A unique American composer and singer will be in Nelson next week for a concert and workshops.
Moira Smiley’s appearance here is sponsored by the Selkirk College Music Program and the Corazón Vocal Ensemble.
“Moira is such a beautiful composer and educator,” says Corazón director Allison Girvan. “We have been waiting for an opportunity to have her back in Nelson.”
Smiley will conduct workshops for Corazón and for Voiceworks, a student vocal group led by Selkirk College instructor Laura Landsberg.
And on March 3 Smiley will perform a public concert entitled The Voice is a Traveler, joined on stage by Voiceworks and by Lalin, a 30-member choir consisting of members of the 65-voice Corazón.
Smiley will accompany herself on banjo, accordion, piano and percussive movement.
“Moira Smiley’s performances bring elegance and grit to folk-songs, original and ancient,” her website states.
Girvan says both Corazón and Lalin have included at least one of Smiley’s pieces in their repertoire for each of the past several years.
Why?
“They are poignant and innovative and have a folk element to them,” Girvan says. “She has a connection to Eastern European music and the quality of her writing is so incredibly attuned to the human condition. For us that makes a lot of sense because that is part of our mandate, to connect cultures from around the world and discover how similar human emotions are, connecting through different cultures.”
Although the March 3 concert will be held at the Nelson United Church, tickets are on sale through the Capitol Theatre box office, at $15 for students, $20 regular, and a sliding scale of $15 to $20 for seniors.
