Fraser & Girard

From  advicetowriters.com Quotes of the day. Thanks to songwriter exemplaire  Gretchen Peters and her wonderful, informative site.

Stephen Sondheim’s Three Principles of Lyric Writing
There are only three principles necessary for a lyric writer, all of them familiar truisms. They were not immediately apparent to me when I started writing, but have come into focus via Oscar Hammerstein’s tutoring, Strunk and White’s huge little book The Elements of Style and my own sixty-some years of practicing the craft. I have not always been skilled or diligent enough to follow them as faithfully as I would like, but they underlie everything I’ve ever written. In no particular order, and to be inscribed in stone: 

Content Dictates Form 

Less Is More 

God Is in the Details 

All in the service of Clarity without which nothing else matters. 

* * * * * * * *
 

 

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From 1969 until 1975, Allan Fraser was half of Fraser and DeBolt on Columbia Records. Even today, their two albums remain influential and appreciated by many who witnessed their performances. Roaratorio Records in Minneapolis, MN has just released a double album of the group's previously unreleased archival recordings. 

                                                                                                               Cover Design, Craig Allen; Photo, Rod MacIvor, Ottawa 

The double album is available on vinyl and purchase includes a download. Order at iTunes or through Roaratorio Records. Fraser and Roaratorio Records are now negotiating the release of an EP to include four other tracks including a Fraser & DeBolt cover of the Rolling Stones' You Can't Always Get What You Want. Stay tuned here for more information.

Fraser & Girard appear at Toronto's Winterfolk X1V Blues and Roots Festival on Saturday, February 13 at The Black Swan (154 Danforth Ave) at 10 pm. Also, on Friday, February 12 at Dora Keogh Traditional Irish Pub (141 Danforth Ave) they will participate in a workshop hosted by Shawna Caspi called "Power and Politics". Annabelle Chvostik will take part, too. On Sunday, February 14, Allan Fraser will be part of a workshop with the theme, "The Earth", hosted by Rev. Lynne Harrison and featuring several of the festivals top performers including Danny Marks and Noah Zacharin.  

We'll be touring locally during the winter and spring, while preparing for our U.S. '17 tour, beginning with Midnight Special Folk Stage at WFMT Chicago. This will be a live recording, syndicated on XM. Rich Warren heard us at Nerfa, and booked us. Chicago here we come!

Three opportunities to see Fraser & Girard at this years Kerhonkson NY NERFA conference: Thursday night in Room 1311 at 11:45 pm, Saturday afternoon at 1 pm (also in Room 1311) and in Mike Kornfeld's Acoustic Music Theme Room 1506 early Sunday morning between 2:00 and 3:30 am. These showcases are open to all those attending the conference.

Sponsored by Folk Music Canada's Export Development Program, Fraser & Girard participated in the Folk Music Ontario conference in Toronto October 15 - 17. This gave them the chance to meet promoters, music festival artistic directors, journalists, publicists, managers, booking agents and electronic media producers from Canada, the U.S. and Australia. November 12 - 13, the duo will attend the Northeast Regional Folk Alliance conference in Kerhonkson, N.Y. where they will again showcase as part of the Folk Music Canada contingent of performers.

This will be Fraser & Girard's first foray into the U.S., a critical milestone they anticipate with great pleasure.  
 

"...the best Canadian folk duo mix since Ian and Sylvia."   - Bob Mersereau

Fraser & Girard is included in CBC Arts Critic's Top 100 Canadian Albums list for 2015.

Please read the review here.

 

August 16 at the 21st Annual Fred Eaglesmith Charity Picnic in Aylmer, Ontario, Fraser & Girard play Hard Time, written by Marianne Girard. The song is included on the album which CBC music critic, Bob Mersereau says is "...the best Canadian folk duo mix since Ian and Sylvia..."

photo: Tess Girard

 

Read the Financial Post article.

Thanks Mike and Jeanette Girard for a good evening with family and friends, delicious food and a wonderful scotch tasting. We had a fine time and here is a live performance photo taken by Marianne's niece, filmaker Tess Girard during our appearance

Marianne was charged almost $50 for a transaction with insufficient funds by $.01. She contacted the consummers advocate at Global TV News and was able to get justice. Fraser and Girard wrote a song about the event called The Mighty Penny Blues and here are the links to the story and a video Global produced using the entire song.