Allison Crowe's Tidings: Music for the season and all time

Allison Crowe loves to perform on Salt Spring Island. Here she's been appreciated from the start for her exciting vocal and piano music. On Saturday, December 1, at 8 p.m., she brings her Tidings concert to ArtSpring with special guest, singer-songwriter Billie Woods.

Tidings stirs together traditional Christmas carols and holiday favourites with Crowe's organic blend of rock, jazz, folk, gospel and soul. "The Yuletide find of the year," says The Record. "Be prepared to be amazed," says Christmasreviews.com. "Allison Crowe is a stunningly talented performer."

The 26-year-old musician has just returned to Canada from the UK where she was a sensation at the John Lennon Northern Lights Festival. In Scotland, at the three-day event recently crowned the UK's "Best New Festival", her audience included members of John Lennon's family alongside the Queen's Master of Music, Sir Peter Maxwell Davies. The Scotsman reports: "Canadian angel Allison Crowe gave one of the weekend's most magical moments". Earning a standing ovation, "Her rendition of Lennon's 'In My Life' (almost literally) brought the house down."

Festival Director Mike Merritt describes Allison Crowe's performance as "awesome" and "spine-tingling", adding: "Allison has put Canada well and truly on the map here!"

Learning from the paths of Joni Mitchell, Ani DiFranco and Loreena McKennitt, Allison Crowe puts her own stamp of freedom on artistic and commercial success. She's grateful, too, that her concerts can help support worthy causes. From her December 1st show, $5 of each concert ticket and each CD sold goes to the Salt Spring Island BCSPCA.

SPCA Shelter Manager Jena Peori and her team hold their largest fundraiser of the year, a live auction, this Saturday, November 24 at Mahon Hall. (Among more than 200 items to bid on, you'll find concert ticket and CD bundles from Allison Crowe.) Our local shelter is at full capacity - though they do maintain a waiting list for people wanting to bring in cats. There are loving kittens (13) and adult cats (18) ready, right now, for good companions. It's a need Allison knows well. She shares home in Nanaimo, BC with Sambuca, and in Corner Brook, NL with Johnny, her two adopted feline friends.

Another cool cat, Salt Spring's globe-trotting musician and photographer, Billie Woods, opens the concert with a set inspired by life in our northern coastal forest, and infused with the warmth and vitality of the sambas, bossa novas and other cultural rhythms of Brazil. Radiating her joyous nature, in English and Portuguese Billie's vocals and classical guitar make for all-seasons good times. Joining in on some songs is pianist Emilyn Stam.

Tidings concert tickets are at ArtSpring Box Office 537-2102. Advance: $20 general/$15 students and seniors. (Door: $22/$17)

For more info: www.spca.bc.ca/saltspring