Theresa Thomason & Paul Sullivanto Play Second “Group Encore” Show

Theresa Thomason & Paul Sullivanto Play Second “Group Encore” Show - theHumm October 2019

On Saturday, November 9 at 7:30pm at St. Paul’s United Church in Perth, music lovers can savour the extraordinary voice of singer Theresa Thomason and the virtuosity of Grammy Award-winning pianist Paul Sullivan. Thomason and Sullivan headline the second concert in the series supported by Group Encore!, a circle of people in Lanark County making events of this calibre possible.

The Thomason-Sullivan concert follows the inaugural, superlative concert held at St. Paul’s on May 25 that featured cellist Eugene Friesen and pianist Joel Martin. Like that first concert, this second in the series will include talent from the Lanark region. Appearing on November 9 will be pianist Mary Lou Carroll, bassist Cam Gray, drummer Tom Kemp, organist Brad Mills, and a 25-voice ensemble who will join Thomason and Sullivan on several deeply emotive songs.

Theresa Thomason is a show-stopping, roof-raising singer of outstanding range, power and sensitivity. At age 13 and on her first try, she won a prestigious amateur music contest at New York’s famed Apollo Theatre. Since then, Thomason’s musical journey has seen her sing with Pete Seeger, Stevie Wonder and Ray Charles, collaborate with renowned composer and conductor John Rutter, create an acclaimed musical, perform on Broadway in Hot Feet (with music by Earth, Wind & Fire), sing at the United Nations and at the Vatican, and perform in hallowed concert halls in Europe.

For over 25 years Thomason has also been a guest performer and a fan favourite with the multi-Grammy Award-winning world music group the Paul Winter Consort. As saxophonist Paul Winter says, “Theresa brings a nobility of artistry and spirit that is unparalleled. I think she has one of the great vocal talents in history. For her, it’s not a ‘me’ type of thing. So that humility that she has is just a tremendous gift. And something about that comes through. In a pure musical context, she’s amazing.”

Indeed, whether electrifying listeners with soaring gospel vocals, having fun with playful and intricate jazz numbers or singing from classical repertoire, as a vocalist Thomason can truly “do it all.”

Pianist Paul Sullivan also enjoys a richly varied and distinguished career. As a soloist, with his trio, and as another long-time member of the Paul Winter Consort, Sullivan has played on the stages of the world’s finest concert halls, in New York’s most prestigious jazz clubs, and in the living room of Leonard Bernstein. He has worked with countless musical greats including the legendary Benny Goodman, has performed with the Philadelphia Orchestra under Eugene Ormandy and the Boston Pops under Arthur Fiedler, and has worked as a musical director, pianist and/or conductor for many Broadway and off-Broadway shows. Sullivan’s original compositions and recordings have also garnered rave reviews and earned him three Indie awards.

Like the Friesen-Martin show in May, the Thomason-Sullivan concert on November 9 is made possible thanks to Group Encore! This is a circle of “backers” who contribute toward meeting the costs of these high-calibre concerts staged in the exquisite sanctuary and soundspace of St. Paul’s United Church in Perth. Backers support concerts on an event-by-event basis and make their contribution either as a donation or subject to a full or partial refund depending on whether a given concert breaks even or yields a surplus or loss. This event funding model realized nearly $1300 from the May 25 concert, which goes toward supporting this second show.

Tickets for the November 9 concert featuring Theresa Thomason, Paul Sullivan, and talent from the Lanark region are available from Tickets Please online ticketsplease.ca , by phone (485–6434), or in person (Perth Visitors’ Centre, Matheson House Museum, 11 Gore Street East). For more information about the concert or about Group Encore! please contact Producer Rob Rainer at rainershinetvt@gmail.com .

Links for this article at Group Encore,

Jean Morrow —theHumm Came Out to Morrow - theHumm October 2019

By Sally Hansen

Art… and Soul

It was time to check out the artistic chops of another member of the amazing Almonte art scene. A relative newcomer to the community, Jean Morrow has opened her solo art gallery as part of her stunning Thoburn Mill condo overlooking the Mississippi River. Her art also brightens the walls and nicely complements Deborah Arnold’s supremely appropriate stone sculptures in the main corridor of this remarkable building. After several iterations of renovation since the historical......

Theresa Thomason & Paul Sullivanto Play Second “Group Encore” Show - theHumm October 2019