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Don and Tom Thomson
When I first saw aTom Thomson sketch (the one with the moose running through a creek at night with a gorgeous Northern Lights backdrop) I knew immediately that this man spent a lot of time in the bush!
A good friend of mine Herschel Payne introduced me to the work of Tom Thomson a few years back in Pukaskwa National Park. Herschel a good canoe man himself told me that Thomson would camp weeks at a time in the bush to paint and fish. I soon discovered that Tom was a fisherman and guide in Algonquin Park and a good Laketrout fisherman. Northland / My Algonquin Home was the first song I wrote about Tom and that first sketch inspired the next song Wildwood on which both my son Noel and daughter Dawn perform the background vocals. Dawn does a great job with the lyrics on The Last Stand.
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Wildwood/Through Tom’s Eyes
a new CD release by Don Charbonneau
by Phil Mantello
Producer of Algoma Singer Songwriters :
Don Charbonneau is a singer/songwriter and a recording artist who resides in Wawa, Ontario. His experience as a wilderness guide and his reverence for nature contributes to the creation of this exciting concept album. Wildwood/Through Tom’s Eyes presents a compelling narrative of the life of one of Canada’s most prominent wilderness landscape artists namely, Tom Thomson a friend and major influence of The Group of Seven. This collection of songs features Herschel Payne on violin. Payne brings a wealth of experience to this project. His credits include a full symphony and solo career with as many as two hundred performances a year as a concert violinist with the Quebec Symphony Orchestra and as a solo violinist with C.B.C. Radio Canada. Charbonneau met Payne, Artist-in-Residence at Pukaskwa National Park Canada in the summer of 2004. Herschel accompanied him on violin during a concert performance of Don’s first CD titled “Songs From The Coastline.” At that time Payne, a well known wilderness landscape artist introduced Charbonneau to the work of Tom Thomson.
The richly textured musical arrangements are combined with a fictional account of Tom Thomson’s life in Algonquin Park. The settings described in the songs, however, include actual characters, places and events which significantly influenced the life and work of the artist. The song The Last Stand portrays Thomson, in his canoe, painting a group of Pine trees which are slated to be cut down:
I’ve been waiting all day for the light to fall
On those pine trees standing there so green and so tall
I hope I get it right this time before it’s too late…
The green and blue and the light on those trees…
The composition titled Creation gives the listener a view of Thomson’s inner and outer worlds by presenting images of the night when the artist first saw the Northern Lights. The Ballad of Tom Thomson presents an evocative fictional account of the mysterious circumstances surrounding Thomson’s fateful canoe trip.
Charbonneau’s band “The Lost Guides” brings a combination of musicians with diverse musical styles together. The ensemble includes Charbonneau with his folk roots influence, his son Noel with back up vocals and playing bass and Herschel Payne on violin. The ensemble also includes Don’s daughter, Dawn Charbonneau, who makes an impressive contribution with background vocals, Mike Lavigne on drums and Dan Michaud on electric guitar.
Wildwood/Through Tom’s Eyes was recorded, mixed and mastered by Billy Bruhmuller at Easter Island Studio in Sudbury Ontario.
end of review
Please note that the images in the photo gallery are not for sale and only used to tell this wonderful story and therefore should not be copied. The work of Herschel Payne and Sky Polson are available on our "Arts & Crafts" page . arts and crafts
There are many books featuring the work of Tom Thomson and great stories that are available at your local library and favourite bookstore. My favourites authors and contributers on the work of Tom Thomson are: Charles C. Hill , Joan Murray, Dennis Reid, David P.Silcox and Harold Town.
One of the first books I read on Thomson was written by Anne Newlands -The Group of Seven and Tom Thomson. My favourite is still the big 'Tom Thomson' book(bible) with Dennis Reid and Charles C. Hill.
I'm sure there are many other authors that deserve credit on their contributions. Please leave their name on the message board.
More on Tom Thomsom on this page ~ read David Newlands article on Tom's Mandolin and view Tom's real mandolin.
