Yet Another Old Friend Returns to Deep Cove Folk
- Feature: Ian Tamblyn
- There will be an open stage
- Date: Friday, March 10, 2023
- Time: Doors open at 7:30PM, show starts at 8:00
- Location: St. John’s United Church, 10990 West Saanich Rd. (just across from Deep Cove Elementary School where there’s lots of parking)
- Admission: $10.00
As a singer, I’ve often dreamt about what it would be like to have one’s music fully integrated with other creative media like film, spoken word, and photography. I’ve always known in my heart that incredible depths of human expression would be possible by presenting these media side by side with sensitivity and understanding—they would feed off each other to create something much deeper than each considered on it own.
So it was with great pleasure that I discovered that our upcoming feature performer, Ian Tamblyn, was involved in such an endeavour. And to make it even better, he and his poet friend Bruce Graham, chose our home province, our beautiful BC, to make this remarkable statement. You can experience it as the most recent entry on Ian’s website at https://www.iantamblyn.com/single-post/the-totem-trail-by-bruce-graham-music-by-ian-tamblyn .
On the face of it, this 23-minute video is a travelogue, starting in Vancouver, up the coast to Prince Rupert, across to the Island via the inner passage and then down from Port Hardy to Duncan—nine days. But when you fold in some great video, many Indigenous and historical gems, along with a finely crafted, poetic narration, it becomes much more than a travelogue—it’s a spiritual journey through our incredible west coast, one well worth taking.
And the icing on the cake is the music—all Ian Tamblyn’s, all uniquely suited to add even more depth to this chronicle of our beloved coast. An instrumental here, a well-chosen song there, a haunting melody in between, all merge with the narration and images to create a magical story—one that can readily have you joining with the author as his eyes well up with tears when he has to leave this enchanted place—the place we are so lucky to call home.
In an email to me about this video, Ian said, “I agree with you, it has a spiritual component. But then, any journey on the west coast seems to conjure that element whether it be a walk out to the lighthouse at Ucluelet, a stroll down the beach at Masset, or a spirit bear on the raincoast. Even watching the wind surfers at Dallas Point set against the Cascades to the South pulls me westward. I decided to call this tour “Follow the Herring” and I think that is the great movement on the west coast happening now.”
This new video, aptly named “The Totem Trail”, is one of many projects in which Ian Tamblyn has been involved. He’s always been able to see beyond his well-honed craft of singing and song-writing to understand its place in the grander scheme of things. Whether it’s a playwright, an adventurer, or a member of an ensemble cast singing about such things as “Songs My Mother Wouldn’t Like”, Ian has always worked to take his art beyond the confining genre label of “’singer-songwriter” to something much bigger, much grander. And his efforts have recently been rewarded with his appointment as an Officer to the Order of Canada.
Ian has performed at Deep Cove four times previously (Mar 2006, Mar 2008, Mar 2009, Apr 2013) and has been heard to comment on how much he likes the smaller, intimate venues like ours that seem to bring his music to life. Needless to say, we’re privileged and most pleased to have Ian join us at our upcoming club—not to be missed. Please mark it on your calendar (Fri, Mar 10) and join us for a great evening of music that will touch your souls.
Ian Tamblyn was born and raised in Fort William Ontario, now Thunder Bay. He began playing guitar and writing songs in 1966. Early influences were Bob Dylan, Patrick Sky, Mississippi John Hurt, Neil Young. Ian recorded his first album in 1971 and has since released forty- five recordings. His latest album is entitled A Longing for Innocence. It was released in May of 2021. Ian was recently nominated as English Songwriter of the Year 2021 by the Canadian Folk Music Awards for work on this album.
Ian has also produced albums for over thirty artists and his songs have been covered by over forty performers.
Ian has received numerous awards for his recordings as well as for his contributions to the music community. He holds an honourary doctorate from Lakehead University and a Distinguished Alumni Award from Trent University. He is also a Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographic Society. On December 29th 2021, Ian Tamblyn was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada “for his enduring contributions as a folk music icon, adventurer, and cultural ambassador for Canada.” Ian Tamblyn was winner of the Jackie Washington Award at Sudbury’s Northern Lights/Festival Boreal in 1991.
During the pandemic Ian kept busy writing his sixteenth play entitled, “Ice Storm 1998” as well as recording his new album. As well, Ian released a video “In the Mist”, which can be seen on YouTube. Three more videos are in the works for the songs “Let it Go”, “The Beltane” and “Water Lily Road”.
For more information about Ian Tamblyn please visit, www.iantamblyn.com