With his resonant tenor voice and gift as a storyteller, John McDermott took nearly 400 Central Alberta fans back through the mists of time Friday at Red Deer’s Memorial Centre.
At times, his nostalgic tales dwelt on his boyhood in Toronto in the mid 1960s. McDermott, whose family had immigrated to Canada from Scotland when he was 10, remembered having no shower curtains in the tiny space that became a new home to him, his parents, and 11 siblings.
But with all of his sisters’ stockings hanging over the shower rod — there was no need for curtains, he quipped, getting a big laugh from the older audience.
At other times, his tales and tunes took fans much further back in history.
He spoke of the Battle of Culloden, fought by the Scottish and English in 1745. The traditional song Loch Lomond was introduced as being about two Scottish soldiers who were being held prisoner by the English.
One would be freed to take the “high road” back home, said McDermott, while the other would be executed, freeing his spirit to take the “low road.”
In this context, his haunting performance of the tune — accompanied by talented Toronto musicians, Maury LaFoy on upright bass, and guitarist Jason Fowler — was practically shiver-inducing.
McDermott also gave sensitive treatment to the favourite hymn, You Raise Me Up, as well as to The Rare Ould Times, a bittersweet song about change from his latest album, Raised on Songs and Stories.
Fans sang along with him on My Bonnie, and got a musical history lesson on the origins of Streets of Larado. McDermott said the cowboy song was actually created from an old melody that had also spawned the Irish ballad, The Bard of Armagh, which is thought to be written by Patrick Donnelly (a.k.a Phelim Brady), in the late 1600s.
He delivered a riveting performance of it, to enthusiastic applause.
Also memorable was his rendition of Ron Hynes’s excellent No Change in Me. The heart-tugging tune is about Newfoundlanders who were forced to pull up stakes when the fishing dried up. “We’ve no choice but to leave… Can’t eat the air, can’t drink the sea,” sang McDermott, who knows firsthand about starting over.
The 61-year-old former newspaper circulation worker, who began his successful singing career in the early 1990s, sat perched on a stool at centre stage for most of the concert. Beside him were his father’s hat and cane, and one of his mother’s scarves — a visual tribute to his late parents.
Through various intros and his renditions of Leezie Lindsay, Mary of Argyle, The Loch Tay Boat Song, and other songs, McDermott showed his easy way with Celtic melodies — and his affable relationship with fans.
Most audience members were met by McDermott on their way in to the auditorium before the concert. And their hands were once again shaken by the singer after the show. (Like a magician, McDermott somehow managed to appear in the front lobby before anybody else?!)
In hindsight, it’s a good thing he delivered a powerful, a cappella version of his standard, Danny Boy, during the encore, bringing the crowd to its feet — otherwise, fans probably wouldn’t have let him leave the theatre.
lmichelin@www.reddeeradvocate.com