe.

A double reality of "John" songs - here's "Imagine", by John Lennon, performed by Allison as the next encore.

Rock Liebster - 1 Heck of an Award

Capping a week of fresh delights, I woke this a.m., St. Patrick’s Day, to find Allison Crowe’s blog, for which I serve as caretaker, is a recipient of the prestigious Liebster Award.


I learned this by visiting “1 Heck of a Guy” – everybody’s favourite Leonard Cohen-centric blog written by a psychiatrist and “featuring song, dance, snappy chatter plus notes on prose, poesy, love, lust, life, and beyond."

There, the erudite blogmeister Dr. Heck, aka Allan Showalter, reveals the exceptional roster of blogs upon which the Liebster's bestowed. He explains the nature of things, especially fitting on this day for pledging fealty to friendliness - with or without a Guinness in hand.

Even the name of the award brings forth cheer, musically echoing, as it does, this German-language performance by the Fab Four - Sie Liebt Dich:



together with this also fabulous recording by T. Rex – Jeepster:



(One of today’s bands, The Black Keys, say, seems a natural to update Marc Bolan’s lyrics for the digital age: “Girl, I’m just a Liebster for your blog”.)

In handing out a Liebster to Allison Crowe's blog, the always entertaining, (and, to some, mysterious), Dr. Heck, says:

“Allison Crowe’s official site not only offers information, videos, and music about the next Canadian singer-songwriter but not infrequently issues a shout-out to other artists that have left an impression on Ms Crowe, including Leonard Cohen. In any case, Adrian du Plessis, who serves both as Allison’s personable manager and webmaster of the site writes prose that is entertaining, informed, and, on occasion, not unlike pirate lingo.”

Allison and I have savoured drinking in the history and import of this charming recognition. Thank you, danke, merci, grazie, and more, Dr. Showalter!!

In the spirit in which it’s delivered, and, further, to fulfill the duties and obligations of accepting a Liebster Blog Award, over the coming days, we shall choose other blogs to so honour in kind.

Stay tuned...

Bauerfeind – zdf.kultur features Allison Crowe and remixers

Christian Hufgard (Musikpiraten e.V.) sends word on a program broadcast by German tv channel zdf.kultur. He notes:

“German tv produced a spot about remixing/mashups and the FreeMixter. Allison Crowe as its patron has been featured – and a couple of remixes:
http://www.zdf.de/ZDFmediathek/beitrag/video/1408600/Bauerfeind-am-14.-August-2011 (Starting at 08:17)”

Bauerfeind am 14. August 2011
Von angesagten Nerds, digitalen Gutmenschen auf Soforthilfe-Suche, Samples und Kopien mit Recht und der wunderbaren Joy Denalane. Schaun wir mal, dann sehn wir schon!

The Beatles, Danger Mouse, Jay-Z, Allison (a clip of her “Hallelujah” video appears at about 11:43), and sounds of remixers Jeris, Salvatore-J, Incoherent Mumble Train and more.

Wunderbar! Danke Christian, ZDF and to all involved! Enjoy

Allison Crowe on "Robby Bridges Variety Hour"

American DJ and radio personality Robby Bridges introduced Allison Crowe to his audience last night and, again, today on "The Variety Hour" originating on Cumulus Media's WEBE 108 in Connecticut. Bridges' tremendously popular, syndicated, US program's wide array of guests has included: journalist Bob Woodward (of Watergate fame); soul-singer Ben E King ("Stand By Me"); and Jewel ("Who Will Save Your Soul").

Robby Bridges played five songs from Allison's albums - with a big selection, naturally, from Tidings - and an interview for a total of 33 minutes with on air with the remarkably independent artist. The amiable host, who discovered Allison online, tells us this is "the most airtime any guest has ever gotten in 109 shows but Bill Cosby was a close second at 31!"

Hey, hey, hey... it's a joy and honour to debut on major American radio with Robby Bridges - alongside this week's other guests: television and film actress Amy Smart; and journalist Richard Wolffe (longtime MSNBC commentator and Newsweek's Senior White House Correspondent).

Allison Crowe Renews Eurythmics’ “Sweet Dreams” says 1 Heck of a Guy

The blog, 1 Heck of a Guy, renowned for its reportage on Leonard Cohen and broomcorn lore and much, much more, today shines a light on Allison Crowe's "alchemy" in covering songs, saying:

"Allison, whose covers include not only outstanding versions of Joni Mitchell’s 'River' and 'A Case of You,' Leonard Cohen’s 'Hallelujah,' 'The Beatles’ 'In My Life' and 'Let It Be,' Lennon’s 'Imagine,' and Cyndi Lauper’s 'Time After Time,' but also the most provocative and seductive (forgive me, Aretha) take I’ve heard on Ronnie Shannon’s 'I Never Loved A Man (The Way I Love You).' And, I stand by my conviction that Allison Crowe is the best thing to happen to 'Me And Bobby McGee' since Janis Joplin changed Kristofferson’s lyrics."

This fun, naturally, arises from the premiere yesterday of Allison's take on Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart - The Eurythmics' "Sweet Dreams" on the "Cover Me" blog. This news has now spread to the MTV blog: "Allison Crowe Strips Down Eurythmics' 'Sweet Dreams' "

Today's 1 Heck of a Guy post also includes a link to this YouTube audio with pic:



When the makers of Hollywood movie "Sucker Punch" were looking for ideas on how to approach the song, they called on Allison Crowe. For the 2011 blockbuster from director Zack Snyder, actress Emily Browning performs the song as a production number that opens what promises to be an exciting, visceral, film ride.

Summer side of life - new album hatching

For those of us living in the northern hemisphere, Summer is nearing its end - and Autumn/Fall starts to reveal itself.

For me, it's a season of musical revelation.

Allison has started to create her next album. She travels from Canada's Atlantic coast to the Pacific in about two weeks' time to record her fellow musicians - Billie Woods, on acoustic guitar; Dave Baird on electric and acoustic bass; and Laurent Boucher on percussion.

These are the band-members who've toured with Allison in 2009.

There'll be an electric guitarist, joining the group on about three songs. Right now Alley is working with a brilliant, and incredibly sympathetic, orchestrator. One of the big questions at the beginning of this process was - how would the strings and orchestral elements Allison was hearing on several songs be realized?

We've learned over the years, that it's like alchemy, the joining of art and science (in the form of technical engineering/production). It's a magic that calls for invention, serendipity, inspiration.

It's early on, two songs in to what promises to be a 12 song collection - but, I'm hearing it.



Sir George Martin talks about The Beatles' recording art - listen here

My Dad made buttons for my brothers, sister and myself that said "I am a Beatle" and I was happily wearing that more than forty years ago, before I'd learned to ride a bicycle.

At this moment, I feel the same excitement that stirred when George Martin (now Sir) got together with those four lads from Liverpool.

Much more to come ( :

M&M's Wedding Day

Mark & Mary, dear friends, wed today in Glasgow.

Their first dance was to Sea of a Million Faces.

To celebrate this loving, joyous, occasion, here's a song/video, penned primarily by John Lennon - who loved Scotland as much as does Allison ( :

"There are places I'll remember, in my life though some have changed..."



Sláinte mhaith!!

well, my heart is in the Highlands...

This year, there's a bonnie... in the Scottish Highlands:

Northern Lights Benefit Show to aid John Lennon Memorial Garden Blooms in Durness, Scotland

"Love is the flower... you gotta let it grow" ~ John Lennon

The most north westerly village in Britain is to celebrate its links with John Lennon again.

Top Canadian singer Allison Crowe is to headline a concert in Durness, Sutherland, on October 11 - two days after what would have been the ex-Beatle's 68th birthday.

Allison was one of the stars of last year's John Lennon Northern Lights Festival held in Durness - and promoted by Prince Charles' North Highland Tourism - which went on to win the Best New Festival at the UK Festival Awards 2007.

Next month's Northern Lights Benefit Show will be in aid of the John Lennon Memorial Garden in Durness - the only permanent memorial to Lennon in Scotland. Lennon holidayed every summer between the ages of 9 and 15 in Durness -
on his cousins' croft.

He also returned with Yoko Ono - and their respective children Julian and Kyoko - in 1969 before suffering a car accident which hospitalised them at Golspie.

Durness, in particular, played a huge part in young Lennon's life - the song In My Life is said to be partly inspired by the village - and the singer even tried to buy the area's estate shortly before his death in 1980. Earlier this year Yoko Ono also praised villagers for their respect to Lennon's memory.

For next month's concert Allison will break off from her European tour and fly from Prague where she will be performing two days earlier.

"John Lennon was an amazing, artistic, peaceful, spirit. He made a huge impact on society. Durness made a huge impact on him and on me too and I am glad to return," said Allison, 26.

"I remember being terrified of the roads, but the beauty of the place managed to take over! The oft summer stomping ground for John Lennon is one of the most gorgeous places I have seen in all my travels.

"The black rocks and the turquoise waters... The wonderful people that live there in the Highlands... And the people I got to meet during the John Lennon Northern Lights fest from all over the world.

"There were performers everywhere and there was such a sense of community throughout the fest. I thought the entire time this is definitely a place I could live without much difficulty! The music and the laughter and the amazing new friends. truly, it's an experience that can't be matched. This year I plan on doing my best to create something new while I am in Durness, in homage to the Northern Lights Festival and
to carry on in that spirit!!!

"I am honoured to be able to help raise monies to upkeep the John Lennon Memorial Garden. It's an important part of the community, to be kept alive and growing along with the memory of John Lennon and the times he had in Durness. I hope we're able to recreate a bit of that magic."

There are hopes that the Northern Lights Festival will be staged next year.

"I'm excited we're able in a way to carry the torch for the fest that's not happening this year, because it's such an amazing experience that I hope it keeps happening for years to come, really," said Allison.

"I think the fact that people come together to celebrate the life of someone who was so devoted to peace and love, is, in a sense, achieving exactly what John set out to do. Keeping his spirit alive through the garden and through the festival is that sense of his presence and purpose living on in all of us. We all shine on."

Mary Mackay, chair of Durness Community Council, said she was delighted that Lennon's links with Durness are again to be celebrated.

"I could not think of anybody more fitting to celebrate John's links with Durness than Allison. She was a knockout last year and put hairs on the back of everybody that heard her," she said.

"We are hoping it will be a great day - and it keeps John's flame alive in a place that he loved very much."

Allison has recently toured across Canada and in the northeastern United States as headliner. Two one-hour television specials have been broadcast across Canada, and her version of Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah is one of the most popular versions of the classic.

"Whether I'm Wrong", an original song of social conscience penned in early 2003, has been featured by the UNESCO-endorsed New Songs for Peace initiative.

Allison will be supported by fellow Canadian vocalist and classical guitarist Billie Woods. Billie's songs are inspired by life in Canada's Pacific northwestern coastal forest, and infused with the warmth and vitality of the sambas, bossa novas and other cultural rhythms of Brazil. Other events are also in the pipeline including a photographic exhibition of the area by Shona McMillan.

Tickets are £10 for adults and £5 for under 16s and are available from Loch Croispol Bookshop 01971511777 (where a small fee for credit card bookings will apply) and Mrs Mary Mackay 01971511255.

John Lennon Festival Shines On UK Awards Night

"I always felt free in Scotland," said John Lennon.

That freedom was shared by artist and audience alike earlier this year at a Festival in Durness named in tribute to the much-loved musician, writer and peace activist. In spirit and body, family, friends and fans of John Lennon came together in the Scottish Highlands for three days of music, poetry, drama and more - under the Northern Lights.

Last night, at a ceremony in London, England, the John Lennon Northern Lights Festival was named "Best New Festival" at the UK Festival Awards - joining long-standing celebrants, such as the Isle of Wight and Glastonbury festivals, on the winner's podium. Hearty congratulations are due Festival Coordinator Mike Merritt and his team, and to all the people. Imagine ( :

Singer-songwriter Allison Crowe's honoured and delighted to be Canada's musical ambassador to the event, sharing the stage and experience with an eclectic line-up, including: the original Quarrymen (John's skiffle group which evolved into The Beatles); contemporary UK chart-toppers Nizlopi; premiere Scottish jazzer Todd Gordon and his combo; Britain's most popular living poet and playwright Carol Ann Duffy (second only to William Shakespeare among university-age readers); punk poet John Cooper Clarke; members of the Royal Academy of Music; all together with the Queen's Master of Music, composer/conductor Sir Peter Maxwell Davies (in a joyful musical triumph, his first public performance in 15 years).

During the Festival in Durness in late September, John's family gathered for the dedication of a simple plaque - now on the family croft above the waters and sands of Sango Bay. It says: "John Lennon 1940-1980, Musician & Songwriter, lived here".

Och aye. He's living there still.

In My Life