Doomsday Fantasias

On Dec 6, New Hermitage released a new record, Doomsday Fantasias. It was released on Watch That Ends the Night Records and features New Hermitage in quartet formation - Andrew MacKelvie, India Gailey, Ross Burns, and myself - with guest appearances by Jeff Reilly. Here are a few words about the album from Andrew:

We recorded this album in 2022 in a house by the sea on the south shore of Nova Scotia. We moved in for the week with our instruments, recording equipment, and make-shift baffles. And what it became is called Doomsday Fantasias.

We recorded Unearthed in 2017. We recorded Doomsday Fantasias five years later. In that time we grew as people and artists. We defined our container, we deepened our lore; we built a repertoire and collective language for improvisation. We toured and we joked and we sang songs that we knew and that we made up.

Doomsday Fantasias was supposed to be something else. But, we let the piece become what it was meant to be. The compositions were always going to happen that way. Not through divine fate, but humble adherence to a practice. It’s a record of spontaneous compositions.

I hope you enjoy it. And if you do, please share it with others.

Fantasia ~ noun
1: a free usually instrumental composition not in strict form and often an improvisatory style
2a: a work (such as a poem or play) in which the author's fancy roves unrestricted
2b: something possessing grotesque, bizarre, or unreal qualities

band photo by Jamie Kronick

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari

New Hermitage and Carbon Arc combined forces again this year for the 4th annual Halloween Silent Film! This year's film was The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920).

Rambler's Residency

This fall, New Hermitage has a residency at Rambler's! On the first Friday of every month, we play with a different musical collaborator. The first show featured Aquakultre, and we'll have Blue Lobelia with us this coming Friday. Later this fall, we're looking forward to Special Costello on November 3rd!

New Hermitage September Tour

New Hermitage returned last week from a whirlwind road trip to Peterborough, Kingston, and Guelph. We were delighted to be performing at Jethro's Bar, (h)EAR, and the Guelph Jazz Festival!

New Hermitage June Tour

The New Hermitage tour through Ontario, the Yukon, and Alberta was delightful! Thank you to Canada Council for the tour support! 

Edmonton Jazz Festival at the Yardbird Suite

The view from the Dome, Dawson City, Yukon

Backstage at KIAC in Dawson City

The red tour van!

New Hermitage + Joyful Joyful + Michael C. Duguay Recording

In June, New Hermitage, Joyful Joyful, Michael C. Duguay and many other guest musicians spent a week at St. George's Round Church in Halifax, recording an album. The album is being produced by Michael and was recorded by Jake Nicoll using the amazing mobile recording unit, the Phonoautomat.

photo by Jamie Kronick

Bleep in the Dark

On Tuesday, New Hermitage played at Bleep in the Dark at Radstorm, with i.O (Victoria) and Moss Harvest (Nova Scotia)!

Fictional Music

On April 23, New Hermitage was part of Tom Richards' installation composition at the Halifax Central Libray - Fictional Music. This piece was inspired by Borges short story "The Library of Babel" and consisted of music played simultaneously on four floors by four different ensembles. The audience could walk around and explore the soundscape, mixing between the various musicians. It was very cool and will hopefully happen again!

The Sleep-In

On March 25th, New Hermitage and Blackwood co-presented a concert of deeply ambient music where the audience was welcome to sleep! Everyone was encouraged to bring a blanket and pillow and get comfortable.

Wolfe Island Residency

New Hermitage spent seven days on Wolfe Island last week on a beautiful residency period of musical exploration with Joyful Joyful and Michael C. Duguay. Thanks to the Canada Council for funding this work and to the Hotel Wolfe Island for hosting the residency and two public performances. More to come from this collaboration later this year!

New Hermitage + Pallmer at Sourwood

On Saturday evening, New Hermitage and Pallmer played a very fun cozy show at Sourwood Cider!  

New Hermitage Halloween Tour

This year, New Hermitage took its annual silent film show on the road with generous support from SuddenlyListen! We had two showings of Nosferatu in Halifax, we did Faust in Charlottetown, and then we did Nosferatu again in Wolfville. The poster was created by the amazing Charvel Rappos.

New Hermitage Dawn Concert

This morning we held our second annual dawn concert at the lake! A beautiful morning for it, and a beautiful audience.

New Hermitage June Tour

New Hermitage has just returned from a week of touring and performances at four beautiful festivals, Full Circle, Suoni Per Il Popolo, Wolfe Island Garden Party, and Something Else!

Wolfe Island Garden Party

Suoni Per Il Popolo

New Hermitage at New Scotland Brewing Co.

New Hermitage played a show at New Scotland Brewing on May 28th, fresh from our recording retreat. Thanks so much to the bar for having us!

New Hermitage + Carbon Arc: Faust

New Hermitage provided the score for Carbon Arc Cinema's sold-out screening of F. W. Murnau's Faust (1926)! This was our second year playing for a silent film around Halloween and we're hoping to make it a tradition.

New Hermitage opening for Lydium album release

Behrooz Mihankhah released his album Lydium this month with a launch show at the Music Room. New Hermitage (trio edition) was delighted to open the show with a short set. Take a listen and order Lydium here: https://behroozm.bandcamp.com/album/lydium

Here is a little clip from our opener:

Dawn Concert

New Hermitage played a couple of dawn concerts by the lake this summer - here's a photo from yesterday's! Thanks to Ann for the shot.

"Everywhere the Edges"

For the past month, New Hermitage has been in rehearsal as part of the development of the new dance work "Everywhere the Edges", choreographed by Rebecca Lazier and featuring the stunning net sculpture of Janet Echelman. The show has an incredible team and will be premiered in February!!!

photograph by John Adams

New Hermitage Halloween Show

This is a very late post, but New Hermitage had a fantastic time on Halloween night in Wolfville this year! We improvised a score to excerpts from the 1922 Swedish film Haxan, about the history of witchcraft - part lecture, and part mesmerizing dramatization. The show was put on by Music in Communities, and presented at the Al Whittle Theatre.