Tower of Song: A Creative Tribute to Leonard Cohen

Entry for this concert will be at The Victoria Conservatory of Music - 900 Johnson Street.

The Balcony is closed for this event.

Featuring Oliver Swain, Glenna Garramone, Daniel Lapp & Adrian Dolan

“I said to Hank Williams, how lonely does it get?
Hank Williams hasn’t answered yet.
But I hear him coughing all night long,
A hundred floors above me, in the Tower of Song”
When Leonard Cohen sang these words, the Tower of Song was a metaphor for the
inspiration that flows between songwriters, each toiling away on their own, but
connected by their shared craft. Moved by this concept, celebrated BC singer-
songwriters Oliver Swain and Glenna Garramone collaborated to produce a project that
is a dialogue through song and a tribute to the legendary songwriter. Reimagining both
rare and classic works of Cohen, the duo have crafted a sound that resonates with both
longtime Cohen fans and a younger audience.
Tower of Song began as a one-off tribute night for a packed house at Vancouver’s The
Media Club, and has since grown into a nationally touring folk duo. Produced by
Garramone, she invited fellow Victoria musician (Juno nominated) Oliver Swain, and the
show gave Swain and Garramone the chance to grow their musical chemistry. Together
as Tower of Song the two have arranged some of Cohen’s timeless songs beautifully,
for two voices, string bass, piano, guitar and banjo.
Encouraged by the audience response, Tower of Song put “more power in the tower,”
recording their debut album In City and In Forest, with Juno award winning producer
Joby Baker. They have since toured several times across BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan,
Manitoba, Ontario, and Quebec, playing more than 200 shows to thousands of people
at theatres, festivals and folk clubs across Canada. Highlights include a mainstage
performance at the Salmon Arm Roots and Blues Festival, West End Cultural Centre
(Winnipeg), Aeolian Hall (London), the Rotary Centre for the Arts (Kelowna), and the
Dave Dunnet Theatre (Victoria).
“The tunes are hauntingly lovely. Wonderful takes with close harmonies and violent re-
rhythmings. Musically sound. Faithful by being strongly, creatively Cohen, and yet
wholly their own.” James N. Porter, Professor Emeritus (Arts), York University.

Oliver Swain
2 x WCMA winning and Juno nominated Americana Folk Noir musician Oliver Swain
spent a dozen years in some of North America's most loved roots bands (Outlaw Social,
The Duhks, The Bills) before going solo and releasing In a BIG MACHINE in 2011 to
rave reviews, #1 spots on the charts, sold out shows and festival appearances across
western Canada. A naturalist musician who was drawn to Louisiana and Appalachia
several times to discover the roots of American music for himself, Oliver resides in
Victoria, BC where frequent journeys into the rugged BC wilderness fuel his songwriting,
singing and playing styles. Performing on Banjo and String Bass, led by tremendous
vocal abilities, Oliver's live show has attracted a lot of attention over the years including
that of Tamara Kater, Executive Director of Folk Music Canada 'Since I first discovered
him in 2008, Oliver Swain has been one of my very favorite artists... an evening spent
with Oliver Swain will leave you breathless and joyful' Visit www.oliverswain.com for
more info.

Glenna Garramone
Based in Victoria, BC, Canada, Glenna Garramone is equally at home as a solo artist
and in collaboration with a wide range of performers. Career highlights include
mainstage performances at Telluride Bluegrass Festival, the Vancouver Folk Festival,
and Rifflandia, as a keyboard player and vocalist for the band Shane Koyczan and the
Short Story Long, with whom she co-wrote for their most recent album, Debris (featuring
guest Ani DiFranco). With a style somewhere between Keith Jarrett and Joni Mitchell,
Glenna Garramone's songwriting earned her Grand prize in the Artswells Songwriting
Contest, and the award-winning song 'Bear Scat' was featured on CBC Radio's North
By Northwest with Sheryl MacKay. Inspired by the geography, inhabitants, and spirit of
the places she has lived, from Nunavut to Hawaii, Glenna Garramone crafts 'raw,
emotional, and utterly captivating' songs (John Threlfall, Monday Magazine), using
anything from piano, to guitar, to her tap shoes. She also holds a BFA in Writing from
the University of Victoria, with a major in Poetry. Glenna is founder and director of The
Pandora Chorus, an indie-pop-rock choir. Visit www.glennagarramone.com for more
info.

Daniel Lapp
Daniel Lapp is a world-renowned singer, multi-instrumentalist, composer, teacher, archivist, band leader, sideman, producer, promoter and – no kidding – the list goes on. And like the true-blue Canadian he is, Daniel does it all with trademark energy and warmth.  As a fiddler, jazz trumpeter and singer/songwriter, Daniel Lapp has played on over 100 albums and performed across Canada, United States, Ireland, England, Scotland, Wales, Finland and Germany with some of the world’s most renowned Folk and Jazz musicians. Daniel is the winner of the B.C. Fiddle Championship and has appeared as a soloist with the CBC Chamber Orchestra as well as the Prince George, Victoria, and Vancouver Symphonies.  A legendary force in Canada’s fiddle scene, in addition to his outstanding performing, Daniel has been musical mentor to hundreds of students—many of whom have gone on to successful careers in the music industry.

Adrian Dolan
Adrian Dolan is an award-winning producer, engineer, multi-instrumentalist and composer based on Vancouver Island BC, Canada. Perhaps best known for his work with the award-winning roots ensemble The Bills over the past decade and a half, his skills as a violinist, fiddler, pianist and accordionist have landed him on stage with some of the best in the business.

"Unquestionably one of Canada’s very finest fiddlers"  Steve Edge, Rogue Folk Club, Vancouver

 Raised in Victoria, BC and classically trained on piano, violin, and viola, Adrian began composing at a young age, and performing professionally in his mid teens. He was decorated with numerous awards at the regional and provincial levels, most notably for his composition and ensemble work. His pursuits soon included jazz and studies of traditional fiddle music with Daniel Lapp, who also put his skills to use as a piano accompanist for guest appearances with the Victoria Symphony, and summer festivals around the province.

 Venue Accessibility

The 900 Johnson Street entrance is at ground-level and wheelchair accessible. There is an elevator located on the first floor: as you enter the building go down the ramp to your right and the elevator is on the left at the bottom. Priority seating can be provided at concerts if you have accessibility issues; please contact the Venues Department . Wheelchair accessible restrooms are located on the main floor, beside the lobby in the Reception and Registration area.