|
07/10/99 - Sparkling Celtic Magic
07/29/00 - Musicians reach
out to Antoniak family
07/30/99 - Concert
celebrates life of folklorist Helen Creighton
08/05/99 - Antoniak
remembered with second benefit
08/15/99 - An outpouring of love, music
09/17/99 - Rankins decide to pack it in
09/18/99 - Fare Thee Well, Rankins
09/19/99 - Heather
Rankin ready to act on new challenge
09/30/99 - Rankin gals sing with
Carly Simon
09/??/99 - The
Rankins Announce the End of a Musical Era (new)
10/07/99 - Holland, Larsen tie the knot
11/22/99 - Nutcracker,
Messiah and Rankin Sisters
11/24/99 - Do You Hear the Rankin
Belles
11/26/99 - A Rankin kind of Christmas
11/27/99 - Sweetness
and light: Rankins bring smiles to faces at Cohn
12/02/99 - Rankins, CPO wow audience
12/05/99 - It's a family affair
12/09/99 - Yuletide Tunes
July 10, 1999 - Calgary Sun
By Dave Veitch
CALGARY -- Before The Corrs, there was another family that brought joy to
music lovers with their Celtic pop sound.
Lo and behold, that band is Canada's very own Rankins, who may lack the
glamour and sex appeal of The Corrs, but traffic in more rootsy, rural pleasures.
Truth be told, their vocal harmonies have lost a little zest with the
departure of Raylene Rankin, but their goods were still good enough to royally entertain a
jam-packed crowd at the Coca-Cola Stage on the Stampede grounds last night.
Roving Gypsy Boy remains The Rankins' rollicking opening gambit -- it had
the momentum of a runaway train and the singalong melody of a boozy pub song.
The Rankins might have pursued country music credibility with their last
studio album, Uprooted, but their Celtic-tinged melodies and the homespun, familial
harmonies of Cookie, Jimmy and Heather Rankin are as evocative of the East Coast as
fisheries and salt-water air.
This was especially true whenever they sang in Gaelic or when they brought
out fiddle tunes that had their roots in Cape Breton, not bluegrass.
That said, The Rankins' more conventional country pop songs such as Let It
Go and Movin' On were still played with plenty of conviction and blessed with the sort of
stick-in-your mind melodies that appeal to country listeners.
July 29, 1999 - Halifax Herald
On Tuesday, Aug. 10, a group of musicians, singers and songwriters will
gather at the Velvet Olive on Market Street in Halifax for the family of George Antoniak,
a well known, respected and loved guitarist/songwriter.
George's wife, Jane, has taken seriously ill and in response, his friends
are presenting an evening of music in support of George and his family, at this most
difficult time.
Confirmed artists to date include Lennie Gallant, Mary Jane Lamond, Mir, Raylene
Rankin, Sam Moon, Wayne Nicholson, Brian Bourne and master of ceremonies Bob
Lambert.
A silent auction and multiple draws for merchandise and services donated
by local businesses and individuals will also take place. Doors open at 6 p.m., show
starts at 8 p.m.
Donations may be made by sending a cheque or money order made payable to
David C. Perlmutter - In Trust to 287 Portland St., Dartmouth, N.S. B2Y 1K3 (Antoniak
Fund).
Perlmutter is a barrister and solicitor and is the secreatry of the Music
Industry of Nova Scotia. This event is in cooperation with the Atlantic Federation
of Musicians.
July 30, 1999 - Halifax Herald
The Helen Creighton Folklore society presents Song Tellers Circle: Telling
Stories Through Song, a concert in celebration of the centennary of the birth of
"Canada's First Lady of Folklore," Dr. Helen Creighton, Saturday, 8 p.m., at St.
George's Round Church, 2222 Brunswick St.
The concert, held in conjunction with the annual general meeting of the
Storytellers Association of Canada, features guest artists each performing two traditional
songs and two contemporary about how life is lived in Nova Scotia.
Performers are: Raylene Rankin, featuring the Cape Breton experience;
Margo Carruthers; Mike Charlton and Francois Cote, bringing the Acadian experience; Dr.
Helen Creighton archivist and biographer Clary Croft, who is also the host; Rick Gunn, Dan
McKinnon and Anne Johnson MacDonald, who brings in the African Nova Scotian experience.
This is the second of three big events celebrating Dr. Creighton's birth
date of Sept. 5, 1899, in Dartmouth. Earlier this year, the society held a tea celebration
at Uniacke House Estates. It will have a tent and birthday celebrations at the Word on the
Street Festival Sept. 26.
Tickets for Saturday's concert, which is open to the public, are $10, $8
for seniors and students. Tickets are at Celtic Traditions, Spring Garden Place, or at the
door.
August 5, 1999 - Halifax Herald
The outpouring of support for beloved local guitarist/songwriter George
Antoniak and his family in the wake of the death of his wife Jane continues.
A benefit evening planned for Tuesday, Aug. 10 at the Velvet Olive has
been expanded to an additional night on Wednesday, Aug. 11 so that everyone who wanted to
participate could be included.
"George is a wonderful guy. We all have to pull together to help
during this tragic time," says Bruce Guthro, who will perform at Wednesday's show.
Other artists include Terry Kelly, Mary Jane Lamond, Ian Janes and Matt Minglewood.
Over a hundred items, including a guitar and a weekend at White Point
Beach Lodge, will be part of a silent auction and raffle to take place both nights. Hosted
by Bob Lambert, Tuesday's show will feature appearances by Gordie Sampson, Raylene
Rankin, Mir, Lennie Gallant, Brian Bourne, Wayne Nicholson and Sam Moon.
Wednesday's performers include Dave Carmichael, Ian Janes, Mary Jane Lamond, Bruce Guthro,
Terry Kelly, Matt Minglewood and Ruby Daley.
Doors open at 5 p.m., the shows start at 8 p.m. Advance tickets are
available at HMV on Spring Garden Road, for $10 per night.
August 15, 1999 - Halifax Herald
By Greg Guy - Culture Club
East Coast musicians and friends of the music industry proved this week
that they truly are a family. When one of its members is met with tragedy, the family gets
together and helps out.
Friends of guitarist /songwriter George Antoniak gathered for a
fund-raiser on Tuesday and Wednesday at Halifax's Velvet Olive to remember George's wife
Jane, who died on July 29, after a sudden illness. Both nights were sold out and helped to
raise more than $15,000 for the Antoniak family during this difficult time.
"George is the nicest guy in the music business," said Bruce
Guthro who performed on Wednesday night. Sheri Jones, of Jones & Co. who helped
to organize the benefit, said everyone she approached immediately wanted to help out and
be part of the fund-raiser.
Brian Bourne read a letter from George Antoniak to the packed house each
night. Antoniak thanked his friends in the music industry for their generosity and
their outpouring of support. And what an outpouring it was. It was like a reunion of the
East Coast music scene. The who's who in the biz certainly was there.
Among the performers were Bruce Guthro, Ian Janes, Dave Carmichael, Sam
Moon, Matt Minglewood, Ruby Daley, Ritchie Oakley, Gordie Sampson, Wayne Nicholson, Raylene
Rankin, Lennie Gallant, Mir, Terry Kelly, Mary Jane Lamond, Doris Mason, Brad
Davish, and Joe Murphy. Bob Lambert, Ric Gautreau and Tom Gallant hosted the events.
Al Strickland offered his services working the soundboard.
Over the two nights those joining in the good cause were Wayne O'Connor,
Johnny Favourite, Sons of Maxwell's Dave Carroll, Tom "Let's Make a Deal" Sears,
Play On Words publisher Sean Sears, Salter Street's Bill Niven, the smashing publicists
Gina DeYoung and Wendy Phillips, Great Big Sea's manager Louis Thomas, my Herald colleague
Stephen Cooke, Jones & Co.'s Phyllistine Landry, MIANS executive director Tanya
Wolstenholme, promoter Mike Ardenne, volunteer extraordinaire Peggy Johnson, HMV's Kelly
McKeigan, The Coast's Christa Harrie, columnist Marla Cranston and her beau, David
Christiansen, Bruce Lusby and his stylin' gal, Heidi Jenkins, Fiona Diamond, percussionist
extraordinaire Cathy Porter, dance choreographer Mary Lou Martin, Shimon and Peggy Walt
and Tidemark's Shelley Nordstrom. George's son Michael and daughter Tonya were on hand to
thank those who attended the benefit. Ric Gautreau presented them with an Ovation guitar,
especially made for George.
A trust fund has been set up for the Antoniak family. Donations may be
made by sending a cheque or money order made payable to David C. Perlmutter - In Trust to
287 Portland St., Dartmouth, N.S. B2Y 1K3.
September 17, 1999 - Canadian Press
HALIFAX (CP) - The Rankins are movin' on. After months of speculation, the
popular musical family from Cape Breton has decided to call it quits so its members can
pursue independent careers and interests.
"It was a life decision more than anything else," John Morris
Rankin said Friday from his home in Judique, N.S.
"At this point, we have two people with families . . . it's just the
most opportune time to make this decision."
Over a decade-long, storybook career, the Mabou, N.S., family band rose
from county fairs and church halls to become the most successful music acts on the East
Coast through the 1990s.
The band sold more than two million records, won five Juno Awards,
including group of the year in 1994, and took its Celtic-inflected music to the world.
But the pressures of constant touring and differing creative pressures
began taking its toll last year.
Raylene Rankin left the group following the birth of her first child. The
remaining four siblings vowed to carry on, dropping "Family" from the band's
name to become, simply, The Rankins.
While they still performed concerts, each of the members was also pursing
individual projects.
Jimmy was working on a solo album, while sisters Raylene, Cookie and
Heather recorded an album of seasonal music.
According to a release from the group's management, Cookie will continue
to pursue a songwriting and recording career, while Heather will focus on acting. She
appeared in the award-winning 1997 film The Hanging Garden.
John Morris, who anchors the band with his piano playing and fiddling,
will continue to collaborate with other musicians.
"I'll be doing some freelancing," he said. "I'm not totally
sure, but I've got some work booked."
The decision brings to a close one of the most important musical acts to
come out of Atlantic Canada. The family's early independent success - they sold 75,000
records literally out of the back of a car - led to one of the first major-label music
contracts in the region.
After being courted by several Canadian labels, they finally signed with
EMI Canada and delivered five platinum records (each selling over 100,000 copies) through
the '90s. Fare Thee Well Love sold more than 500,000 copies alone.
"We've had a great run," said John Morris. "It's been 10
years and they've gone by fast. Originally we planned to do this for five years, and 10
have passed.
"It's all been a positive experience for us."
Stephen MacDonald, a promoter who produced the family's first gig in 1989,
said he was struck immediately by the girls' voices and harmonies.
"There was an electricity among them, it was something wonderful,
unique," MacDonald said from his home in Lunenburg, N.S.
"With Jimmy and John Morris with the girls, they had the whole
package."
MacDonald said he's not saddened by the group's split.
"I know as individuals they will continue to make their mark,"
he said.
Halifax promoter Brookes Diamond, who worked with The Rankins on many
projects, said promoters are already drooling for a reunion tour.
"I can't imagine them never playing together again, but there comes a
time in this business that you have to move on."
September 18, 1999 - Halifax Herald
By Greg Guy / Entertainment Editor
The Rankins are officially movin' on.
After months of speculation in the music industry, Mabou's most famous
family has decided to disband.
The Cape Breton siblings became one of the top-selling groups ever to come
out of the East Coast, having made several multi-platinum albums from the seven released
in the past decade.
The official word came late Friday from the band's manager, Mickey Quase.
"After a critically acclaimed 10-year musical career highlighted by
album sales in excess of two million units, international touring and numerous hit
singles, the multiple Juno Award-winning band The Rankins will cease to record and perform
as a group in order to pursue independent careers and interests," said an official
release.
Cookie Rankin will pursue songwriting and recording projects, while sister
Heather will focus on a career in acting. She appeared in Thom Fitzgerald's award-winning
movie The Hanging Garden in 1997. Multiple-award-winning singer/songwriter Jimmy
Rankin plans to work on a solo career and John Morris Rankin plans to freelance as a
multi-instrumentalist and composer.
In 1998, Raylene Rankin took an "indefinite leave of absence"
from the band to raise her young son. After her departure, many in the industry began
speculating on the band's future.
Quase says the band will perform all scheduled engagements this month and
in October, including a benefit for the Copps Coliseum restoration in Hamilton, Ont., on
Oct. 21. They'll call it a wrap in early November. In late November and
December, Heather, Cookie and Raylene will embark on a Christmas symphony tour in several
Canadian cities.
It was the band's electrifying talent and individual contributions to its
performances that attracted promoter Stephen MacDonald to produce the Rankins' first gig -
a show called the Mabou Jig in 1989. "I was impressed immediately by
their multi-talent and the girls' incredible voices and harmonies," MacDonald said
Friday from his home in Lunenburg. "There was an electricity among them, it was
something wonderful, unique. With Jimmy and John Morris with the girls, they had the whole
package."
MacDonald first met Raylene in the Rise and Follies of Cape Breton Island
in the early 1980s. Later, Cookie and Heather joined the Cape Breton Summertime Revue and
it didn't take long for the group to win MacDonald's heart. MacDonald became
executive producer of their first two albums, their debut, The Rankin Family, and the
second, Fare Thee Well Love.
In less than two years on the airwaves, the independent release Fare Thee
Well Love was picked up by Capitol Records/EMI and the Rankins signed an international
deal with the record company. Just last year they signed a U.S. deal with Rounder Records.
Their national breakthrough came in 1994 when they swept both the East
Coast Music Awards in St. John's and the Juno Awards, becoming Canada's Entertainers of
the Year. They picked up three other Junos that year, including Group of the Year, Country
Group of the Year and Single of the Year (Fare Thee Well Love).
The Rankins have 18 ECMAs and five Junos to their credit. Jimmy
Rankin has several SOCAN music awards for his songwriting and top-pop radio play.
MacDonald says he is not saddened by the group's split. "I know
as individuals they will continue to make their mark," MacDonald said. "I think
it's great for them and as the merry-go-round of the music business continues, I know it's
a good move and a positive step for them."
Halifax impresario Brookes Diamond, who worked with The Rankins on many
projects, said he can picture promoters already drooling for a reunion tour. "I
can't imagine them never playing together again, but there comes a time in this business
that you have to move on."
September 19, 1999 - Halifax Herald
By Greg Guy / Entertainment Editor
Mabou songbird Heather Rankin always wanted to be an actress.
Now that she and her siblings have decided to disband as The Rankins,
she's ready to put 100 per cent into her new challenge. "It's a sad time for
me," she admitted on Saturday. "I think because it's been 10 years of fun
travelling to different parts of the world and we've been working with world-class artists
and producers and enjoying an amazing reception wherever we go.
"At the same time, I'm excited to finally sink my teeth into what
I've always madly wanted to tackle - acting. It's exciting and terrifying all at the same
time."
After a decade of touring the globe with her sisters Cookie and Raylene
and brothers Jimmy and John Morris and becoming one of the top-selling acts ever to come
from the East Coast, the Rankins announced Friday that they are embarking on independent
careers and interests.
"I think that change is a very healthy thing, although it may not be
easy. I think that now, that it's happening, I'm biting at the bit at my future prospects
at doing some acting," said Heather, the youngest of the group.
"I think that every now and again in life it's important to shake
things up and get a jump start and I think that's the time for us.
"As artists you've got to keep things fresh and you've got to keep
challenging yourself. I think if your interest is peaked, chances are you are going to do
that project 100 per cent."
Heather has acted before. She had a role as Black-Eyed Susan in Thom
Fitzgerald's award-winning movie The Hanging Garden in 1997. And for those who remember
the Cape Breton Summertime Revue, Heather appeared as the sharp-tongued and wildly popular
character, Shirley, in shows from 1987-89.
On Friday night, Heather attended the opening gala of the Atlantic Film
Festival. Heather said initially heading out into the music world was really
exciting.
"Everyone was striving for the same goals and we were all focused in
the same direction. But I think over time people grow as individuals and their priorities
change and their interests change. Sooner or later I think it's healthy to tackle new
challenges. That's what we are all set to do."
Her sister Cookie plans to continue with songwriting and recording
projects. Jimmy will embark on a solo career (he already has an album in the works
and last December performed solo at a gig in Toronto) and John Morris plans to freelance
as a multi-instumentalist and composer. Raylene left the group last year to raise
her young son.
The Rankin gals, who have some of the sweetest harmonies in the
entertainment world, will head out on a Christmas symphony tour in various Canadian
cities. They released, Do You Hear, a seasonal album two years ago. They will perform with
Symphony Nova Scotia on Nov. 26 and 27 at the Rebecca Cohn Auditorium in Halifax.
September 30, 1999 - Halifax Herald
The Rankin sisters will be recording an album with Carly Simon, the
Tattler has learned. Despite their breakup on Sept. 17 as the group The Rankins, Heather,
Cookie and Raylene headed to Martha's Vineyard Wednesday to sing on Simon's next album.
It will be produced by David Field, who has worked with the Rankins
before. He produced the title song on their limited-edition five-song EP, Grey Dusk
of Eve in 1995 and a Lullaby compilation album, in which the Rankins provided a tune.
The gals will be part of a small group of back-up singers for Arista
Records release. The Rankin sisters will perform on Nov. 26 and 27 at the Rebecca
Cohn Auditorium in a holiday show with Symphony Nova Scotia.
September 1999 - Virtual
Atlantic Canada
Fans of The Rankins, Cape Breton's award-winning Celtic band,
will be disappointed to hear the musical family troupe is breaking up so members
can pursue separate careers and interests.
The Rankin Family soared to national and international attention
in the 1990s with the success of their first two albums, the Rankin Family and
Fare Thee Well Love.
Signed on by EMI in 1992, the Rankin Family found itself at the top of the
adult contemporary charts when Fare Thee Well Love shot to #1, went gold then
eventually sold five times platinum.
The Rankins are one of Canada's most unusual bands. All siblings, they
practically grew up on the stage, performing at dance halls and family
gatherings in Cape Breton since they were children.
Out of their success on the national and international music scene there
emerged a Celtic-Gaelic renaissance on Canada's east coast. This renewed
interest in things Celtic was in a large part inspired by the Rankins use of
Gaelic, a language which is still spoken in parts of Cape Breton.
The band consists of four brothers and sisters: Cookie, Heather, Jimmy, and
John Morris. Originally known as The Rankin Family, they changed their name to
The Rankins in 1998 when sister Raylene took an extended maternity leave.
The Rankins Website describes their "repertoire" as "broad-- a
hard-to-classify, progressive fusion of Celtic, pop, folk, rock, blues and
country -- much of which is surprisingly radio-friendly.
The Rankins "are renowned for their energetic live shows that feature
everything from soaring angelic harmonies to throaty mouth music, bouts of fiery
fiddle and solid contemporary songwriting."
The Rankins will continue with their engagements through to October,
including a benefit for Restoration House at Copps Coliseum in Hamilton, Ontario
on October 21st.
In early November the members will be free to go off onto their own projects
which range from acting (Heather) and songwriting (Jimmy, Cookie), to freelance
multi-instrumentalist and composer (John Morris). In late November and December,
Heather, Cookie, and Raylene will embark on a Christmas Symphony tour in various
Canadian cities.
October 7, 1999 - Halifax Herald
Cape Breton fiddler Jerry Holland tied the knot with Mary Larsen, editor
of Fiddle Magazine last Saturday in Boularderie Island.
The ceremony was performed by Father Martin MacDougall at St. Joachim
Church. Some of the musical guests included John Morris Rankin, Brenda Stubbert,
Howie MacDonald, Dennis Larade, Billy Joe Chiasson, Pat Lamey, and Ashley's father Angus
MacIsaac.
Dave MacIsaac and Dougie MacDonald performed at the wedding. Jerry
Jr. was the best man. A ceilidh / wedding reception was held at Holland's home on Johnston
Road.
Holland will perform at Celtic Colours in Big Pond on Saturday, Baddeck on
Sunday, Cheticamp next Tuesday and Dingwall next Thursday. In late October, Holland
travels to Europe performing in Scotland, England and Ireland.
November 22, 1999 - Halifax Herald
By Tom Mason / Special Features Writer
Each year, many people look forward to the Nutcracker at the Rebecca Cohn
in Halifax. The Young Company of Halifax Dance, the Mermaid Theatre and Symphony Nova
Scotia will present eight performances of this charming classic between Dec. 10 and 18.
Symphony Nova Scotia also has two other Christmas shows planned.
On Dec. 20 and 21, another Christmas classic - Handel's Messiah - will
ring through the Rebecca Cohn. The orchestra will be joined by members from the Halifax
Camerata Singers and the Cantabile Singers of Truro.
On Nov. 26 and 27, Cookie, Raylene and Heather Rankin will perform music
from their Christmas CD Do You Hear.
Do You
Hear the Rankin Belles
Sisters set out on nationwide 7-city holiday symphony tour
November 24, 1999 - Halifax Herald - By Andrea Nemetz / Entertainment Reporter
Christmas was always a big event for the 12 kids in the Rankin household in Mabou, Cape
Breton.
"Our mother always put a lot of effort into the decorating, and the food, and made
sure there was always lots of stuff under the tree," recalls Raylene Rankin.
Raylene is now a mother herself and her son, Alexander, is 21 months old and
"walking and climbing into everything" leaving Raylene wondering how she's ever
going to put up her Christmas tree or if she'll have to find some way to hang it from the
ceiling.
Like moms everywhere she's planning her holiday baking and shopping, but she'll have to
wait to get into action.
On Friday she begins a whirlwind, two-week cross-country tour with sisters Cookie and
Heather.
The Rankin Sisters perform in two near sold-out shows with Symphony Nova Scotia at the
Rebecca Cohn Auditorium on Friday and Saturday before heading off to Calgary, Vancouver,
Kelowna, B.C., Edmonton, Winnipeg and Brandon, Man.
The sisters plan to sing 12 or 13 Christmas selections, most from their Do You Hear CD,
released in 1997, and a few that didn't make it onto the recording in the concert. Scott
Macmillan will conduct the orchestra.
It's the first time they've ever played with a symphony and they'll play with seven on
this tour, a different orchestra in every city.
"I'm really looking forward to it. I suspect it will be very different," says
Raylene.
She's also looking forward to spending time with her sisters, Cookie, and Heather.
"Ever since we started the Christmas project with this album it's given us a
chance to get together and have fun, to eat, talk and catch up on each other's
stories."
The concept behind the CD was to capture a little bit of the feeling of Christmas when
the Rankins were little and singing in the choir in Mabou.
"There are certain Christmas pieces on the album which bring me back, especially
'Oh Night of Joy and Gladness' which we sing a capella. It was a piece done by the Mabou
choir every year and it really brings me back to a time of warmth and joy," says
Raylene.
The symphony tour is the first time the sisters have performed together since late
September when they worked on Carly Simon's upcoming album in Martha's Vineyard.
"Carly Simon is larger than life in a fabulous way," says Raylene.
"She's a star with a capital S."
Heather, Cookie and Raylene didn't have much time for sightseeing. They were picked up
by Simon's driver and driven to Simon's 'country estate'. Liam O'Maonlai of Hothouse
Flowers also collaborated on Simon's album singing back-up vocals with the sisters and
playing the bodhran and tin whistle.
The sisters worked on five or six recordings but are unsure how many will songs make it
onto Simon's album.
There are no plans for the trio - the female contingent of The Rankin Family which
disbanded September 17 - to work together again, though they'd be happy to work on the
right project.
Raylene will also do the odd solo project - last spring she did a benefit for the
Breast Cancer Society in the Valley to raise money for the mammography ward at a local
hospital.
But mostly she's enjoying motherhood and the break from 10 long years of "really
intense work with the touring family which sold more than two million units and won 18
ECMA Awards and five Junos."
The work took its toll emotionally and physically.
And what does Raylene hope to find under the Christmas tree?
"My life has become a lot simpler. I just pray for health and happiness and peace
on earth and goodwill to men."
November 26, 1999 - Calgary Sun
By Lisa Wilton
Christmas is a hectic time for any family.
But try spending Christmas with 12 siblings and their families and you'll
have an idea of what the word hectic means to the Rankin family.
"We used to congregate in Cape Breton, more so in the past when our
mother was living," recalls Raylene Rankin, who along with sisters Heather and Cookie
will perform a special Christmas concert with the CPO at the Jack Singer Concert Hall Dec.
1.
"Our mother was easily excited by Christmas and she used to start
baking about a month beforehand, making everything from her own mincemeat to doughnuts.
Every kind of sweet.
"We used to have really nice Christmases when we were children. I
have good memories of being in the choir on Christmas Eve and Christmas carolling.
"Our parents always made a big deal out of Christmas and made sure
there was enough food and that we got enough presents -- the whole thing."
The Christmas concert tour -- which is also in support of the sisters'
1997 holiday album, Do You Hear ... -- marks Raylene's return to the stage after a
one-year absence.
She quit the popular contemporary celtic group The Rankin Family to raise
her two-year-old son.
Though the band -- which also featured Cookie, Heather and brothers Jimmy
and John Morris -- carried on as The Rankins, they finally called in quits in September.
"It seemed to be the right timing," says Raylene.
"Collectively, we were all anxious to try something different. Ten
years is a long time touring and working together, especially if you're family."
While Raylene has no solid plans career-wise after the tour finishes, she
believes the rest of the group will continue to record individually.
All except Heather, who has had her heart set on an acting career ever
since she was a child and claims to have never thought of herself as a singer.
"I've been doing a few auditions," explains the high-pitched
Heather, who appeared in the award-winning 1997 Canadian film, The Hanging Garden.
"There's some film work around, so I'm going to continue and see what
comes my way.... My experience is primarily in theatre and I haven't done much film work,
but that's what I'd like to get into. I'm excited about that challenge."
Both Heather and Raylene admit to slight trepidation about setting off on
their own, although Heather takes a rather philosophical approach to it.
"Trying something new is always scary, but it's also
refreshing," she says.
"Fear is what holds people back. If you pay attention to that then
you'll never experience the good things in life."
Raylene, Cookie and Heather seem to be having trouble getting away from
each other.
In addition to the latest tour, the three spent a few days in Martha's
Vineyard recording backing vocals for Carly Simon's coming album.
"It was a very good experience for us," says Raylene.
"I think this is sort of what I'd like to get into.
"She (Simon) was very hospitable and made sure we felt welcome.
"We're not buddies or anything, but she was very nice."
November 27, 1999 - Halifax Herald
By Stephen Pedersen / Arts Reporter - Concert Review
The Rankin Sisters and Symphony Nova Scotia with Scott Macmillan on the
podium conducting his own arrangements of their tunes: now that's a formula for success if
there ever was one.
So it was happy green lights all the way Friday night at the Cohn for the
kick-off tour concert based on the Rankin Sisters Christmas CD, Do You Hear?
And no doubt they will take Calgary, Vancouver, Kelowna, Edmonton and
Winnipeg by the heart as well with their lovely light, sweet, clear voices, their family
humour, and their extremely approachable Christmas tunes in the next two weeks. Cookie,
Raylene and Heather Rankin are well versed in concert programming and delivery.
They pace themselves brilliantly, and their song treatments include
introductions in which each features in a solo role with the others as backup at the top
of each half of the concerts. Then they sing together. Macmillan's arrangements are
rhythmically alert and interesting and he can throw a surprise at you by way of an
unexpected harmony, then justify it in the next measure. Instead of a shock, it brings a
smile to your face.
It was smiles all round in the seventh sold-out house of the season for
Symphony Nova Scotia when they performed Children Go Where I Send You in an audacious
arrangement that happily fused the gospel song to a zydeco rhythm.
The orchestra opened with a conservative medley of Christmas Carols,
sedately orchestrated by one Arthur Harris, and followed it with a captivating performance
of Delius's Sleigh Ride with its sparkling piccolo and gliding motion.
The song harmonies were on the heavenly side, perfectly in tune and
ringing. And the Christmas Carols--Do You Hear What I hear, Jesus Christ The Apple Tree,
Coventry Carol--were the choicest so that there were no echoes of department store Muzak,
but only sweetness, light, bouncy rhythms and nightingales.
December 2, 1999 - Calgary Sun
By Lisa Wilton
THE RANKIN SISTERS, Jack Singer Concert Hall, Calgary, Wednesday, December
1, 1999
CALGARY -- The Christmas season is officially under way.
Heather, Raylene and Cookie -- otherwise known as The Rankin Sisters --
spread a bit of Celtic-styled Yuletide cheer among the soldout crowd of 1,800 last night
at the Jack Singer Concert Hall.
Accompanied by conductor Rolf Bertsch and the Calgary Philharmonic
Orchestra, the trio performed songs mainly from their 1997 Christmas album, Do You
Hear....
Although the show largely consisted of holiday classics, it was still a
very diverse evening of music.
The Cape Breton-based siblings -- who, until this year, were part of the
Juno Award-winning family act The Rankins -- included several Gaelic numbers in their two
sets, such as Taladh Chriosda (The Christ Child Lullaby) and the uplifting A'Challuin (The
New Year).
They were audience favourites.
I've always found the sisters' vocals to be rather thin and reedy, and too
high- pitched. But, last night, their harmonies sparkled.
The gorgeous Dona Nobis Pacem (Grant Us Peace) was almost ethereal and was
the best example of their crystal- clear, three-part harmonies.
Their soulful and jazzy arrangements of such classics as Do You Hear What
I Hear were also popular, although Cookie's blues wailing at the end of the song could
have been left out.
Judging from last night's performance, The Rankin Sisters should make this
a yearly tradition.
It's a family
affair
Anne opens at Neptune; The Rankins, symphony gets into holiday spirit
December 5, 1999 - Halifax Herald
By Greg Guy - Culture Club
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas and Neptune Theatre got into
the holiday act with the opening of its family show Anne on Friday night. Jennie
Raymond, the stunning red head you may know from the TV series Pit Pony, is the perfect
Anne Shirley. The production will put you in a festive mood as soon as the remarkable cast
steps on stage in their vibrant colours. The set by Denyse Karn is like a storybook and
the music composed by Lisa St. Clair is the perfect thread to hold the show together.
The family show is sponsored by Farmers Cooperative Dairy and The
Chronicle-Herald, The Mail-Star and The Sunday Herald. There were lots of children
in attendance on opening night. Before the show Neptune's Youth Performance Company
sang Christmas carols in the lower lobby. Joining in the Anne reception were little Sophie
Kirk, Emlyn Murray, Lea Fulton, Georgia Hirtle, Victoria Reilly, Victoria Diamond and
Sean, Niamh and Eammon Campbell. They were seeking autographs from the wonderful cast
members including the smashing Stacy Smith, Raquel Duffy, Kori Marin, Deb Allen, Jennette
White, Billy J. MacLellan and David Renton.
Director Ann Hodges was on hand and chatting with artistic director Linda
Moore. Neptune's new artistic director Ron Ulrich was in town for the show and meeting
some of the key players in the Halifax theatre community. Also enjoying the opening
night were Farmers regional sales manager Alfred Jennings, my smashing Herald colleagues
Andrea Nemetz, Stephen Cooke and Stephen Pedersen and his wife, Virginia Beaton (whose
birthday is today), friend of the arts Mary Sparling, the bubbly Kim Green, New Glasgow
Police Chief Lorne Smith and his stylin' wife Brenda, Ed and Lorraine Raymond, Bob
Mussett, Annette Campbell, Neptune president Maureen Reid, Neptune general manager Doreen
Malone, Currie MacKinnon, Salter Street Film's stylin' publicist Kerry Fraser, Neptune's
fashionable publicist Angela Murray, actor / musician Dave Carmichael, Denise Barrett of
Neptune's costume department, Stephenville Festival's artistic director Edmund MacLean,
the Atlantic Theatre Festival's artistic director Jerry Etienne and dancer / choreographer
Mary Lou Martin (always good to Chia).
Members of the production of What the Butler Saw joined in the opening
reception to celebrate the closing of their successful run on the Neptune duMaurier stage.
Director Bryden MacDonald was accompanied by cast members Hugo Dann, Patricia
Zentilli, Mary-Colin Chisholm, Christian Murray and Jeremy Webb. Anne runs at
Neptune until Dec. 23. It's a great family event for the holidays. The acting is superb,
check it out.
The weather outside was indeed frightful, a torrential downpour to be
exact, but the music in the Rebecca Cohn Auditorium was delightful last Saturday night.
The Rankin Sisters, Heather, Cookie and Raylene, joined Symphony Nova
Scotia in a fabulous concert.
I attended the symphony's Connections event and treated my brother Stephen
and his new wife, Lori MacLean, to tickets for Stephen's birthday. Christine Wilson,
chair of the Connections committee, a series created to attract a younger audience to SNS
events, and the symphony's Fiona Valverde welcomed us to a pre-concert reception, where
guests were treated to complimentary champagne supplied by the sponsor Peller Estates.
Margaret Isaacs, second clarinetist with SNS, gave a brief speech about family musicians
and the role she plays in the symphony family.
If you were looking to get into the Christmas spirit, the Rankin gals and
the symphony with conductor Scott Macmillan, certainly put us in the holiday mood.
Raylene dedicated her rendition of Ave Maria to her late mom, Kaye, that brought the
audience, many teary-eyed, to a standing ovation mid-way through the second act.
The banter between the songs was equally colourful, especially the stories
of Christmas from Heather. "When I was about eight years old I remember dad coming
home with a truck load of goodies for Christmas," Heather explained. "I ran out
and in the back of the truck was a big box of roast chicken chips. I gasped. I thought we
were the luckiest family on earth."
The Rankins opened their songbook from the Do You Hear album. Their
harmonies have never sounded better.
Following the concert, Connections attendees, all sporting red name tags
with tiny silver bells, returned to Room 401 of the Dal Arts Centre for another reception
and an autograph session with the Rankins. In this column I often use adjectives like
smashing, stunning and stylin' to describe party guests. When I asked the Rankins how they
would like to be described, Raylene said "ravishing", Cookie said
"charismatic" and Heather joked "heartbreaker or hell-raiser."
Joining in the Connections event were 16 members of the Young Lawyers
Association, chaired by Tara Miller of McInnes Cooper & Robertson. A draw was
held for several prizes including five large Christmas wreaths. Among the
Connections participants were my former Herald colleague Greg Kerr and his gal, Wendy
Cook, Worthwhile Productions' Chris Worth and his wife, Bev Crandell, Dave Wilson,
Jennifer Healy, Craig Smith, Sara Gorelick, Ali Laaouan, Graeme McBride and Val Shaw, Anne
Partridge, Suellen Murray, Lori-Ann Veinotte, Cindy and Andrew Ingraham, Beth Winters,
Brenda Hewitt, Cameron Ells, Marie and Peter Chapman, Michael Haines and Andrea Moritz, my
good friend Calvin Blades, the Rankins manager Mickey Quase, drummer Scott Ferguson,
musician John Chaisson and his parents Audrey and Joe, Scott Macmillan and his wife,
Jennifer Brickenden, my smashing Herald colleague Amy Pugsley-Fraser and her handsome
husband, Hugh, Karen Weatherston and Rob Weatherston.
The next Connections event will be a brunch in February.
The 1999 MooseTracks CD launch, that's Moosehead Breweries inventive
promotion putting East Coast music in 12 packs of beer, was held on Nov. 24 at the Velvet
Olive. My Herald colleague Andrea Nemetz and I were greeted at the launch by Moosehead
Breweries' Andrew Oland.
Newfoundland's lively band The Fables and Cape Breton's Gordie Sampson
performed at the launch, organized by Bruce Morel of Morel Productions. Moosehead
representative Rob Morrell of Saint John and Molson Maritimes sales and marketing
coordinator Jeff Ouellette were also in attendance. Celebrating the "music from a
beer box launch" were East Coast music types Sheri Jones of Jones & Co., the
effervescent Peggy Johnson, Gemstone Entertainment's Anne Oakley and Jane Secord, ATV's
Todd Battis, musicians Asif Illyas, Fred Lavery, Kim Dunn, Bruce Timmons, Adam Dowling, Ed
Woodsworth, groovy chick Carol Ritchie and the Atlantic Gig's Caroline Nunn and Jib
Nasrallah.
The artists on this year's MooseTracks include Arlibido, Melanie Doane,
The Ennis Sisters, Dave MacIsaac, Sol, An Acoustic Sin, Gordie Sampson, The Fables, Todd
Geldart, Barnacle, Sons of Maxwell, Mary Jane Lamond, French musicians Cayouche, Les
Méchants Maquereaux and Barachois. Get out and buy a dozen brewskies and pop your CD in
the stereo.
Speaking of record launches, the MacLean sisters, based in the Annapolis
Valley, launched their self-titled CD and gave an audience at the Economy Shoe Shop on
Wednesday a taste of their unique blend of sweet harmonies and contemporary sound.
Rachel and Mary MacLean's new CD is the first to be released by Blue Rock
Records. The album was produced by Dave Burton, engineered by Al Stickland at Groove
Deluxe studio, owned by Kurt Hahn. The MacLean Sisters manager Len Hawley was
also on hand as were Music Industry Association of Nova Scotia's Tanya Wolstenholme and
Lara Harvey, music promoter Andree Gracie, Metro Radio Group's Lynn Horne, the Shoe Shop's
Victor Syperek, musicians Burton, Hahn, Jamie Robinson, CBC's Glenn Meisner and Johnny
Dalton and smashing publicist Wendy Phillips. The MacLeans CD is now at Sam's and
HMV record stores. Give it a listen.
Yuletide tunes
From the Barras to Bocelli, there's load of music to put you in the holiday spirit
December 9, 1999 - Halifax Herald
By Stephen Cooke / Entertainment Reporter
Christmas comes but once a year, and after a few attempts at going gift
shopping I'm eternally grateful that's the case, but if Christmas means getting sterling
CDs like The Christmas Album (Oasis) by the Barra MacNeils, I could be convinced to
celebrate the ritual on a quarterly basis.
The Christmas Album is the natural byproduct of the Barras' fabulous
Christmas concerts last year, which they'll recreate with a few new twists on Dec. 17 at
Halifax's St. Matthew's United Church, Dec. 19 at the Festival Theatre in Wolfville, the
deCoste Centre in Pictou on Dec. 20 and wrapping it all up at home in Cape Breton at Glace
Bay's Savoy Theatre on Dec. 22.
Given the quality of the concerts, I had high expectations for this disc,
which it meets with effortless beauty and charm. It's the Barras' musical skill that seals
this disc's fate as a classic for the ages. Lucy's voice has never sounded so angelic as
it does on a Gaelic version of Once in Royal David's City, and the family's ensemble
playing on the lively Snowplow Set will melt the snow on many a roof this winter.
The Barra MacNeils have gone a long way toward making this music to
remember, with effective arrangements of the old favourites and a wide array of less
familiar selections like the 19th century hymn Taladh Criosda and Singing in the Streets,
read glowingly by Tommy Makem.
The Christmas Album captures so many different aspects of the holiday,
from the seasonal sanctity of God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen to some rather raucous
celebration on the Clancy Brothers' Christmas Comes But Once a Year, it's hard to imagine
a reason why you'd take it out of the CD player at all over the next month.
Taking a short ferry ride from Cape Breton to Newfoundland, and moving
ever closer to the North Pole, we find ourselves on The Rock with a strong collection of
traditional and contemporary holiday songs on The Christmas Wish: Newfoundland Yuletide
Favourites (Avalon).
There are new songs by the Irish Descendants, the Fables and Shanneyganock
alongside previously released tracks by Great Big Sea, the Ennis Sisters and Pamela
Morgan, but it all fits together so well you won't mind the encores. There's a
strong sense of family in tunes like the Ennis's Ennis Road and Ray Lake's Christmas
Memories, and the straightforward sincerity of the performances imbues each one with a
timeless quality.
East Coast artists also surface on Christmas at Home (EMI), an
hour-long compilation of Canadian musicians that covers the country from coast to coast.
There are new recordings of Cape Breton's Bruce Guthro, doing a contemporary reading of
The First Noel, and Newfoundland's Kim Stockwood, luxuriating in a plush, loungey It's a
Marshmallow World, plus familiar tracks by Stompin' Tom, the Rankin Sisters, Anne
Murray and Rita MacNeil.
The rest of the disc ranges from classical, with the Toronto Mendelssohn
Choir's Hallelujah Chorus, to Renee Rosnes' jazzy What Child Is This and Bruce Cockburn's
folk spiritual Mary Had a Baby. The disc represents the cream of Canadian talent, and is a
pretty thorough cultural cross-section to boot.
One of the best friends an Atlantic Canadian musician could ever have,
chief Chieftain Paddy Maloney turns his attentions to the Vatican, on Silent Night: A
Christmas in Rome (Wicklow), working with the Holy See's music director, Marco Frisina. As
you might expect, this is a gorgeous sounding CD, as members of the Chieftains join the
Vatican Orchestra with special guests like Norwegian vocalist Sissel, Clannad's Maire
Brennan and the Harlem Gospel Choir. The disc is clearly a labour of love and faith
and a worthy successor to the Chieftains' Christmas classic Bells of Dublin.
In a similar vein is the rich Celtic musical tapestry of A Real Irish
Christmas (Claddagh/Atlantic), taken from nearly 30 years worth of recordings from the
Dublin label Claddagh Records. This disc cuts a wide swath across traditional Irish
music, including Tommy Potts' pure solo fiddle, Cran's dark Gaelic version of The Seven
Joys of Mary and Skylark's pub toast Come Fill Up Your Glasses. This is music straight off
the farms and out of the pubs of Ireland, most of which you've probably never heard
before, which is no small blessing when it comes to finding new Christmas discs to play
each year.
You've probably never heard talk show host Rosie O'Donnell sing seasonal
tunes before either, but that particular blessing evaporates with the arrival of A Rosie
Christmas (Sony). To be fair, proceeds from the disc go to children's charities and
O'Donnell doesn't get in the way of A-list guests like Celine Dion, Billy Joel and 'NSYNC
too much. Trisha Yearwood's spunky Santa on the Rooftop and Lauryn Hill's R&B
revival of the moribund Little Drummer Boy are real highlights, but O'Donnell's duet with
Sesame Street's Elmo on Do You Hear What I Hear did dangerous things to my blood sugar
levels.
While we're on the topic of singing celebrities, the cancellation of Full
House didn't slow down Olsen twins Mary-Kate and Ashley who play Santa's little helpers on
Cool Yule (Kid Rhino). It's a little disconcerting that the bulk of the singing on this
disc is actually performed by the Olsen's "musical friends" while the CD booklet
serves mostly as a catalog for the twins' books, videos, video games, albums and fan club,
but their pre-teen admirers should enjoy the upbeat tunes. At least it's not Barney.
Now that the Olsens have stripped my musical palate bare, I need to go to
the other end of the spectrum, so it's lucky I have Andrea Bocelli's Sacred Arias
(Phillips) handy. It's not strictly a Christmas disc, but it does have a few versions of
Ave Maria on it, and Silent Night and Adeste Fidelis strategically placed at the end so
you can actually listen to the album six months from now without having to skip tracks. As
you might expect, Bocelli's rich, expressive voice is perfect for the season, and I'm sure
many of these time-honoured melodies have never sounded better.
Toronto vocal quartet The Nylons get back to their roots on A Wish For You
(Shoreline), relying only on their own voices and some percussion to provide the disc's
sounds, and sweetening the pot with several original tunes tailor made for their modern
doo wop style. For younger boy band fans, there's This Christmas (Universal) by 98 degrees
with their breathy harmonies and aching teen-pop vocals backed by traditionally lush
orchestrations. The quartet's familiar top-40 sound isn't totally forgotten though, with
Christmas Wish and This Gift sounding suitably upbeat.
Reminding us who the original boy band was, former Beatle Ringo Starr
reveals his North Pole fantasies on I Wanna Be Santa Claus (Mercury). The record's a lot
of fun, from the glam blast of Come On Christmas to the affectionate remake of the Fab
Four's own Christmastime Is Here Again, with bagpipes no less. Now if only Ringo could
make a regular record this good.
Hopping over the fence into the country corral, it's worth noting some of
Nashville's biggest stars have seasonal CDs out this year. The best of these is
George Strait's Merry Christmas Wherever You Are (MCA), where he puts his easygoing charm
to good use on new tracks like I Know What I Want for Christmas and Santa's On His Way and
familiar favourites like Jingle Bell Rock. The disc is unpretentious and relaxed, unlike
Garth Brooks' The Magic of Christmas (Capitol) which goes for the full-blown, schmaltzy
treatment at every opportunity. Clad in black and looking every bit like Garth Vader on
the cover, Brooks sticks to the classics, and the lack of material makes the disc more
ho-hum than ho ho ho.
Normally I'd prefer Martina McBride over Reba McEntire, but McBride's disc
White Christmas (RCA) suffers the same fate as Brooks'; too many heavily-orchestrated
chestnuts and no shiny new gems. Her voice is lovely, but the disc is haunted by the ghost
of Christmas past. McEntire, on the other hand, plays it smart and fills Secret of
Giving: A Christmas Collection (MCA) with new material and giving the two familiar tunes,
I Saw Mama Kissing Santa Claus and Up on the Rooftop, fresh arrangements suited to her
personality. The result is a disc that isn't overstuffed and disarmingly down-to-earth.
You still can't get The Hank Snow Christmas Album on CD (I'm going to
complain about this every year until RCA does something about it), but at least they've
finally seen fit to release Charley Pride's Christmas in My Home Town (RCA) in the digital
format. Pride's unmistakable voice on the austere They Stood in Silent Prayer still sends
chills down my spine, while the title track remains one of the greatest country Christmas
songs ever recorded. A lot of people grew up with this album, and now it's time for a
whole new generation to discover it.
|
