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Photo Credit: Stefania Galluccio @mystoo
589 - 9/11/2019 7:21:30 PM  

Silence Presents: felix anima
The Music of Hildegard of Bingen - performed by Jeff Bird with New Guest Ensemble

For Immediate Release - September 11, 201

Sunday September 29 at 3pm 
at Silence Sounds 
46 Essex Street, Guelph

Tickets: $25 
Purchase advance tickets online at: 




“Hildegard von Bingen on harmonica? Absolutely! Jeff Bird’s album, Felix Anima, is a stunner.”  (CBC music)

“…spectacular, sublime, moving and beautifully interpreted and produced. A true piece of art from an exceptional, mature artist, interpreting the music of a genius.” (Russ Christianson , M.I.R., B Comm.)

Please join Jeff Bird, Witek Grabowiecki, Anne Lindsay and Gary Diggins in concert to celebrate the timeless music of Hildegard of Bingen.

“Man plays 800-year-old music on harmonica.” 
That’s how multi-instrumentalist Jeff Bird describes his latest work, felix anima, interpretations of the music of Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179). It isn’t easy to put into words the beautiful and haunting experience of listening to Bird’s latest album. Contemplative, uplifting, sacred, transcendent. Bird’s thoughtful approach to combining harmonica, a droning Shruti box, and a range of other instruments, offers contemporary audiences a whole new way of encountering the medieval abbess’ impressive musical works.

The melodies heard on felix anima comes from the celebrated Hildegard of Bingen, an abbess in 12th century Germany, still known today for her impressive theological, scientific, dramatic and musical works. A saint, a Doctor of the Church, a mystic, a feminist, and a visionary, Hildegard of Bingen has captured the imagination of audiences, artists, and musicians around the world.

In Bird’s words: “Like all exceptional music, it remains timeless.” 

The artwork for the CD, also created by Bird, is a beautiful visual that combines the transcendental with the electric, producing a stunning mandala of sacred inspiration and hypnotic form that reflects and enhances the music itself. It has already received considerable praise from all encountering it and was featured on CBC’s First Play - Read the interview here: https://www.cbcmusic.ca/first-plays/748/first-play-jeff-bird-felix-anima-hildegard and enjoy videos of the songs, including "HAPPY BREATH" - an official selection in the 2019 TORONTO SHORT FILM FEST: http://felixanima.ca/video.html

About The Musicians:

Jeff Bird is a founding member of the seminal Canadian folk group Tamarack. With Cowboy Junkies he was part of the legendary The Trinity Session and continues to record and tour the world with them. He has realized 16 recordings of his own as a soloist and collaborator, and has scored music for  film, television and dance. He is also an experimental filmmaker and performance artist whose work has been showcased at festivals around the world, from Dawson City, Yukon to Vladivostok, Russia. As a multi-instrumentalist Bird has appeared on over 100 recordings and has worked with such diverse artists as Jane Bunnett, Loreena McKennitt, Natalie Merchant, Scott Merritt, Townes Van Zandt.

Witek Grabowiecki studied piano and accordion from a very early age in his native Poland. Since immigrating to Canada in the late 1980’s he has been active on the Canadian jazz scene as well as many other diverse musical settings. His sensitive touch and musical prowess are a joy to behold.

Anne Lindsay has established herself as one of the most engaging and versatile instrumentalists in Canada. She has 3 award-winning CDs of her own and has been named Jazz Violinist of the Year (National Jazz Awards) and Solo Instrumentalist and Producer of the Year (Canadian Folk Music Awards). Anne has played on hundreds of recordings and is a featured performer with Jim Cuddy, Blue Rodeo, The Skydiggers and John McDermott. She was resident fiddler for the Toronto Maple Leafs, the stage production of Lord of the Rings and is an exuberant fireplug of a session-player-to-the-stars (Led Zeppelin, The Chieftains, Blue Rodeo, James Taylor, Roger Daltrey).

Gary Diggins has worked for over 3 decades as an expressive arts therapist combining counseling, mindful practices, and music as medicine. Additionally, he continues to perform and collaborate internationally as a cornet player and multi-instrumentalist artist - from the Far and Middle East, Europe, and throughout North America. Playing a range of acoustic instruments from around the world and combining ancient sounds with modern music, the airwaves become a canvas for imaginative soundscapes. Gary has appeared on dozens of recordings and composed for 3 films. He has collaborated with artistic organizations ranging from Cirque du Soleil to Canadian composer, R. Murray Schaffer.

For more information visit www.felixanima.ca

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