Christmas continues at the Dekker Centre Friday evening when four of Canada’s finest singer-songwriters will present a mix of Christmas songs, old and new.
A Quartette Christmas is being presented by the members of a 22-year-long collaboration called Quartette. Cindy Church, Caitlin Hanford, Gwen Swick and Sylvia Tyson will be on stage with their "small but dangerous" orchestra, offering up rich harmonies, warm humour and love for music.
"It's a Christmas show, and we all love this show," Church told the Regional Optimistrecently.
It will be a combination of traditional Christmas songs, plus some originals of their own, many of which can be found on the two Christmas CDs they have recorded. In addition, they will perform some of the songs off their double CD album Rocks and Roses, which was put out to celebrate their 20th anniversary.
"It's a wonderful show if I do say so myself," laughed Church.
A leading figure in Canada's roots music scene for two decades, Church performed in North Battleford with Lunch at Allen's in October of last year, along with fellow songwriting greats Murray McLachlan, Ian Thomas and Marc Jordan, but it will be Quartette's first appearance in the city, she said.
Of Lunch at Allen's experience at the Dekker Centre for the Performing Arts, Church said, "It was gorgeous. We loved it, we absolutely loved it. I remember the sound was really good and it was just so wonderful dealing with [manager Moe McGuinty] and everybody – a really 100 per cent positive experience."
Looking forward to returning to the Dekker Centre, she laughed, "I remember at the time saying we should get Quartette here for a Christmas show. So, sure enough!"
Church said she also appreciates the importance of the community's support of a venue like the Dekker Centre, especially the volunteers.
"These places cannot exist without the volunteers," she said. "They are really imperative."
Church said they are also looking forward to meeting with fans at the Dekker Centre.
"We always come out after the show and sign CDs and say hello."
Quartette was formed for a concert at Toronto’s famed Harbourfront Centre in the summer of 1993. It started with original member Colleen Peterson, who passed away in 1996.
"She was asked to do an event at Harbourfront," said Church. "They wanted some kind of country representation, so they were in touch with Colleen to do a songwriter-in-the-round kind of thing."
Peterson contacted Tyson and Hanford, whom she knew, and through Hanford they found Church.
"I was living in Alberta at the time, so we just all connected and I flew out to Toronto and stayed with Sylvia for a week."
Putting their heads together prior to the show, they thought, "We all sing harmony. Why don't we make this not just a songwriter-in-the-round? Why don't we learn each other's material and sing each other's songs and turn it into something more?"
So that's what they did. They also called in musicians they each loved to work with, so they had a band as well.
"We did this show at Harbourfront and it just seemed to take off," said Church. "The next thing we knew we were on Peter Gzowski's Morningside, and the next thing you know we did an album, and its 22 years later."
Collaborations such as the one that brought Quartette together are usually just one off things, said Church, but if they have chemistry, they can take on a life of their own.
"Quartette has certainly been that," she said, "and when Colleen passed away, Gwen Swick, who we all knew and loved and respected – and Colleen did as well – she joined and we've been going ever since."
In 1994, Quartette received the Canadian Country Music Association's award for best vocal collaboration. In 1995 and 1996, it garnered Juno Award nominations for top country group. An hour-long showcase on Adrienne Clarkson Presents on CBC-TV introduced them to an even wider audience in 1995. That summer Quartette found themselves closing the Edmonton Folk Festival as a “quintette” with fellow Canadian singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell. The five traded verses and harmonies on Mitchell’s Circle Game.
While Quartette continues to tour extensively in Canada with a three-piece back-up band, and play select dates with symphony orchestras, each member has been able to maintain their individual solo careers and other collaborations.
"I love collaborating," said Church. "You learn so many things and it's much more fun, doing these various things."
Within Quartette, Tyson takes care of financial and contractual matters, Church handles travel and booking itineraries, Swick oversees rehearsals and hiring musicians and Hanford acts as the product manager for their catalogue.
Tyson started performing professionally in 1959 as one-half of the internationally acclaimed folk duo, Ian and Sylvia. She wrote her first song, You Were On My Mind, in 1962. She is a member of the Canadian Music Hall of Fame and The Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame and has received Canada’s highest civilian honour, The Order of Canada. She is also a writer, working on her second novel.
Church, originally from Bible Hill, N.S., grew up with primarily country and traditional musical influence.
"I have lived in Toronto for the last 18 years, but I recently moved back to Nova Scotia," said Church. "I haven't lived there for 35 years, so it was time for a change."
She is based out of Halifax, but she notes, “that's not far from Truro, where I grew up."
Winnipeg-born Swick is an accomplished singer-songwriter, guitarist and bassist who lives in Elora, Ont. She is also a member of the Marigolds, along with Suzie Vinnick and Quartette's Hanford. As well, she writes and arranges vocal music for choirs.
Hanford hails from Bainbridge Island, Wash. In 1978, she immigrated to Canada after graduating from McGill University and meeting her husband, Chris Whiteley, with whom she carved a path in the Canadian country music scene in the 1980s. Hanford has also had many songs published in Nashville.
