On paper, Canada-based string ensemble Bowfire may not sound like a band capable of producing the most exciting shows. But Bowfire’s genius lies in the group’s ability to blend various musical genres — from the ubiquitous to the obscure — and craft a lively, energetic performance around its musical numbers.
Bowfire, which will play at the Strathmore in Bethesda tonight, was created by the group’s jazz violinist and artistic director Lenny Solomon in June 2000.
“In my travels, I was lucky enough to get to play and collaborate with chamber groups, small string quartets, jazz ensembles, rock and roll groups, blue-grass and Celtic groups and I met some wonderful fiddlers along the way,” Solomon said. “I always thought it would be a great idea to get everyone in a room at once and see what would come out.”
Solomon gathered celebrated fiddlers from various disciplines and backgrounds in preparation for a performance at Expo 2000 in Germany.
The performance, titled “World on a String,” was a hit.
“It was a huge success and we were encouraged to make it into a touring group,” he said. “That met with great success, too, and we’ve been touring ever since.”
The Hanover performance was simply a sit-down concert, unlike current shows which are more spectacle than routine.
“To develop it into the Bowfire we know today, we added production values — we brought in a Broadway team of directors, choreographers, costume, set and light designers,” he said.
Since the fateful performance, the various members of Bowfire have assembled for numerous tours across both the United States and the world.
Though he is based in Ontario, fiddler Shane Cook said that not all members live in the same region of Canada. Because of the geographic distance, Cook said the group mainly uses their time on tour to practice and arrange shows together.
“While we’re out on the road, we take advantage of our time,” Cook said. “We’re all working on our own parts on our own, of course.”
The major components of each show are the solos. Fiddler and stepdancer April Verch said each member of the ensemble picks out tunes that showcase the player’s traditions.
“Part of the idea behind the solos is to represent the traditions we come from so that the show has a nice cross-section of genres,” Verch said.
Once a specific song is chosen, Verch said that the player might choose to arrange the piece him or herself or collaborate with another player.
“A lot of the work is sent by e-mail, mp3s and sheet music,” she said. “In the middle of one tour, we might start rehearsing for the next tour.”
In addition to the solos, ensemble pieces compromise a sizable portion of each show.
“We’re always venturing into an area that perhaps isn’t our strong point but is edifying to us,” Solomon said.
This weekend’s performance will be part of Bowfire’s Holiday Heartstrings tour across the country. The tour is a unique arrangement of both holiday songs and Bowfire classics.
“It’s about 70 percent holiday nuggets arranged specifically for our group and 30 percent of our well-known material that people expect from Bowfire,” Solomon said.
“Some of the stuff usually in the show has a Christmas angle,” Verch said.
“The encore piece we often perform is [Led Zepplin’s] ‘Kashmir,’ with a little bit of ‘Do You Hear What I Hear’ in places.”
Another performance to look forward to, according to fiddler Linsey Beckett, is an arrangement of “The Christmas Song,” sung by Celtic fiddler Kelli Trottier.
Bowfire will perform at the Strathmore tonight at 8. Tickets start at $25.00.
diversions@umdbk.com
