Velvet and Ivory to perform at Trinity Anglican Church to benefit Huron Hospice
BY SCOTT STEPHENSON
On Friday, Nov. 1 at 7:30 p.m., Trinity Anglican Church in Blyth will be hosting another fundraising concert in support of Huron Hospice. This time, the entertainment will be provided by Stratford-based Velvet & Ivory, otherwise known as Beverley Maranger and Tim Elliott. The Citizen recently had a great three-way Zoom call with this smooth jazz duo to learn a little bit about how they came together as musicians and why they believe that hospice care is a cause well worth supporting.
Though they’ve only been performing as a duo for a few years, a big part of the magic of Velvet & Ivory is their trust in each other. “It’s a true musical partnership,” Elliott said. “From day one, Beverley made it very clear that this is not just me the accompanist and her the soloist. There’s a real musical collaboration here. We prepare our music, we rehearse a lot, but also, we can be spontaneous! So there’s a lot of trust. And I just love playing the piano. I could play the piano for days... and when you play the piano for somebody who loves to sing, it’s an incredible gift. And we’ve found that groove.”
Maranger believes that the key to a successful musical duo-ship is clear communication. “Right before we begin performing, we ask each other why we are doing this,” she explained. “And the answer is always because of how much fun that we think it is! It’s just a great, great amount of fun for us to be able to perform this music together.”
Their pre-show huddle is also one of Elliott’s favourite things about working with Maranger. “It’s a little time together to reassure ourselves, because there’s a lot going on. We have an audience, we have our own preparations, our nerves - there’s the sound system, there are sometimes glitches. So it’s just a little reassurance.”
Both Maranger and Elliott are happy to be bringing their musical talents to Blyth to help raise money for a cause they truly believe in: end-of-life hospice care. As a longtime Stratford resident, Maranger has seen the positive impact that access to hospice care can have on a community. “We have a hospice that was done by our Rotary organization in Stratford a few years ago, and you could just see the difference that it makes in the community to have a facility like that. It’s a tremendous benefit for everyone in the community to have the hospice. I just think it’s a really worthwhile, needed, facility to have,” she said. “It’s a big commitment to fundraise for hospices, but so, so, well worth it, for the end-of-life comfort they provide for people.”
Elliott has a personal connection to the Stratford Perth Hospice. “My mother-in-law died at our hospice in Stratford in April, and I had the privilege of being with my wife and our family, and seeing her excellent care and the freedom from worry. For her, and for us. It’s a wonderful resource. We know the importance of it. And I know that, when the Huron Hospice was getting launched, there was a lot of collaboration with Stratford about best practices and design, and how to make it a wonderful transition at the end of life, for the patients and their families.”
Although their upcoming concert will be the first time that Velvet & Ivory have performed together at Trinity Anglican Church, it won’t be the first time that Elliott has tickled the ivories of the church’s grand piano - in fact, he believes he was the first person to play a concert on it - an experience in which he felt very honoured to be included. As is his custom, Elliott arrived on the scene well ahead of that first show to ensure that the new instrument was in working order, and was pleased to find it was. “Every piano player is, unless you bring your keyboard, always playing somebody else’s piano, and the piano is a dynamic instrument... it always has a feel to it. They had it tuned and set up properly; it was a great privilege, and a great evening.”
Elliott is sure that their upcoming fundraising concert will be equally as memorable. “It’s live music in a sacred space,” he explained. “There’s something about a historic building like Trinity Church, and the windows, and all the prayers that have gone into the walls over the years. There’s something about us offering who we are, and sharing that with people.”
While Velvet & Ivory love performing jazz standards, their sets are often peppered with a few contemporary songs - whatever music they feel has those timeless vibes for which they’re looking.
“It creates just a very special ambiance,” Maranger pointed out. “Whether it’s the background for a party, or a nice dinner out, or a concert setting. It’s music that people just love to listen to... I like to see the effect that it has on people. You can see, when you’re playing to a room full of people, the effect that music has on them. Young and old. Music is a great way to bring people together because it’s a universal language that everyone can speak, and that everyone loves.”