#NIAGARAPERFORMS | Virtual Concert Series | Lori Cullen and Kurt Swinghammer

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About

Kurt Swinghammer and Lori Cullen bring their musical talents together in this very special performance from their home.

Cullen is a celebrated pop/folk/jazz singer-songwriter and Swinghammer is St. Catharines homegrown acclaimed singer-songwriter, guitarist and visual artist.

After taking a few years off music to raise children, Lori and Kurt were approached by their close friend Ron Sexsmith (and fellow City of St. Catharines native) that he and Kurt co-write material to entice Lori back into the studio.

Recording from the Live-stream event originally presented June 28.

It’s a special opportunity when an artist has an entire album written for them. The words, melodies, and jazz-informed chamber pop arrangements of "Sexsmith Swinghammer Songs" were all specifically created for the distinctive voice of Lori. In the tradition of the Bacharach and David model, the roll of writing lyrics and music was clearly divided. Sexsmith brought his brilliant ability to personalize universal themes while using common vernacular and applied it to the unpredictable harmonic and rhythmic structures of Swinghammer’s artful tunes. The result is a strikingly original, cohesive body of work that has nothing in common with current trends.

Links

• (click here) for a complete listing of Culture Days activities in St. Catharines stcatharines.ca

Organizer

FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre

THE FIRSTONTARIO PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE

Opening its doors in fall 2015, the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre is a 95,000 square foot academic and cultural complex comprised of four state-of-the-art performance venues. The Centre has been a vital component in the renaissance of St. Catharines, serving as the catalyst in thoroughly modernizing the area and reinforcing the brilliance of Niagara Region’s diverse cultural cluster.

Each year the Centre presents Culture Days activities for the Community in partnership with the City of St. Catharines Cultural Services Office, local organizations and artists.

In 2020, Due to COVID, the PAC has initiated a series of digital performances the #NIAGARAPERFORMS series and is pleased to offer feature digital performative experiences during Culture Days.