Concert to showcase the music of the Barry Sisters
'The Barry Sisters were instantly captivating for me, their music is joyous and full of life, love and simple pleasures, not to mention their gorgeous harmonies'
Lara Goodridge and Susie Bishop met when performing as part of the Miriam Lieberman Trio. While Bishop was originally helping out whenever Goodridge wasn’t available, when the cellist left, Goodridge immediately suggested bringing Bishop into the fold on a permanent basis. According to Goodridge, they hit it off immediately.
“It was just so easy working together. We are really on the same page in terms of instincts with harmonies and string lines, and the trio never looked back,” she said.
Many years and award-winning albums later, the pair are finally taking the step towards a dream they’ve had of putting on a show together. In the interests of bringing a little light to a dark time, they were drawn to the joyous music of the Barry Sisters and of course the wonderful harmonies they imbue.
The Yiddish Project: Susie & Lara sing the Barry Sisters will feature songs from Fiddler on the Roof and staples from The Marvellous Mrs Maisel, among many others.
“I have been seriously percolating on the idea of doing a show with Lara for a while now, and when she introduced me to the Barry Sisters, I was instantly thrilled,” Bishop told The AJN, explaining she has performed with a number of Jewish flavoured ensembles so Klezmer and Yiddish are not foreign to her.
“The Barry Sisters were instantly captivating for me, their music is joyous and full of life, love and simple pleasures, not to mention their gorgeous harmonies.”
Goodridge, who studied a Diploma of Languages in Yiddish with her father before he passed away, acknowledged that the past year has been very difficult for many in the arts world, recognising Bishop for being an ally for the community.
“Susie has been consistently supportive and so empathetic, and we spent many hours trying to unpack our shock together. That sort of compassion from outside the Jewish community means so much,” she said.
Which is why it’s all the more special to be bringing Jewish-themed songs to life together. Goodridge explained though that including Fiddler songs makes it a bit more accessible to all audiences, not just Jewish ones.
“We had played around with a few ideas over the past couple of years, but then suddenly, one day, I just had a clear vision of us doing something Jewish together. I wanted it to be a tailored show that wasn’t just Yiddish songs, or Hebrew songs,” she said.
Bishop said she’s thrilled to be putting the show together with Goodridge.
“I am very keen to put on a show that will warm hearts and nurture souls in these rocky times, and I am absolutely certain that the Barry Sisters’ stunning arrangements of old favourites and of course the timeless songs of Fiddler on the Roof will be exactly what we all need.”
The Yiddish Project: Susie & Lara Sing the Barry Sisters is on December 14 at the Camelot Lounge. Book tickets.
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