#Islay McMillan

[countrymusicandcher]

Do you want to support research on a rare, deadly cancer variant and support cancer patients with a passion for music?

So you want to witness a passionate Christmas show by one of the royal families of folk music in return?

The yearly McGarrigle/Wainwright Christmas show has tickets on sale now!

All proceeds from the show goes to the Kate McGarrigle fund, which donates to research of Saracoma cancer, the same type which eventually killed Kate herself, and create therapy programs for cancer patients with a passion for music.

This year, due to COVID-19, the concert will be live-streamed from three different locations: Montreal - where Martha Wainwright will be hosting, Los Angeles - where her brother Rufus Wainwright is the host, and New York - where their half-sister Lucy Wainwright Roche will lead the show.

Advance tickets are between $20 and $250. From $75 and up, they include access to a video chat with the hosts afterwards. A day of ticket is $25. Donate to a great cause and get a wonderful experience in return!

[countrymusicandcher]

A not so silent Night: Virtually together REVIEW

Basically my short rundown of this amazing livestream show. And remember, tickets are still available with a give-what-you-want prize of $25 and up on Veeps for unlimited streaming until January 6th. All money goes straight to the Kate McGarrigle Fund cancer charity!

So let's get on with it!

Oh my lord...there is so much I could say about this...where to start?

Viva, Rufus daughter with Lorca Cohen, unexpectedly (as in, not billed on the poster) appeared in the live stream! And BY GOD, Kate McGarrigle and Leonard Cohen are high-fiving on a Cloud somewhere up in heaven, because they created a monster! A musical Showbiz monster! Born in 2011, Viva Catherine Wainwright-Cohen is only 9 years old...but not only does she sing like an angel , she has a star personality and no fear -staring straight at the camera every second and constantly interrupting her dads. Me and my mum jokingly called her 'Diva Viva' because she could not get enough of the limelight. I tell you, I'll be buying her records one day!

Also at Rufus home in Los Angeles (one of the several locations that artists appeared from), we had who Rufus claimed to be 'his second cousins' - though I doubt the math work out, as they are actually the daughters of his cousin Anna Catherine Dow. Either way, these two girls - Gabrielle (Gigi) and Islay - were quite talented toom They sang Come on, Get happy and did it remarkably well. I could see these two becoming something in the future - which really would be a first for that branch of the family, as they are Jane McG's grandkids, and their mum is possibly the most elusive McG out there.

The others at Rufus home were Jörn and two musicians who did not sing - I do not know who they are or if they're relatives. Jörn did a good job but it was not much to talk of.

In Montreal, Martha tried her damndest to make her kids a part of it all. They did a french language cover of little drummer boy which, while not so musically pretty, was adorable to watch. Martha's youngest, Francis Valentine, can't really be faulted -he's only six and bit antsy/hyperactive by the looks of it, so did well. Her oldest, Arcangelo is 11 and even more hyperactive than his brother - though not very musically inclined, if his singing is an indication. Still, they were charming.

Martha did several solos, including I'll be home for Christmas/Trois Anges sont venus ce soir, absolutely nailing it! 100% perfect pitch.

Anna McGarrigle participated on Montreal and did sing a little, though nothing solo. She played both guitar and accordion, which she did very well. Jane McGarrigle was also there, though she did not at any point sing - only played the piano on a few chosen songs.

Lily and Sylvan Lanken helped out on backing for Martha et al. Lily did the biggest job, actually singing an almost solo rendition of Cherry Tree Carol which was glorious. She and Sylvan also did Entre La Bouef with a tiny bit of help from Arc, which was so good.

Joel Zifkin played violin, another unexpected contributor not billed. Did it very nice, though he had a clothpin as a mute - typical McGarrigle enginuity.

Finally, in New York (Manhattan, Brooklyn, Long Island and 'downtown'), we had Roches and Wainwrights.

Loudon had put on a santa hat (to go with his big white quarantine beard), streaming from "an undisclosed location" on Long Island and singing a hilarious rendition of I saw mommy kissing SC! Late her also had an elf hat for 12 days of christmas. On 12 days, he also added a few lines of his own clearly not planned on: 9 McGarrigles drinking, 10 Wainwrights crying, 12 Roches singing. Very funny.

Sloan did a breath taking rendition of Thank god it's christmas with the help of Lucy and Suzzy on backing. God, that woman can sing! And the way she bend the notes...magnificent! She also did a few nice collabs with Suzzy and Lucy that sounded great- including a song I'd never heard before about christmas in the city (NYC).

To my disappointment, Suzzy didn't really do much. She sang backing or trio/duet with Lucy and Sloan, but that was it. She was very adorable as she did it though and I could never get enough of that smile.

Lucy sang a soul crushing rendition of Joni Mitchell's River. It was amazing!!! She also wore a sweater during 12 days of christmas that said It's Christmas we're all in misery and I need it so bad!

Finally, I got to mention some of the people who weren't there.

There was a tribute slide show and speech from Martha for their aunt Teddy Wainwright, who unfortunately passed away from cancer a couple of months ago. Teddy had been runming these christmas shows, and the Kate McGarrigle memorial shows, and so this show was run in her honoure, as well as Kate's.

Chaim Tannenbaum, who was billed to appear and had indeed made a Facebook event for it, failed to appear at all. For some reason he must've had to bow out last minute - there was some evidence that he had been supposed to accompany them on one of the songs, a traditional german rendition of O Tannenbaum (which would have been a hilarious joke of sorts).

In the middle, we were given a short rundown of the latest in Saracoma cancer research from two researchers who were recently given a grant to continue to work on learning more about the disease and finding new ways of treating it.

Finally, Martha closed out the night with a heartwrenching rendition of Proserpina. Proserpina being the last song Kate McGarrigle wrote, and indeed the one that has definied her sinc eher death, it is always performed at event related to her charity. It really killed me, it was so tender and amazing! Martha had little Francis Valentine with her (Francis was Kate's middle name, after her dad - Frank McGarrigle) in the studio and they sort of danced together during the instrumental bit. It was adorable, you could see all that tender love Martha has for her son.

It was an amazing livestream well worth the $20 I payed in advance. Not to mention, the money goes to a good cause. I will be rewatching this many times leading up to January 6th.

[countrymusicandcher]

Hard Times, Come Again No More

The whole McGarrigle fanily comes toghther for the end of Rufus Wainwright's 60 day long daily music stream, Quarantunes.

They come toghther singing a song which has long been a McGarrigle classic. They have sung it on TV, Live and made a music video of it. It brings hope and love and it shows a family coming toghther even in these times of seperation.

Could you wish for anything more?

People featured in the video: Rufus & Martha Wainwright, Sylvan & Lily Lanken (and Sylvan's child), Anna & Jane McGarrigle, Gabrielle "Gigi" & Islay McMillan, Ian Vicent "Vinnie" Dow & Kathleen Weldon (and their child), Peter Weldon, Patrick Perry and family friend Joel Zifkin.

[countrymusicandcher]

OMG

OH MY FUCKING GOD

THE CORNMAN

THE FUCKING CORNMAN

A Black and white folklore horror story by Vinnie (Ian Vincent) Dowe and Kathleen Weldon !!!

Music by Jane McGarrigle & Peter Weldon (!!! These fucking stars toghther to score their kids film?! YAS)

Starring DANE LANKEN as the cornman who comes to EAT the boy who refuse to eat his corn (ARCANGELO WAINWRIGHT ALBETTA)!!!

Features Sylvan & Lily Lanken (don't see Lily in the trailer though, only hear her voice?) and someone named Nessie (??? My collected McGarrigle/Wainwright/Lanken/Dowe knowledge do not know who she is) and Leida the dog!

Gabrielle and Islay McMillan (Jane McGarrigle's grandbabies via daughter Anna Catherine) do paralell recitation!!!

Costumes & Make up by the one and only Lily Lanken ❤

Filmed on ANNA & DANE'S FARM in Alexandria, Ontario way back in 2015!!!

GUYS can you tell how fucking excited i am over this shortfilm?! THIS EXCITED THATS HOW EXCITED I AM !!! My ONLY other wish would be for this to have Jane or Anna do a part!

[countrymusicandcher]

Rufus Wainwright with husband Jörn Wiesbrodt, daughter Viva Wainwright-Cohen, and his cousins two daughters Gigi amd Islay McMillan during the McGarrigle/Wainwright Christmas stream. December 20th 2020.