OOE ARTIST FEATURE: FLUTE AND HARP DUO SHEILA&LUCILE RELEASE NEW ALBUM, WAVELENGTH

Flute and harp duo Sheila White (flute) and Lucile Brais Hildesheim (harp) resist being pigeon-holed and treasure performing live. Their band name is sheila&lucile. On October 10, sheila&lucile launched their third album Wavelength at Red Bird, Old Ottawa South’s live music venue. It is a mix of celtic and contemporary music from Canada, Scotland, and Ireland and includes a new piece—the title track—that was written especially for them.

White has lived in Old Ottawa East since 1991; Brais Hildesheim lives in Richmond. According to White, their very first meeting was bittersweet. “I used to play with another harpist,” White explains. “Lucile and I met at that harpist’s moving away party where we had an instant connection. At the time, though, we were both super busy with young kids, so it took a while before we got going.”

The duo has been together since 2010 and released its first album in 2017. “We finally ramped things up when we had more time,” says Brais Hildesheim. “It’s been a good ten years!”

Interviewing the musicians together was like experiencing live music; they connect on so many levels. Both women are full-time freelancers, but the sheila&lucile duo has become their priority. “It’s now our main event,” says White.

Both White and Brais Hildesheim have music degrees and have performed in various ensembles including celtic bands, orchestras, and with choirs in Canada, Belgium, Germany, the US, and Ireland. They perform original arrangements of traditional and new music and well-known selections from over the centuries. Their signature sound is inspired by their musical backgrounds, and also by the distinct voices of each of their instruments—a variety of flutes and harps played in unusual combinations. “We explore music we really love,” says White. “In what genre? Well, sometimes we need to reconsider what we mean by genre.”

“We like a term we’ve heard other artists use: genre fluid,” says Brais Hildesheim. “People today are more open and receptive to different combinations of musical styles.”

“Lucile is also a visual artist,” says White. “And we both love to paint by sound—creating musical colours through melodies and harmonies. We also tell stories with our music and through our instruments. Each of our instruments has its own voice. It is unique to combine the warmth and darkness of a wood flute with a concert harp. But we do that.”

“The flute has a lyrical, almost human voice in the singing range,” says Brais Hildesheim. “The harp has resonance in the lower supporting ranges. Traditionally, the flute plays the melody. But we often perform the melody in unison and meet somewhere in the middle.”

When coming up with a concept for the new album, the musicians jotted down the pieces they have loved. “Each album has a flow and a story,” says White.

“As we were creating the list for the new album we realized we had frozen water, kayaks, a ship at sea, and a motorcycle riding along the Spanish coast,” says Brais Hildesheim. “Although we did not plan to have a water motif, there was something about the feel of these pieces that wanted to go together.” OOE composer John Bennett wrote the piece “Wavelength” for the duo. “With this original piece and its idea of sound waves, our synchronicity as players, and our list of pieces, the album truly took shape.”

“And when we reached out to all of the living composers for permission to record their works, every one of them said ‘yes please!’” says White.

Through their live performances, the duo strives to reach below surface and take their audiences on stimulating journeys. “We love being in the moment,” says White. “We do some improvisation, but, most of all, we love meeting where the music is happening. And like with any other art, people have their own take on it.”

The duo sells its albums at live shows and through their website. CDs, they say, are selling again. “It is encouraging to see that the arts still matter,” says Brais Hildesheim.

“Music is multigenerational,” says White. “It transcends generations. We are in music because we love it. We thrive on our connectivity with a live audience, and we feed off the energy in the room.”

Between the two, these musicians have recorded seven albums of music for flute and harp, and for harp solo, which have been aired nationally on CBC Radio/Radio-Canada, as well as in Ireland and the US.

On Wednesday, November 25, at 7:30 pm, OOE residents will have another opportunity to see the duo perform at the NAC Fourth Stage in their annual show, When Winter Comes. This year, the duo will be joined by special guest harpist Sharlene Wallace. For more on Wallace and the show go to https://nac-cna.ca/en/event/41922. For more about the duo visit https://sheilalucile.com/.