I met this guy, David Newland, more than ten years ago, I would guess. He was singing some songs he wrote about the Canadian experience in a corner of my local art gallery, surrounded by Michael Everett Glover’s paintings about the Canadian experience. He seemed pretty earnest.
A couple of years after that first meeting, Shelter Valley Folk Festival spilled onto a farmer’s field in Northumberland County where David and I would begin rubbing shoulders with each other in a remarkable community experience. We shared work, meals, campfires and stories, and along the way, we became friends.
In that way that life is predictably unpredictable, David joined our family this past year when he married my daughter, Meghan. We’ve found ourselves redefining community, family and friendship, and that’s how I ended up at Hugh’s Room in Toronto last Thursday night.
In a generous, inclusive way, David introduced a collection of new songs at a launch party for his new CD, Give It A Whirl, that reminded the audience of campfire circles and family gatherings. He’s still pretty earnest, but maybe in some new ways. Give It A Whirl is wonderful for several reasons and I expect that it will find itself spinning in many locations. I suggest getting yourself a copy to see what I mean.
