Local farms and musicians featured in 'Conserre' series

Jonathan Davies | Jun 15, 2022

There's nothing like the energy in a concert venue just before the band takes the stage. I felt that energy when I walked down the steps to the floor of the Saddledome at age 17 at my first big concert (Elton John with my dad, 4th row seats, $84 a ticket, a bygone era). I've also felt it in dive bars with sparse, distracted crowds – the sight of the stage, the lights, the mics, everything still, electricity in the air – there's nothing like the first notes of a good band bursting out of a good sound system - operated by a good sound person - accompanied by the smells of alcohol, old bar furniture and cologne.

That all went away for a while - the live music experience continued but in a sterilized form – usually someone's off-white or beige bedroom wall in the background with a condenser mic in front and a performer out of their habitat, trying to settle in.

Livestreamed shows are more a matter of transmitting a reasonably clear representation of songs to the listener – texture is mostly foregone. Mainly, these shows have provided a gathering point for family and friends, and a chance for artists to keep their performance skills from calcifying.

And the effort counts for something - the loss of live music has prompted musicians to try stuff, to take what we've got to work with and make something interesting, if imperfect.

“Conserre” is the concept that I landed on after I realized the greenhouse at the Murvale farm I co-founded made for a cozy spot to strum my guitar – a spot abuzz with plenty of mostly silent plant life and the odd insect.

The word Conserre is a play on a couple of French words (Concert – same as is English but pronounced differently, and 'serre' which is the French word for greenhouse or hoophouse). Essentially “concert in a greenhouse.”

I decided to run with it - why not make a short filmed concert of some of my French repertoire? I thought. Why not ask other local musicians to take a stab at writing and performing in French, and approach some other small farms that would make excellent venues?

The series features the fields and greenhouses of Freedom Farm, where John Rose performed original French-language songs in full summer sun (John Rose's songs are distinctive – folk with a touch of twang and brilliant vocals, his 2021 release Kent County is full of finely-crafted songs); Patchwork Gardens, where Sian Alcorn captured autumn scenery, also singing in French (Sian's music is inventive, stirring folk with dreamy instrumentation); along with Long Road Eco Farm, where I covered winter and spring. We each sang to our cameras (and an eventual audience) alone but for the company of the farm. The hope is that these short taped concerts might provide a refreshing take on the pandemic-era music experience.

The Centre culturel Frontenac – the region's vanguard for French-language arts and culture - made the project possible, providing sponsorship and a platform to showcase the series. All performances are available for free viewing at the centre's website, www.centreculturelfrontenac.com