The Elevate Consortium is happy to be presenting the critically acclaimed Tower of Song tour with Oliver Swain and Glenna Garramone on Friday May 2nd at the Little Red Church in Comox. Doors at 7:30 and Show at 8 pm.
Click here to buy tickets! $20 in advance.
“I said to Hank Williams, how lonely does it get?
Hank Williams hasn’t answered yet
But I hear him coughing all night long
A hundred floors above me, In the Tower of Song”
When Leonard Cohen sings these words, the Tower of Song is a metaphor for the inspiration that flows between songwriters, each toiling away on their own, but connected by their shared craft. Moved by this concept, celebrated BC singer-songwriters Oliver Swain and Glenna Garramone, collaborated to produce a project that is a dialogue through song and a tribute to the legendary songwriter. Re- imagining both rare and classic works of Cohen, the duo have crafted a sound that resonates with both longtime Cohen fans and a younger audience.
Tower of Song began as a one-off tribute night for a packed house at Vancouver’s The Media Club, and has since grown into an actively touring folk duo. Produced by Garramone, she invited fellow Victoria musician Oliver Swain, and the show gave Swain and Garramone the chance to grow their musical chemistry. Together as Tower of Song the two have arranged some of Cohen’s timeless songs beautifully, for two voices, banjo, string bass, piano and guitar. Encouraged by the response, they continued to present the show regionally, and after several sold-out shows on Vancouver Island and a successful tour of BC and Alberta, Tower of Song put “more power in the tower,” recording their debut album In City and In Forest, with Juno award winning producer Joby Baker, and officially releasing on April 22, 2014.
“The tunes are hauntingly lovely. Wonderful takes with close harmonies and violent re-rhythmings. Musically sound. Faithful by being strongly, creatively Cohen, and yet wholly their own.” ~ James N. Porter, Professor Emeritus (Arts), York University