CD & Event Reviews

CD Review: Canadian Safari 2 (Canadian Folk Music newsletter)

Based in Vancouver, Chor Leoni is a highly-acclaimed 53-voice male choir, conducted by Diane Loomer. Canadian Safari 2 is the choir's 8th album, and was recorded in 2004 at Ryerson United Church in Vancouver. In addition to a team of seve accompanists, the disc features several accompaniments by the folk group Madd Pudding (including two instrumentals from the group's 1995 album, Dirt & Stone.) and several solos by baritone Steve Maddock. As suggested by the title, this two-disc set follows up Chor Leoni's 1998 release of the original Canadian Safari. For years, while traveling to other countries, I have brought Canadian Safari along to use as a musical representation of Canada, so I was anxious to see how "part two" compared.

At it's most basic, Canadian Safari 2 is very much like the original, featuring a wide variety of folk songs from across the country, along with three song from beyond Canadian borders. As is the nature of such projects, certain parts of Canada are bound to be under-represented, but in this case there are songs from Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Québec, Ontario, Alberta and B.C. Two other songs are generously ascribed to Manitoba and Yukon (through changing "Fairbanks" to "Whitehorse"), respectively, while five others are more pan-Canadian. The choral arrangements come from a number of people, with the majority by Larry Nickel and Ron Smail. These are performed beautifully by Chor Leoni, who show a rare ability to transform themselves musically from a "classical" choir to "bushwackers and privateers', each with artistic merit and equal success. The musicality of the choir is matched by the excellent accompanists, and the instrumentals "Indian Reels" and "Heather Bonn/Island Ferry", recorded in 1995 as a separate project, are particularly well integrated into the disc.

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Canadian Safari 2
Canadian Safari 2 performed beautifully by Chor Leoni, who show a rare ability to transform themselves musically from a "classical" choir to "bushwackers and privateers', each with artistic merit and equal success. (more...)

Posted by bruce on September 29, 2006 at 9:05 AM
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