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Shanties! Live: La Nef & Chor Leoni
La Nef, Chor Leoni, vocal ensembles; Seán Dagher and Erik Lichte, artisticc directors
Leaf music, 2022
Canada’s motto A mari usque ad mare (From Sea to Sea) would suit this recent Leaf Music release to a T. On Feb. 22, 2020, Vancouver’s Chor Leoni and Montreal’s La Nef joined forces at the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts in B.C for a concert of sea shanties, arranged for the occasion by one of the event’s artistic directors, Seán Dagher. Shanties! Live recaptures the magic of that evening.
La Nef is well versed in this kind of repertoire, with two previous efforts in this genre to its credit, Baratin d’marins issued a year or so ago, and Sea Songs and Shanties in 2017. Shortlisted for a Juno music award, La Nef´s West Coast counterpart is no less impressive a voice ensemble, especially in its rendition of the album’s fourth cut, Stormalong John. If the baritone soloist in that number is the album’s high point, the tenor soloist on Rolling Down to Old Maui sounds strained, even harsh. Some may well consider this repertoire a kind of niche music, but that should not deter anyone from acquiring a taste for it.
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