Singer-songwriter Beverly Glenn-Copeland, originally from Philadelphia, now based in Nova Scotia, offered a very emotional concert on September 26 at the Rialto Theater as part of the POP Montréal festival. Franco-Ontarian and Abenaki musician Mimi O’Bonsawin had the mandate to warm up the crowd for this evening co-presented by CBC.
Since Thursday evening, I have been listening to the song “Dreamwalker” by Mimi O’Bonsawin, featured on the album Willowpublished in 2023, a good fifteen times. The live version she offered us on stage seemed straight out of a dream. Pinch me someone. Equipped with a pair of wings and a harp slung over her shoulder, O’Bonsawin gave us a good dose of what she calls “Music as medicine”. His voice, both crystalline and vigorous, passed through our moved bodies.
Beverly Glenn-Copeland not only transcends musical genres and codes, but he lies beyond them. The transgender activist, one of the first black students to study at McGill in 1961, having written for Sesame Street and starred for 25 years on the children’s TV show Mr. Dressuppossesses incomparable grace.
His arrival on stage was more than warmly celebrated by the crowd. The artist was accompanied by his life partner Elizabeth, his musical director Alex Samaras, Evan Cartwright on drums and a magnificent choir composed of Adèle Trottier-Rivard, Alanna Stuart, Camille Deléan, Eugénie Jobin Tremblay, Frédérique Roy, Mara Nesrallah , Robin Love, Helena Deland and Naomi McCarroll-Butler.
The musicians started the piece Ever New and goosebumps rose on my arms. The song was reworked in 2021 by Bon Iver and Flock of Dimes, on the album Keyboard Fantasies Reimaginedalso including remixes of Blood Orange, Arca et Julia Holter.
The original 1986 opus was rediscovered and promoted by Japanese record collector Ryota Masuko in 2015. The album won the Polaris Heritage Prize public vote in 2020. Keyboard Fantasies was remastered and re-released in 2017 under the name Copeland Keyboard Fantasies and reissued on vinyl the same year.
Glenn sang with all his heart, sitting on his little chair, hand in hand with his wife. Despite a leg injury, he stood up to perform a rhythmic piece behind a drum. The musician also delivered a moving a cappella version of Deep Rivera song written by American slaves before emancipation. His performances were peppered with anecdotes, which had us going from laughter to tears in no time.
The 80-year-old artist smiled gently, with the same expression of peace as on the cover of his last album The Ones Aheadendowed with an irresistible aura that illuminated the sumptuous theater.
As a reminder, POP Montreal runs until September 29.
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