Collaborations come in all sorts of surprising configurations.
When James Hill, a world renowned ukulele player raised on a diet of folk and blues and Anne Janelle, a classically trained cellist, ‘a cellist of true beauty´ (Ottawa Citizen), came together some years ago to be part of a project called Classical Ukulele, they found in each others playing, an unlikely union which has since blossomed into the top notch singer-songwriter-ukulele-cello duo that makes a stop in Vernon as the next offering in the Vernon Folk Roots Society’s 2024-25 season at the Jazz Club.
Although over the years the duo have released several solo albums, they have now returned solidly to the duo format as they see in it the strongest offering that they can present.
When I caught up with Hill recently, he and Anne were just setting up to soundcheck with the Kootenay Symphony and although it’s not an orchestra they will work with in Vernon, they will be joined by a string quartet as part of their Midnight Clear Christmas Tour.
An added bonus to their visit on Dec. 8 will be a Booster Uke, ukulele workshop which takes place at 2 p.m. before the main concert at 7:30 p.m.
Hill explains that the ukulele community, who he calls "uke heads" is a unique one and he relishes the opportunity to connect with local groups wherever he plays.
He is a firm believer in what he refers to as the medicinal qualities of music making, as opposed to music ‘consumption.’
"The art of creating music at whatever level," he enthuses, "is simply exhilarating. This sense of emerging from darkness into a world of creation ignites something within many of us, the long term effects of which we may never realize initially."
The Midnight Clear tour (and album) blends strands of both traditional and modern interpretations of both Christmas carols and winter songs.
Hill explains that the duo has deliberately dipped into several realms of seasonal music in order to make a comment about the current moment at a time when some question whether we should celebrate Christmas the way we used to.
He says that they feel it is important to bring some tradition into the current day whilst also recognizing the trend to a broader blend of seasonal music.
"Mixing it all together into the Midnight Clear evening maybe helps to bring some answers."
Vernon Folk Roots Society present James Hill and Anne Janelle at Vernon’s Jazz Club on Sunday, Dec. 8. Workshop is sold out but show tickets are available from ticketseller.ca
