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Singer/Songwriter, DENISE WOLDA
Looking back to the seventies and early eighties you may recall a singer/songwriter by the name of Denise Larson. DENISE LARSON AND FRIENDS were a familiar group to West Coast folkies, playing in venues across Western Canada and particularly in and around Vancouver. They were regulars at the Classical Joint, the Soft Rock Cafe, Simon Fraser University, and they enjoyed playing the round of folk festivals of the day; events like Farrago in Faro, Yukon, the Winnipeg and Edmonton Folk Festivals, and the Renaissance Faire in Courtenay. The group was comprised of Charlie Knowles on bass, currently playing with Joelle Rabu, Mark Dowding on flutes, whistles, harmonica, and saxophone, currently with Wheat in the Barley, the late Daniel Sheppard on fiddle and mandolin, and Denise, guitar and powerful vocals. There was a warmth and joy in their music that endeared them to their audiences. Later Roger Wade, Sheila Allen, and Doug Thordarson would join the group, all fine musicians and keeping to the blend of original, contemporary and traditional folk.
Born and raised on a grain farm in Southwestern Saskatchewan, Denise moved to the East Coast of the U.S.A., Washington D.C., Maryland, Virginia, after graduating from the University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon. She lived there for six years and it was there that she began her career as professional musician. In 1974 Denise and her daughter Mikael packed up their sparse belongings and journeyed home to Canada, settling down in Vancouver. Between 1977 and 1982, Denise was to write and record three albums, entitled, FARMERS DAUGHTER, SECOND HARVEST, and SAGE ALBUM. She enjoyed CBC RADIO and TV exposure and appeared regularly on CKVU-TV, the Vancouver Show. In 1980 she was the recipient of a CANADA COUNCIL GRANT. Then in November of 1982, while playing a Sage Album release concert in Merville on Vancouver Island, Denise met a Dutchman by the name of Ron Wolda. Three months later they married and she moved to the outskirts of Merville, B.C.! As far as the media and most of her audience were concerned, Denise had disappeared without a trace.
Now, 18 years later, we are brought up to date with her life and her music with the release of a remarkable new CD, entitled, TO HONOUR JOY. We learn that Denise gave birth to a son in 1986 and the family moved to Cortes Island in 1994 (evermore remote). There, Denise began to live out new passions, that of writing music for theatre, and teaching, at Linnaea School on Cortes Island, and offering Reiki and Inspirational Counselling. In 1997, Denise met Ann Mortifee, whom she had long admired. Anns music had in fact inspired Denise to return to Canada. A deep connection was immediately felt and Ann moved to Cortes two weeks later! The two of them soon discovered the absolute joy of blending their voices. Powerful harmonies emerged and it was Ann who encouraged Denise to record again, offering her newly built studio in the woods. On August 3, 2001, a new CD was born.
Produced by Denise, engineered by Tim C. Palmer, the CD features 11 musicians; Ann, Denises daughter Mikael, (whom by the way, has just released her own CD entitled TROUBLE), son Paul, and husband Ron. Island musicians, Bruce Hipkin, Zack Dennison, Liz Richardson, Matt Hodgsons, and Vancouver based, Charles Knowles and Mark Dowding, contribute a fullness of voice and instrumentation. We have vocals, bass, flute, saxophone, whistle, keyboards, didjeridu, djembe, and cello. The result is rich and satisfying. We learn that the cello is a Wolda family heirloom made in Paris, France in 1749, and that the Raven and songbirds, who introduce and close the album, reside in Tiber Bay, Denises home.
TO HONOUR JOY also happens to be a MULTI-MEDIA CD. Enhanced with a beautiful Cortes Island Slide Show by Irene Blueth, these images can be seen while listening to Feel the Island. A Video by Richard Trueman, features Ann and Mark hamming it up while recording the comic song, High Flyin Fly. Worth the wait, TO HONOUR JOY does just that, and the songs manage to instill hope, at a time when hope is in rather short supply. Denises message on the liner seems oddly prophetic.
"These songs were written in celebration of joy. From a place of deep joy we are truly able to be loving. From that whole place of deep joy we are enabled to trust. And it is love and trust that empowers us now." Denise Wolda
"In a spiral of Sacred Sound may the seed of your song children go out, and drifting upon the winds, spread beauty and love wherever they are needed." Ann Mortifee (speaking of To Honour Joy)
Looking back to the seventies and early eighties you may recall a singer/songwriter by the name of Denise Larson. DENISE LARSON AND FRIENDS were a familiar group to West Coast folkies, playing in venues across Western Canada and particularly in and around Vancouver. They were regulars at the Classical Joint, the Soft Rock Cafe, Simon Fraser University, and they enjoyed playing the round of folk festivals of the day; events like Farrago in Faro, Yukon, the Winnipeg and Edmonton Folk Festivals, and the Renaissance Faire in Courtenay. The group was comprised of Charlie Knowles on bass, currently playing with Joelle Rabu, Mark Dowding on flutes, whistles, harmonica, and saxophone, currently with Wheat in the Barley, the late Daniel Sheppard on fiddle and mandolin, and Denise, guitar and powerful vocals. There was a warmth and joy in their music that endeared them to their audiences. Later Roger Wade, Sheila Allen, and Doug Thordarson would join the group, all fine musicians and keeping to the blend of original, contemporary and traditional folk.
Born and raised on a grain farm in Southwestern Saskatchewan, Denise moved to the East Coast of the U.S.A., Washington D.C., Maryland, Virginia, after graduating from the University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon. She lived there for six years and it was there that she began her career as professional musician. In 1974 Denise and her daughter Mikael packed up their sparse belongings and journeyed home to Canada, settling down in Vancouver. Between 1977 and 1982, Denise was to write and record three albums, entitled, FARMERS DAUGHTER, SECOND HARVEST, and SAGE ALBUM. She enjoyed CBC RADIO and TV exposure and appeared regularly on CKVU-TV, the Vancouver Show. In 1980 she was the recipient of a CANADA COUNCIL GRANT. Then in November of 1982, while playing a Sage Album release concert in Merville on Vancouver Island, Denise met a Dutchman by the name of Ron Wolda. Three months later they married and she moved to the outskirts of Merville, B.C.! As far as the media and most of her audience were concerned, Denise had disappeared without a trace.
Now, 18 years later, we are brought up to date with her life and her music with the release of a remarkable new CD, entitled, TO HONOUR JOY. We learn that Denise gave birth to a son in 1986 and the family moved to Cortes Island in 1994 (evermore remote). There, Denise began to live out new passions, that of writing music for theatre, and teaching, at Linnaea School on Cortes Island, and offering Reiki and Inspirational Counselling. In 1997, Denise met Ann Mortifee, whom she had long admired. Anns music had in fact inspired Denise to return to Canada. A deep connection was immediately felt and Ann moved to Cortes two weeks later! The two of them soon discovered the absolute joy of blending their voices. Powerful harmonies emerged and it was Ann who encouraged Denise to record again, offering her newly built studio in the woods. On August 3, 2001, a new CD was born.
Produced by Denise, engineered by Tim C. Palmer, the CD features 11 musicians; Ann, Denises daughter Mikael, (whom by the way, has just released her own CD entitled TROUBLE), son Paul, and husband Ron. Island musicians, Bruce Hipkin, Zack Dennison, Liz Richardson, Matt Hodgsons, and Vancouver based, Charles Knowles and Mark Dowding, contribute a fullness of voice and instrumentation. We have vocals, bass, flute, saxophone, whistle, keyboards, didjeridu, djembe, and cello. The result is rich and satisfying. We learn that the cello is a Wolda family heirloom made in Paris, France in 1749, and that the Raven and songbirds, who introduce and close the album, reside in Tiber Bay, Denises home.
TO HONOUR JOY also happens to be a MULTI-MEDIA CD. Enhanced with a beautiful Cortes Island Slide Show by Irene Blueth, these images can be seen while listening to Feel the Island. A Video by Richard Trueman, features Ann and Mark hamming it up while recording the comic song, High Flyin Fly. Worth the wait, TO HONOUR JOY does just that, and the songs manage to instill hope, at a time when hope is in rather short supply. Denises message on the liner seems oddly prophetic.
"These songs were written in celebration of joy. From a place of deep joy we are truly able to be loving. From that whole place of deep joy we are enabled to trust. And it is love and trust that empowers us now." Denise Wolda
"In a spiral of Sacred Sound may the seed of your song children go out, and drifting upon the winds, spread beauty and love wherever they are needed." Ann Mortifee (speaking of To Honour Joy)