Musician Heather Cattanach and her daughter soprano Holly Beckmyer are no strangers to the Coast. Though Cattanach now lives in Scotland, music students of fiddle, piano and voice can find Beckmyer teaching in Gibsons and Burnaby.
Mother and daughter are pleased to announce that they will perform at a concert at St. Bartholomew’s Anglican Church in Gibsons on Saturday, Aug. 5 along with the third partner in their trio, Harris Playfair. He is a gifted musician who teaches music in high school and is part of a very popular band in Scotland called Kilter Ceilidh. The trio informally refer to themselves as HHH: Holly, Heather and Harris.
As it is the 125th anniversary of the church they will be celebrating with 20th century music, including songs by Debussy, Berg and Barber plus piano duets by Delius and Ravel. They will also add original compositions and arrangements based on traditional Scottish music.
Beckmyer is a soprano, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and music educator who is also a former Coast String Fiddler. Her most recent performances were in Scotland at Duns Castle and Kelso Old Parish Church. She has played several operatic parts including Adele in North Shore Light Opera’s Die Fledermaus. Other favourite vocal roles include Pierrot in Schoenberg’s Pierrot Lunaire and Nella in Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi at Vancouver Academy of Music. The singer has also recently released an album of original folk songs.
Cattanach and Playfair enjoy exploring the rich and often neglected repertoire of “two pianos” and “four hands, one piano.” They also attempt to add their own creative offerings in a variety of styles, which often span the divides between the jazz, folk and classical music worlds. They perform regularly in the Scottish Borders, where they make their home.
The original St. Bartholomew’s church was established in 1892 by Rev. H.G. Fiennes-Clinton and celebrates its 125th anniversary this year. In 1991, the congregation built a new church around the original St. Bart’s, leaving the chapel intact. The enlarged church now has a bright, airy sanctuary with great acoustics and a church hall with raised stage and kitchen. It is currently home to St. Bart’s Food Bank, the Child Care Resource and Referral Centre and community music teachers.
Doors open at 7 p.m. and concert is at 7:30 p.m. on Aug. 5. Admission is by donation.
