aying music in Victoria and the Pacific Northwest for some 20 years now, most recently as one-third of the Ecclestons. 2010 saw the release of his much anticipated, independently produced, solo CD Nightrise. It contains 13 original tunes, highlighted by it’s lyrical depth and fine melodies and features wonderful performances by some of Victoria’s finest players.
Greg will be bringing his current trio, the Nightrise Band, to the Sooke Folk Society’s monthly coffee house on Saturday, April 16. Along with his four, six, and eight-string tenor ukuleles, mandolin and Irish bouzouki, the group will include Jevan Madill on guitars and vocals and Cam Stiles on bass and vocals. They will perform several songs from the CD as well as his award winning single, Circle Me With Water which won the Island Songwriting contest last summer at the Islands Folk Festival at Providence Farm in Duncan.
Greg sums up the essence of his musical journey this way.
“As I’ve made my way through this life thus far, there remains one constant….and that is the music. Apparently as a toddler I would ask my mother to put on the latest Elvis single (Hound Dawg), so I could mimic him and dance and play along. Kind of pathetic, I know… but it was probably pretty cute all those years ago. Anyway, there was always music in our house and I can’t imagine it not being a part of the fabric that keeps a home together. I believe music speaks to a spiritual inner part of all of us in some way or another. Five of the 13 songs on my new CD Nightrise were penned on the tenor ukulele. Link to the uke on my website, gregmadill.com. If you have always wanted to learn how to play a stringed instrument, but figured ‘it’s too late,’ or ‘I could never do that,’ then the wait is over. I couldn’t more highly recommend an instrument to begin your musical journey on. The uke is simple, yet can be very sophisticated. Join us this Saturday night, April 16 at Holy Trinity Anglican Church on Murray road. Doors open at 7 p.m. with open stage at 7:30 and Greg Madill and company appearing at 9. There will be some brand new songs, lots of stories and a good time for all. See you there!
Dave Gallant
Sooke Folk Music Society