PLAIN FOLK

by David Gue
Musical Bridges

Scene 1: the Crestwood School picnic
Standing in the food line, a small voice pipes up shyly from somewhere near my left knee.“Are you one of the singers in the band?”

I squat down to talk eye to eye, and admit that yes, I am helping to provide some musical entertainment. “And which song was your favorite?”

“Well,” she replies seriously, “all of them, I guess. I like music.”

“Me too,” I reply. “Music is the best – especially singing together.”

A small bridge built across the generation gap. The power of song.

Scene 2: A food stand at Spectrum
“Hey, thanks for singing the Harry Chapin piece,” says the young man preparing my hamburger. “He was a great songwriter.”

“The best,” I reply, more than a little astonished. I’ve chatted with a lot of young people, but not often about songwriters. Especially Chapin, who died 25 years ago on the highway at age 36.

Chapin’s music is widely heard. “Cat’s in the Cradle,” for example, has been covered by Ugly Kid Joe, Ricky Skaggs, and Sarah MacLachlan. But how many of their fans know who wrote the song they sing?

“He wrote about everything. Truckloads of fruit...,” I probe.

“Oh, yeah. 30 000 Pounds of Bananas,” my server replies. Pretty impressive. I feel a bit of a connection developing.

“Do you know the one about the tailor who tried to be an opera star?”

Again, an instant and correct response. “Mr. Tanner.” A quick grin. “That one’s super. Enjoy your burger.”

Another momentary bridge, built on shared knowledge and a common interest. The power of song.

Scene 3: A recent family visit in Edmonton
“You might be interested in the concert tomorrow,” says my sister, who is not a devoted folk music fan.

“It’s a youth choir from Namibia in Africa,” she explains. “They’re here on an exchange. It’s a farewell performance with Kokopelli, their host choir here.”

The concert was exuberant, emotional, wonderful. The story is even more amazing.

On an international tour two years ago, the youthful Edmonton choristers formed an instant bond with some of their hosts in Southern Africa. Since then, Kokopelli’s artistic director, Scott Leithead, has spearheaded a string of follow-up actions.

Two students from Southern Africa have spent school semesters in Edmonton, hosted by Kokopelli families. A young Edmonton woman is heading to Africa in a few weeks as the first return exchange student.

$150 000 was raised in a matter of months to bring the Namibian youth choir, “Mascato,” to Canada for three weeks of concerts throughout Alberta and British Columbia.

An African Projects Fund has been established by the young Edmonton singers, their families and supporters. It underwrites medical and dental treatment, scholarships, and similar practical support for their friends and colleagues in Africa.

A bridge between communities, founded on a common enthusiasm. The power of song