Fiddler wows Regina audience

By Sierra Noble

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BY JOE COUTURE, THE LEADER-POST OCTOBER 4, 2010


Sierra Noble with the RSO

Conexus Arts Centre

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Canadian fiddler, singer and songwriter Sierra Noble gave a delightful performance at a well-attended concert at the Conexus Arts Centre on Saturday night.

During the show, which was part of the Regina Symphony Orchestra's Shumiatcher Pops Series, 20-year-old Noble took centre stage. The talented young independent artist showed her range, singing and playing fiddle and guitar at various points throughout the evening.

Noble was accompanied by Ariel Posen on guitar and Julian Bradford on bass. Sitting behind the band, the RSO joined in on many of the songs, with the extra instruments enhancing the already beautiful music.

Between selections, Noble told stories to the audience about the songs and joked around with the RSO's Maestro Victor Sawa. Her sense of humour and down-to-earth attitude made her a hit with the audience. She encouraged people to sing and clap along with some of the numbers.

The two-hour program featured traditional Metis fiddle music, songs off Noble's album Possibilities and other compositions yet-to-be-released. She noted that she wrote two of the selections with Canadian country musician Patricia Conroy and another with Canadian indie-rocker Joel Plaskett. Noble's original compositions aren't exactly pop, country or acoustic, but blend elements of each genre.

She played lots of love songs, sharing with the audience her desire for more love in the world.

She also performed "The Warrior's Lament," which she started writing after the death of her great-grandmother, she explained. She started performing it for veterans and eventually travelled to Europe to perform it at key historical war sites.

It was embraced by First Nations and non-First Nations veterans, she said, and it was veterans who eventually gave the haunting tune the name "The Warrior's Lament."

One highlight of the night was an instrumental performance of a composition entitled "A Noble Duel."

For her album, Noble recorded the song with Canadian fiddler Ashley MacIsaac. On Saturday night, she performed the upbeat duet to great applause with RSO concertmaster Eduard Minevich. After a great night of entertainment, the audience in Regina gave Noble an enthusiastic standing ovation, before welcoming her back on-stage for an encore featuring two more tunes.

At a young age, Noble already has many notable accomplishments, including opening for Paul McCartney and Bon Jovi and performing as one of six "hero fiddlers" featured at the opening ceremonies of the Vancouver Olympics earlier this year.

Now she can add a successful and engaging performance with Regina Symphony Orchestra to her growing list of achievements.

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