Silence - Day 18 on Musical Advent Calendar

Today, Day 18 on the Musical Advent Calendar, brings “Silence” – in two forms. Allison Crowe’s brilliance as composer and performer is wondrously evident in each recording – captured a decade apart – and both created in the same, real-time, as the experience of listening.

Firstly, here’s Allison solo, singing and playing in a friend’s log-home on Salt Spring Island, Canada. This 2006 recording was released just last year on her “Sylvan Hour” album – described by pioneering culture blog Muruch as “truly a masterpiece” (http://music.allisoncrowe.com/album/sylvan-hour).

Second version of “Silence', open Day 18 on the Musical Advent Calendar, is this recording, live-off-the-floor – found on Allison Crowe and Band’s 2016 debut, “Heirs+Grievances” (http://music.allisoncrowe.com/album/heirs-grievances) – an album that’s marvellously enjoyable testament to Crowe’s “absolute personal commitment" to song (Some Diurnal Aural Awe) and “artistic genius” (The Celtic Music Fan):

Each day through Christmas delivers a new song – and today, a pair of recordings - opening on Allison Crowe’s Musical Advent Calendar @ http://allisoncrowe.com/MusicalAdventCalendar2016.html

Adventures in Music

“Music can be something that unites us, that appeals to our shared humanity, rather than something that divides”, notes Chester, England’s Toby Goodwin, self-declared “music geek” behind the “musicgigsnthings” blog - delivering a 21-song Soundcloud playlist that brings together electro-pop, indie rock, jazz, folk, alt-rock, funky, grunge-tinged sounds and more – for this week’s edition of “Adventures in Music”: https://musicgigsnthings.wordpress.com/2016/07/18/adventures-in-music-10-07-16-16-07-16

Included in this set is “a singer with roots in Canada’s extremities, Corner Brook in Newfoundland and Nanaimo on Vancouver Island, Allison Crowe and Band. ‘Silence’ has folk and country influences running through it but given her unique spin. Her voice quivers with emotion throughout and the melancholic strings only add to the poignancy of the song, which sends shivers down your spine” – https://soundcloud.com/allisoncrowe/silence-allison-crowe-and-band

Discover the full playlist – https://soundcloud.com/tobyone-4/sets/adventures-in-music-10-07-16

silence (82 seconds of) + Throw Your Arms Around Me v2

BBC Radio's 'Desert Island Discs' speaks with Maurice Hopper, of Exeter, UK. As a peace observer, he carried eight pieces of music to the Middle East. Transferring music from CD to computer some spaces in between got lost. "It emphasized the huge importance of silence in musical performances," he says. This track is a "silence" break before encore, "producer's cut", versions on "Spiral".



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On this, a second version of the Hunters & Collectors' anthem Throw Your Arms Around Me on Allison Crowe's "Spiral" album, producer Kayla Schmah's mix enriches the encore - bringing Allison's vocals to the fore - after they'd been immersed in the pub-style-group-sing-along that wraps the first. Building up to one more, final, gorgeous, song production...

Silence

Allison Crowe on guitar, again, for "Silence". Dave Baird on bass, Laurent Boucher, percussion. Guitar engineering, (as on "Now"), is by Newfoundland's Louis & Mike McDonald. The album's engineering, overall, and production is by Allison - who, by 2006, is running her own record label, and handling many creative roles at the same time! Simply... hear it :)