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When Allison Lupton checked out an exhibit about war brides at the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 in Halifax, it really struck a chord with her and inspired her to write a song.
“I was so taken by the stories of young people finding love in a time of such darkness,” she said about the display at Pier 21, which was where almost one million immigrants and refugees entered Canada during World War II.
WATCH | Cambridge musician Allison Lupton turns song about war brides into picture book:
Cambridge musician releases songbook
Allison Lupton from Cambridge has had this idea for a long time – turning her song Over The Ocean To Canada into a picture book. The song came from that Halifax exhibit on war brides. She first recorded it back in 2014 and just recently put out the book with artwork by Ian Bell.
When she recorded Over the Ocean to Canada fourteen years ago, she always hoped it would someday become a picture book.
This Saturday, that dream is finally coming true as she launches the picture book which also works as a songbook.
The former teacher says she knows how books and songs connect and what they mean to folks.
“I would end my music lessons with a song, so I’d bring the children together on the carpet and we would sing together before they went back to their class,” she said.
“After I retired, I thought it would be so lovely to have a book of my own to do that because I still have the opportunity at festivals to teach music in workshops.”
Lupton asked her friend Ian Bell – who’s also a musician and artist – to illustrate her song, and she’s really happy with how he brings little “moments in time” from her lyrics into his paintings.
The illustrations inside Over The Ocean To Canada are paintings by fellow musician and artist Ian Bell. (Carmen Groleau/CBC)
“One lovely thing that Ian has done is he’s tucked a little cat in each page as you go, Easter eggs,” she said. “I know it’s my song, but it’s really Ian, it’s delightful what he has done.”
Bell says he felt honored when Lupton asked him and enjoyed turning her words into pictures.
“Doing [illustrations] for a song like that, it’s not like doing it for a novel, right? Because the song has like, 30 lines of text, right?” he said. “There’s a lot of filling in the blanks.”
LISTEN | Cambridge musician Allison Lupton on her new picture book:
The Morning Edition – K-W6:04Local musician Allison Lupton releases sing-along picture book
Cambridge musician Allison Lupton has long had the idea to create a picture book for her song Over The Ocean To Canada. Now that’s a reality and she’s releasing a songbook to go with it. Allison talks about this latest project.
He’s known this tune for years too and even played it alongside Lupton himself.
“You understand the feeling of it,” he said.
Taking one line like “ration food and dark nights, we were tired of the fight,” Bell explained:
“That became an illustration of a young woman in a darkened kitchen because she had blackout curtains on the kitchen window trying to whip up dinner from powdered eggs and dehydrated milk with her ration card lying there,” he added.
“Whether I’m doing music or painting there’s always some story going on-it’s what you want when you’re telling something through art.”
BELL also mentioned he knew kids would be reading this so aimed for pictures offering extra details beyond just what’s sung in lyrics.”
The launch will take place Saturday evening at Central Presbyterian Church here in Cambridge starting at 7 p. m.
This event called The Road Home will feature live music along with storytelling hosted by CBC presenter Tom Allen plus musicians including Allison Lupton herself alongside Ian Bell Shane Cook Chris Coole Lori Gemmel; Plus original paintings from Bell will be displayed during show.
Lupton hopes attendees will enjoy singing together laughing tapping their feet all while simply being present sharing moments.
WATCH | Allison Lupton performs Over The Ocean To Canada:
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