The Sisters of Mercy - Film to String Quartet No. 2

CJ Wallis who directed Last Flowers and music video for The Rose now has a new project in the works featuring Sarah Slean.  Using Sarah's music for String Quartet No. 2 he is creating a film adaptation of Lucy Rupert's The Animals Are Planning An Intervention.  

A short synopsis can be found on the Forty FPS blog.  You can purchase the music on iTunes.

Lucy not only danced in the music video for The Rose but her and CJ worked worked on this music video too:

"The Rose" Named Best Music Video Of 2010

Tonight Sarah Slean's music video for the Rose won best music video of 2010 at Vancouver's Leo Awards.
The video was directed by CJ Wallis and featured dancer Lucy Rupert.  More information on the music video can  be found here and information on the win was posted here.

Sarah sings with the NUMUS Chamber Orchestra

This Fall Sarah has 2 concert dates performing with the NUMUS Chamber Orchestra.  The first date October 6th at the Glenn Gould Studio in Toronto.  This concert was advertised on a flyer in the program at the Art of Time concerts.

The second concert is the following day in Kitchener.  This concert is listed in the PDF program for the NUMUS 2011/2012 Season.  An excerpt of that program is posted below.

"Sarah Slean performs my own Red Sea, a tragic cycle of songs depicting our suffering earth" - Glenn Buhr 

SONG OF EARTH with the NUMUS Chamber Orchestra conducted by Paul Pulford
featuring Sarah Slean, mezzo-soprano
Adam Luther, tenor
Kimberly Barber, mezzo-soprano
The Penderecki String Quartet

Friday, October 7, 2011 - 8pm
Maureen Forrester Recital Hall, Wilfrid Laurier University NUMUS - in association with the Faculty of Music at Wilfrid Laurier University and the Penderecki String Quartet - celebrates Gustav Mahler 100 years after his death.  The turn-of-the-century progressives adored Mahler's music, and 12-tone pioneer Arnold Schönberg created this colourful arrangement of Mahler's masterpiece Das Lied von der Erde for a performance in his own concert series. Glenn Buhr's new work was written to complement Mahler's Song of the Earth, but it takes a different twist. It's a tragic work about our suffering earth. The libretto was written by Margaret Sweatman in 2010 when oil was spewing into the Gulf of Mexico. Many said that the earth was 'bleeding', hence the title of the new work: Red Sea (Song of the Earth). Pop singer Sarah Slean is the soloist.
Tickets:
$38 general / $32 senior / $24 (for patrons under 29) / $10 Student (rush only)

Sarah worked with Glenn Buhr in 2008 when she sang with Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra.


Update: 2011-07-13
Tickets are now available for the October 6th concert.
http://www.cbc.ca/glenngould/2011/07/song-of-the-earth---music-by-mahler-and-buhr-featuring-vocalist-sarah-slean.html

Sarah's covers with the Art of Time

Sarah's songbook concert with the Art of Time Ensemble have now concluded.  The set list we posted here was fairly accurate with a few notable changes.  Covers of PJ Harvey and Cole Porter that where mentioned in early event promotions where dropped.  They were replaced with a new arrangement of Sarah's "Sound of Water" and a revisit to her Art of Time cover of Martin Tielli's "I'll Never Tear You Apart".  Another additional song added was a cover of "Smile" that was composed by Charlie Chaplin in 1934 and first sang by Nat King Cole in 1954.  This song was not listed performance program.  This was the review from the first of the two nights.

Sarah performance of Ne Me Quitte Pas by Jacques Brel has been tweeted as being divine.  It marks the second time in recent history Sarah has sang in French and the first time to a live audience.

The show was archived on a single video camera at the rear of the theater. It has been unofficially been confirmed that CBC was recording for a Concert on Demand special.  We will let you know when that recording becomes available.

It does not appear that Sarah is listed in any of next season's Art of Time concerts that where just announced.  The program did contain another event that features Sarah which I will post details about in separate post following this one.

Sarah and Royal playing Serve!stock 2011

According to Serve!stock's website, both Sarah and Royal have been added to the intimate backyard benefit concert for this year.  The concert takes places June 15th with early bird tickets coming in under $300.

Serve! is a not profit organization that supports at risk youth in Toronto.

Tickets and information can be found here. http://servestock.ca/

Upcoming Sarah Slean Covers with Art of Time Ensemble Revealed

Sarah has picked 12 of her favourite songs that have been arranged for her to sing with the Art of Time Ensemble. This songbook concert is a follow up to her first songbook she performed with them that would later become the album, Black Flowers.

Below is a the songs that have been mentioned that she will be covering with some added information. Scroll past the list if you choose not to be spoiled and would like other info on the concerts.

1. Ruth Lowe (I’ll Never Smile Again)
Sarah played a cover of this song at the 2003 Inauguration of the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame and on CBC Play.

2. Leonard Cohen (A Thousand Kisses Deep)
Sarah has played songbooks and other shows paying tribute to Leonard Cohen but might be her first time taking on this song. In the first Canadian Songbook Sarah played with the Art of Time Ensemble she played Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye. Other Cohen covers include I'm Your Man, Dress Rehearsal Rag, Everybody Knows and Hallelujah (with Tomi Swick)

3. Joni Mitchell (Little Green)
Like covering Cohen, Sarah has covered Joni Mitchell songs on many occasions but this maybe the first time she is doing this song. In 2007 Phil Dryer who composed arrangements of Joni's songs "Both Sides Now", "Woodstock", "Free Man in Paris" and "All I Want" as part of a concert Sarah did with the CBC Radio Orchestra. Phil Dryer is doing an arrangement for this concert and had made an arrangement for Sarah's first songbook with the Art of Time too. Other covers Sarah has done of Joni include Case Of You (2000) and Magdalene Laundries (2005 with Ron Sexsmith)

4. Blue Rodeo (Bad Timing)
Sarah sang with Jim Cuddy of Blue Rodeo at this year's Junos and she has joined on them on the stage in years past.

5. Björk (Joga)
This was one of the first artists mentioned when this concert was announced over a year ago. This appears to be the first time Sarah has attempted a Björk cover.

6. Kurt Weill (Lost In The Stars)
Sarah played at a songbook series to Kurt Weill at the 2008 Canwest Music Festival.

7. Jacques Brel (Ne Me Quitte Pas)

8. Queen (The Show Must Go On)
Sarah is holding true to her word playing a Queen cover as it was requested on tour back in 2005 and promised to be played someday.

9. David Gray (Shine)
Sarah confirmed this song via Twitter today. She had previously tweeted about attending his concert and Royal Wood has toured opening for him. She also purchased his song Please Forgive Me.

10. Judee Sill (Kiss)
Sarah confirmed via iTunes Ping that she will be playing this song for the concert.

11. PJ Harvey (?)
Early descriptions of the concert had mentioned a PJ Harvey cover. Sarah has mentioned interviews about her collecting PJ Harvey's music and enjoying the rhythm in it.

12. Cole Porter (?)
Cole Porter was another artist mentioned in early announcements of this concert. In the 2005 film Sarah acted in, Black Flowers, she sang Cole Porter's song Love for Sale.

The first 9 songs where mentioned in a recent media release to promote the concert. There is a chance that some the songs selected may have changed and other songs could have been added.

The night also features a new instrumental suite by composer Jonathan Goldsmith who is producing the second half of Sarah's double album Land and Sea.

The Art of Time Ensemble will also be announcing their upcoming season at this show. For the last few season Sarah has been involved in at least one show with them.

Tickets for these shows is limited but seats are still available in the front rows. More information can be found here including a listing of musicians and arranges for this concert.  There has been no word yet if CBC will be recording this Art of Time concert or if the concert will be produced into an album like it has been the last 2 seasons.

Sarah Slean and Jorane Create New Music Together

On April 2nd Sarah Slean and Jorane played together for a CBC special that airs May 10th. Jorane who plays chello toured across Canada sharing headling roles with Sarah in 2005. On the day of this recording Sarah tweeted "Created melancholy music on-the-fly today with the wonderful @Jorane chez Maison Radio-Canada. How I love Montreal..."

The following information comes from CBC's Rendez-Vous who have a video trailer and pictures of the event up. After May 10th they will be adding videos, songs and interviews.

"Sarah Slean and Jorane seem to have a mutual artistic connection. They both create very expressive, evocative and sometimes theatrical songs. So it is no surprise that when we hear them performing together it feels so natural.

For this session, the wonderful Jorane delivers new versions of her songs, accompanied by a string quartet and piano, in arrangements created especially for this recording.

The very talented Sarah Slean was also quite courageous to accept to perform some of Jorane's songs and to go where no other singer has dared gone before! And this is where Sarah Slean's passion for French culture pays off as we hear her sing in French for the first time ever.

Together, Jorane and Sarah create a brand new song, inspired by one of Sarah's personal experiences in Paris. The result is extremely touching.

Let yourself be carried away by this dreamy, friendly, wondrous and luminous Rendez-Vous session.

Check back after 4 p.m. ET on May 10th to enjoy videos, songs and interviews from this episode."

Elora Festival Date - July 16 (confirmed)

A summer festival date has been added to Sarah's tour page. Sarah will be playing the Elora Festival on July 16th.

Tickets are $40. More information can be found on:

http://www.elorafestival.com/index.cfm?page=2011WeekTwo

Sarah's New Song only Available until 10am

As announced on Sarah's official sites, she has donated a previously unreleased song from her upcoming album in support of relief efforts in Japan.

"She has chosen a song called “New Pair of Eyes” which she describes as an “ode to the shocking wonder of existence”. Typically mundane… ;)

Yes – before the single is released, before a video is made, before the world gets to hear the entirety of her giant double-disc 18-song creation, get yourself a taste of the magnificent work to come and send your love to a part of the world that desperately needs it!" 

- SarahSlean.com

Sarah's single is currently being sold in the final block of 20 songs for $20. It is also still being sold in the full 100 song list. The sale ends at 10am on Thursday so for those wanting to hear this song they must act fast.

The song appears to be from the "Land" album as it has a pop sound more kin to Sweet Ones, Out in the Park and Luck Me.

Land and Sea comes out on September 27th. The double album features 18 songs to which the following track titles are known:

• "New Pair of Eyes" - Released exclusively Song of Love for Japan
• "Set It Free" is the first single to be  released May 2nd
• "The Day We Saved the World" played at the Canwest Music Festival and again at the holiday show.
• "Life" debuted live July 1st 2010 in Toronto
• "My Song" played live in 2005, released on the Beauty Lives bside album in 2010 and to be recorded on the "Sea" album.