Classical music has always given me goosebumps. I’ve been fascinated by how, even without words, a story can be conveyed through the combined instruments.
This past Saturday, I was lucky enough to attend an absolutely stunning show where my love of orchestral arrangements and sentimental lyrics combined. Dan Mangan, and Vancouver singer songwriter, performed with the NAC orchestra, and filled the space with his beautiful music reimagined by a 45 piece band.
During the songs, the audience was captivated, fully immersed in the enveloping sounds. In between songs there was no shortage of claps and cheers, prompting two encores by the end of the evening. Dan himself seemed to Elbe in awe of the sound and the audience response, noting numerous times throughout the evening how privileged he felt to be performing a set like this, and jokingly asking if the orchestra would fit in his tour bus.
As Basket progressed in its crescendo style, you could feel the change in the room. Already quiet, there was now a complete silence; it almost seemed no one dared breathe. More than a few could be seen wiping away tears – myself shamelessly included. A song I already loved dearly became something entirely new and even more heartfelt as strings accompanied Dan’s lyrics right as the first ‘act’ came to a close.
“Just a basket full of memories and I am losing more each day it seems..“
Dan Mangan
A highlight of the evening for me was hearing Basket. The song reminds me of how precious time is, how precious love is, how precious memories are. Memories are something I try very hard to catalogue (note this blog, and my endless highlights of concert footage on Instagram). I have a deep fear of losing my memories, and the lyrics of Basket capture that beautifully.
I’m so thankful I was able to experience such a mesmerizing show, and look forward to seeing Dan the next time he and his (smaller) band come rolling through the city. Until then, I’ll be listening to the sneaky recording from the night of the show…
The Concert Chronicles 