By Jim Fagan
Singer and guitar player Jonathan Anstock has been a greatly enjoyed entertainer at cafes, hotels and the like in Noosa for the last four years.
Taking the music of famous singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen, and many others, he has also volunteered his talents at U3A, and aged care homes like Carramar and Kabara.
He has now written a complete cabaret about the life of Cohen and he is bringing it to the Majestic Theatre in Pomona next month and later in June he will perform it as a fundraiser for Katie Rose Cottage Hospice at Noosa Arts Theatre.
“I got the idea while singing with Noosa Chorale backing singers in “A Migrant’s Son” at a Noosa Alive event in 2019. It’s the story of a Greek immigrant family and it instantly appealed to me as a theme for the Leonard Cohen story.
“Michaela Burger wrote and performed “A Migrant’s Son” and the emotion in her performance seemed to say the same things in Cohen’s songs– yearning, longing, the search for love, spiritual truth and so on.”
Jonathan said songs like ‘Hallelujah’ which had been recorded by 300 artists had incredible power.
“It has touched millions. As with many of his songs, they are considered
close to prayer. For me, singing Hallelujah is like worshiping the divine.
“I also try to explore the man who was Leonard Cohen– His life of poetry, song writing, drugs, sex, spiritual searching, depression, political thought and eventual peace.
“Music is therapy. It is social. It is an innate soul need and soul nourishment. I suppose that’s why I’ve been going to aged care homes for the last eight years.
“It brings movement, joy and memory through music and to sing to the elderly warms my heart. Cohen knew this. He performed at mental hospitals. He had great empathy for those struggling mentally.
“Cohen was a wordsmith and his poetic words will be heard in the songs I’m performing, “ Suzanne”, “So Long Marianne”, “A Bird on a Wire”, “Hallelujah”, “Dance Me to the End of Love”, “Anthem” and many others.
“I’m very fortunate in having a wonderful backing group, Janet Brewer on keyboard, Warren Brewer on bass and Noosa Chorale singers, Sherelle Scott and Marianne Johnson.”
“The Spirit of Leonard Cohen,” Majestic Theatre (Easter) Saturday April 3, 7pm and Fundraisers for Katie Rose Cottage Hospice are planned for Friday, June 25 and Saturday June 26, 7pm at Noosa Arts Theatre.
