event review written by Susan Buie
Last week a friend asked if I was going to see Jeff Bird at the Net Loft. It wasn’t on my radar but when I found out that he was performing the music of Hildegard von Bingen I was intrigued. When I saw that his interpretation included playing her music, written in the twelfth century, on the harmonica, I hesitated. I really didn’t know what to expect – I couldn’t imagine 900 year old choral music on the harmonica. But curiosity won out and I managed to snag the last ticket before the show sold out. I had no idea what I was in for. I had some familiarity with Hildegard von Bingen. I’d read about her life in a course on women and religion I’d taken as an undergraduate. I’d listened to some of her music. And on one of my trips to New York I went to see “In the Green” a musical by Grace McClean based on the life of young Hildegard before she became a composer, a healer, and a mystic. However Jeff Bird was a complete unknown to me. He’s known for his work with the Cowboy Junkies on the Trinity Sessions (one of my favourites) but I didn’t recognize his name, so I didn’t know that when I purchased my ticket.
It was a sold out show with 53 people in attendance. It started with an invitation for us to just lose ourselves in the music and not worry about applauding until the very end. Jeff transitioned smoothly from piece to piece and the audience stayed present, completely tuned into the music. Maybe it was just me, but I didn’t hear a single sound of shuffling, talking, or coughing during the performance. It’s rare to find an audience so completely at one with an artist. It was almost as though we were all breathing together.
From the first few notes, I was mesmerized. The music was somehow both ethereal and grounded in emotion. The sound was glorious. The Net Loft was the prefect venue for this music – intimate, great acoustics, and tonight, a completely enraptured audience. At one point someone went by outside on a stand up paddle board and it felt like perfect visual for the piece being played – perfectly smooth and in harmony with nature. Jeff played a four string electric guitar, shruti box, and harmonica, sometimes one at a time, sometimes combining all three using a looping box to lay down some of the guitar tracks. Much to my surprise, it turned out to be a brilliant combination of instruments for von Bingen’s music. It was beautiful. Moving, uplifting, and surprising in its depth and simplicity. Beyond expectations. I ended up buying two CDs after the show ended.
After the performance Jeff asked the audience if we had any questions. There were questions about his initial introduction to von Bingen’s music (as a young music student) , how he came to choose the instruments he uses (they were the ones lying around) and more technical questions about the type of guitar and the looping pedals – particularly how he managed to get such cool sounds from the guitar using the pedals. I’m not a musician so I won’t attempt to repeat what he said, but I came away from the performance convinced that Jeff is not only a kindred spirit but also a brilliant musician. His ability to take what von Bingen wrote almost a millennia ago and turn it into such a transcendent experience – both musically and spiritually – was not just impressive, it was transformative. It is clearly a spiritual expression for Jeff. What a gift to be in the audience and to experience the sublime musical mysticism of Hildegard von Bingen as interpreted by Jeff Bird. It was a truly magical evening.