HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Wingham Advance Times, 1995-07-19, Page 8i lE ►r:RID/Jary{y'di(IVIi110ERME
Fordwich lass making sweet Celtic tunes oWINE Ar 'WM MS
n CD
Carole said her family was hesi-
tant.
"They were afraid for me, but
they were very proud when I fi-
nally finished it."
Carole said her parents were
very quiet when they visited the
studio and first heard Raven,
When my, mother heard "Lan'o
of the Gaels", she asked me if I
had written it. When I said yes, she
just nodded; ,I .think she was very
movedby it."
SNEAKED BACKSTAGE
This year Carole moved closer
to home, living in Stratford and
working with the Stratford Festi-
val's membership office.
Stratford is also the home of
Ms. McKennitt, and Carole says
the Celtic artist has been "abso-
lutely wonderful to me, offering
me encouragement, and sugges-
tions."
Asked how she first contacted
Ms. KcKennitt, Carole laughed.
"I went to see her performance
at the Avon Theatre, and after-
wards sneaked backstage to meet
her."
Loreena McKennitt is one of the
"big sisters" Carole refers to, when
speaking of those who give her as-
sistance and inspiration. Other mu-
sical "sisters" are Mary Anderson
of Fergus, "one of the top Celtic
harpists in the world," from whom
Carole takes lessons, and
Jacqueline Brown at Soundworks.
' They keep telling me I've come
so far, in such a short time," she
said. "I know I'm going to have to
be patient."
VOICE COACH . ,
While her experiences at
Sheridan weren't happy, Carole
Naedel isn't one to dwell on the
past. In fact, her vocal coach is one
of her Sheridan teachers, Christina
James of Oakville. Carole makes
the trip weekly for her training.
"As far as I'm concerned, she's
the best," Carole said. "I took a
hard look at myself and told
myself, I'd better get on with it;
then I picked up the phone and
called her and said I wanted to
take lessons from her."
Raven...Carole Naedel's debut compact disc features the talented Fordwich lass. Carole
is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Hohenadel and has been performing most recently as one
of five musicians selected to entertain in Niagara Parks.
By MARION DUKE
Special to the Advance -Times
Unless one is a child prodig
born under a lucky star, succe
the music world seldom Yap
overnight.
Even so, making it as a fe
Celtic music artist seems to take
longer than is the norm for other
popular music entertainers. The
few in the field tell younger musi-
cians they can count on at least 10
years before becoming known well
enougfroto start earning a decent
living. •
At least that's what her "older
sisters" are telling Carole Naedel
- and the young entertainer isn't
the least bit discouraged.
"I'm in this for the long haul,"
she says.
While they might not recognize
her name - because she's
changed it - many in this area
know Ms. Naedel.
They know her as Carole Anne
Hohenadel, daughter of Mr. and
Mrs. John Hohenadel of RR 1,
Fordwich. They also know her as a
former Miss Paddyfest.
"It seems such a long time ago
- about 1986, I think. I was only
17 and 1 enjoyed myself at that
year's competition. I had been a
contestant the year before and lost.
I didn't think I would win," Ms.
Naedel said of her experience as
Miss Paddyfest.
As the reigning queen of
Listowel's Irish festival -,Ms.
Hohenadel will be remembered for
not only appearing at the man
functions Miss Paddyfest has to at
tend, but for often singing an Iris
song.
At the time, she stated her ambi
tion was to study voice. And that'
exactly what she did. Now, she'
into music full-time.
This summer she is one of five
musicians selected by the Niagara
Parks Commission to entertain as
a busker in the city's parks. It's
considered a top location for a
busker, and the money, according
to Ms. Naedel, "can be quite
Her brother, John 'caul
Hohenadel, one of her strongest
supporters, noted recently that
y, or Carole is making some money for
ss in • the first time in her life.
pens She will also entertain at sum-
mer festivals in Elora and at the i
male Fergus Highland games.
CUTS OWN CD
With her dark hair and creamy h
complexion, Carole Anne Naedel
is everyone's image of an Irish
lass.
Playing her Celtic harp and o
singing in her clear, three -octave d
coloratura soprano voice, she en- c
hances that image to the point of f
reality.
"But my family name is a lot w
Carole was encouraged by her
employer to pursue her dream and
in 1993 she began composing and
copyrighting her music.
Influenced by. Enya harper
Andreas Vollenwieder and "my
dol, Loreena McKennitt," she de-
ided to pick up the instrument
and in June of 1993 she obtained
er first Celtic harp.
BIT BY BIT
Working on her music every
pare moment she had, in January
f 1994 she booked her first stu-
io session at Soundworks Re-
ording Studio in London. It was
or four hours - all she could af-
ford on her regular income as a
aitress.
more German, than it is Irish,
which is the reason why I changed b
it, shortening it to Naedel," she
said. "I thought about it for quite a h
while before making the decision. s
I didn't know how the family
would take it." st her obvious talent as a av
musician, the characteristic of this
young entertainer that sets her w
apart is her determination. She is s
so focused on becoming a Celtic uf it's a bit intimidating.
Besides her busking job, and pr
festival appearances, this year he
Carole released her first compact co
disc, titled Raven. The way it Inc
came about is quite a story.
Following secondary school, M
Carole studied voice at Sheridan wi
College Oakville. It turned out to Caro
be one of worst experiences of her wa
When she got that paid, she
ooked another four hours and
proceeded in this manner until she
ad compiled and produced nine
ongs.
While she managed to pay the
tudio bills, there was no money
ailable for duplication.
Finally, in p fro her 1994,
wi
some he p fro her father,
he was able to get loan to mail -
Carole said it has cost her ap-
oximately $20,000 to produce
r own CD through her own t
mpany, Nevaraven Productions h
a
Raven was released this past r
arch and has become a favorite v
th people who first heard li
le perform as a child, and
tched her doing stage work at P
A veteran of the British stage,
Ms. James, a contralto, performed
the role of Katisha for the
Stratford Festival's production of
The Mikado in 1982, and also in
1991
When she was trying to work
through her voice problems,
Carolesaid she probably tried too
hard to get her breathing correct.
"It has to be natural. When I
was living in Burlington, there was
a baby in the building. I'd watch
the baby when it cried. It's little
lungs would fill up, and all this
sound would come out -
naturally. It was so effortless; I
was frustrated I couldn't do it."
Now, after 14 years of studying
voice, "it's coming together,"
Carole says.
Marty of her friends from
college are working on the stage,
but Carole isn't the least bit
envious.
"That's such a tough life. It's so/
competitive,' and there is a lot of
back -stabbing. It just isn't for me."
Making it as a Celtic performer,
writing her own music, will take
more time, Carole said, but it's
what she wants.
And as her family and friends
have found out - when Carole
Anne Naedel makes up her mind
to do something, it gets done.
Raven is being retailed in
various stores throughout
southwestern Ontario. Locally it
can be purchased at Tracks and
Tracts, 154 Main St. West,
Listowel. It can also be obtained
through Carole's company:
Nevaraven Productions Inc., P.O.
Box 21167, Stratford, Ontario,
N5A 7V4.
Braemar residents enjoy
bingo during heat wave
By Charlene Toltc$r
Activation coordinator
"Hot, hazy and humid'° are not
the only words on everyone's lips
at the Braemar Retirement Centre
this month. The thrill of being able
to holler "bingo" was eagerly antic-
ipated by the residents, staff volun-
teers and families.
July 3 marked the first day of a
series of daily draws for our "Share
the Wealth, 50-50 Bingo". Since
then, many have been seen huddled
around the checking chart daily in
the hope of filling their cards.
On July 10, many residents
joined together to make bread in an
automatic breadmaker. During the
taste -testing, a discussion arose
about traditional bread making.
Mother Nature wason our side
July 12 as we enjoyed a garden par-
ty on the patio. Sun, fun and social-
izing all were a part of the agenda
for the afternoon.
We were treated to the musical
antics of "Old Time Tunes" courte-
sy of Harold and Dorothy Steffler
on July 14.
For the remainder of July, we
will be participating in a picnic
lunch and fishing trip, barbecue
lunches and musical entertainment
provided by McBurneys and `But-
tons & Keys".
SOLUTIONS ACROSS
1. 'ESM 4. TET 7. Sheba I'_'. Era
13, Aka 14. Coral 15. Coroner 17. Acari•
18. Ica 19. Tab 21. Ton 22, Etna
24. Pal 25. Sone 26. SBE 27. Maraca
_9: Career 31. Mocked 35. Piano,
37. Had 38. Soca 41. Das 42. Hers
43. Icy 44. REM 45. End 46. Garda
48. Eddying 52. Iliac 53. Loa 54. Vac
55. Lally 56. Yarn 57. Ernf
SOLUTIONS DOWN
1. EEC 2. SRO 3. Mariner 4., Tari,,.
5. Eke 6. Tartar 7. Scab 8. Hoc 9. Erato
10. Baron 11. Aline 16. OCA 20. Alamos
22. ESC 23. TBA 24. Parade 25. Sac
27 Mei 28: Cos 30. EPA 32. Khedive
33. Ear 34. DDS 36.`Namely 38. Sigil
39. Ocala 40. Cyril 42. Hny 44. Racy
45. Edam 47. DAL 49, DOA 511.. Nam
51. GCF
woman -singing
ging
songs of 'Pats in tributey show
A Belmore-area woman is bring-
ing her story about the life and
times of Patsy Cline "home" to
Mildmay this Friday night, July 21.
Virginia O'Brien -Harkness re-
sides on a farm outside Belmore,
but was raised near Mildmay. Sing-
ing has been a part of her life since
she was a child when she used to
sing along to Barbra Streisand re-
cordings.
As she grew older, her love
music grew, particularly the "bi
band" music of the 1940s, popular
ized 'by singers such as Judy Gar
land and Billie Holliday.
However, when she attende
singing competitions, provincial o
Canada -wide, she would notice tha
many of the singers favored th
timeless country music of Pats
Cline, county's first great femal
star and its first artist to "cros
over" onto the pop charts.
Cline's faultless voice and stir-
ring renditions of songs such as
"Crazy", "I Fall to Pieces" and
"Sweet Dreams" made her a house-
hold name in the late 1950s and
early 1960s. Her tragic and untime-
ly death in a 1963 airplane crash at
the age of 30 has done little to di-
minish her star. If anything, it ele-
vated her to a cult -like status with
an ever -stronger following even to-
day.
Virginia became fascinated with
he singer and started to research
er life and her music. She read
bout Cline -- only authorized biog-
aphies - her early years, her two
olatile marriages, the woman who
ved and loved hard. What she has
found over and over again is that
atsy Cline was no saint, but she
ad a heart of gold.
Virginia also played Cline's mu-
sic over and over and studied rare
videotape footage of the singer.
Several years ago, Virginia and
her husband Jim were vacationing
at Hyannis, just off Cape Cod on
the Atlantic seaboard of the United
States. One night they went to see
"Legends in Concert", a show that
now plays in Las Vegas. The show,
which featured impersonators do-
ing entertainers who died at the
peak of their popularity, held the
audience mesmerized.
"It was almost as if those people
of
g_
d
r
e
y
e
s
budding career.
the age of 15 with The Grey- h
llington Theatre Guild in Har-
m
est described as Folk/New
, the CD is approximately 38
utes in length. Six of the nine
gs are original and three are
itional Irish and Scottish piec-
including Carole's ' own ar-
ement of "The Skye Boat
g" which she included espe-
y for her father.
f the original songs, all were
arole except one, "Smokey"
Y
They were too much into play- We
ing psychologist," Carole says rist
h bluntly. The results for her were B
anything but good. She developed Age
- a blockage in her voice and for al- min
s most three years didn't sing a note. son
s She was working as a dental as- trad
sistant in a practice near Niagara, es,
and was sent on a two-day man- rang
agement training course. During Son
the course, the qu'isstion was cial]
raised: if you knew you could riot O
fail, what would you do" by C
"1 wrote on
my paper, cut an al- whic
good bum,' and that was it - that's how Mo
it started."
h was written by Lindsay
Mor
of Mount Forest.
In the beginning of her venture,
As
Patsy Cline tribute...Virginia O'Brien -Harkness
of the Belmore area will be presenting her tribute to Patsy
Cline,. "Sweet Dreams: The Fantasy Tour", this Friday night at
Mildmay. (Photo by Janet Anderson)
were allowing themselves to be- weeks in April and spent one week
lieve they were seeing their favorite in Parry Sound last month. Virginia
artists," said Virginia. "I thought, is delighted by the reaction of those
'What a great idea."' who have seen "Sweet Dreams:
So, five years ago, Virginia put The Fantasy Tour".
pen to paper and wrote a concert -
style show about Patsy Cline. In the If a show is to become a success,
meantime, she appeared in a Thun- it must be seen by as many people
der Bay production of a show her as possible. That is the reason Vir-
sister, Marlene O'Brien, was star- ginia approached the Mildmay
ring in on Prince Edward Island, Chamber of Commerce earlier this
entitled "A Closer Walk with Patsy month to see if it would be interest -
Cline". The two sisters were even ed in staging the show as a fund -
interviewed on the CBC national raiser. They agreed and the whole
news about their twin shows. thing came together in a few short
Late last year, Virginia got to- days.
gether with some representatives of "Sweet Dreams: The Fantasy
the fledgling Union Theatre at Wa- Tour" plays this Friday evening at
terloo, who were looking for a the Mildmay -Carrick Community
show to produce, They chose Centre starting. at 8 p.m. Virginia
"Sweet Dreams. The' Fantasy Tour" even promises a "mystery guest,"
and the rest is history. impersonator. Tickets are available
The show played to sell-out in Wingham at King's Music and
crowds at Kitchener for three Hillside Hearing.