亚洲天堂 Lake鈥檚 musical sensation Rachelle van Zanten, performed in the Prince George Symphony Orchestra鈥檚 latest Mainstage show, Shun uts鈥檜tejun alongside two other singer-songwriters in the area on April 15th. The event held at Vanier Hall in Prince George, was a testament to the thriving music scene in northern B.C. and a celebration of the power of music to bring people together.
鈥淭his concert demonstrates that orchestral and popular music have so many similarities: they both make us feel strong emotions, they both bring us together in our shared humanity, and both rejuvenate our soul,鈥� said PGSO Music Director Michael Hall in a social media post. 鈥淲e have loved this opportunity to combine our different musical skill sets. As the concert title suggests, it is a joy to play music together.鈥�
Last fall, van Zanten was approached by fellow Prince George singer-songwriter performer Amy Blanding to take part in a potential show with the Prince George Symphony Orchestra. Without hesitation, Rachelle eagerly accepted the opportunity, knowing it would be a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
鈥淲e then handed over some original song recordings to Simon Cole for arranging. He did a wonderful job putting together giant orchestrated arrangements to take the songs where they have never gone before,鈥� said van Zanten.
The concert title, Shun uts鈥檜tejun, which means playing music together in the dakelh language, reflects the deeply collaborative nature of the project.
鈥淧erforming with a backing band as well as the PGSO was something very new for me. I was very grateful for Michael Hall, our musical director, for his guidance and patience when learning the arrangements. I kind of failed the theory/music reading part way back in the day so having him visually guide me through the arrangements was wonderful. I really had to listen to everything going on around me as did the backing band,鈥� van Zanten said candidly.
For van Zanten, the PGSO collaboration was not just a one-time event but part of a larger vision for promoting regional musicians, and the resounding feedback from the audience certainly points to the success of the evening.
鈥淚 have heard a lot of feedback from audience members and the overall response is that it was powerful. I felt the power when all of the 54 instruments kicked in. Every song gave me goosebumps,鈥� said van Zanten. 鈥淚 think the evening highlight for me was when Amy and I backed Kym Gouchie on 鈥楥leansing the Highway鈥� along with the backing band and PGSO 鈥� 鈥榃e are cleansing the highway of tears as we walk鈥�.鈥�
As for what鈥檚 next for Zanten, while she will be playing a few festivals this summer, she admits to craving some time at home with her animals and garden.
鈥淢y body is done with travelling after the last 24 years of planes, trains and automobiles. Being a touring musician takes a huge toll on the body and mind,鈥� she noted.
