Creating Expectations: Fannie launches L’Invention humaine, Feb 19 at Centennial Theatre

By Geoff Agombar – Local Journalism Initiative
Creating Expectations: Fannie launches L’Invention humaine, Feb 19 at Centennial Theatre
(Photo : Vincent Lafrance)

“Creating expectations and breaking expectations is what makes it enjoyable to me. Little surprises,” says Fannie. She is describing the experience of writing and arranging her first release.

But reversed, the line could have been a chorus throughout her telling of its creation. Broken expectations repeatedly creating new ones, opening surprising vistas within and beyond.

Fannie Gaudette is well known in Lennoxville and Sherbrooke. Pianist, accompanist, musical director, and choir director. Locals may have heard her sing back-up in support of students or fellow faculty at Bishop’s, but certainly never heard her take a solo.

Fannie, singer-songwriter, composer-arranger, and performer is a revelation. A creative force of arresting novelty and familiarity, and a confident voice poised to claim space in Quebec and beyond under a single moniker, like a Neko or Joni or Jorane.

Unique creations inspire strange hybrid descriptions. Tori Amos’s swings from percussive to lyrical piano lines, except with Patrick Watson’s soft, whispering scope, except with those driving, slapping Arcade Fire percussion lines, except with those heart-skipping poetic strikes like in Joni Mitchell’s lyrics, except wrapped in a rich, textural chamber strings blanket.

In short, Fannie sounds like Fannie.
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