By Ron Powers

A Winter’s Tale by Pauline Frechette

Pauline Frechette has outdone herself on her latest EP. A Winter’s Tale showcases Frechette’s unique aesthetic abilities and captures the feeling of the winter season in a way I’ve never experienced before. For me, the songs on this title express the silent beauty found in nature this time of year. Frechette gives voice to that quiet splendor with taste and truth.

The work starts off with the title track “A Winter’s Tale”. This composition emits a calming and soothing emotion. The majority of the song has a mellow smoothness to it that holds the listener like a soft sofa after a long day. However, as it progresses a lively movement is introduced that feels like the holidays. All together this composition reminds me of the feeling one gets after the perfect family celebration.

“Candlelight Dancing” is the second track off A Winter’s Tale. It stands as yet another piano gem straight from Frechette’s heart. There’s something about the simple beauty of Pauline’s piano pieces that sets my mind at ease. There’s also a sweet closeness to this song that pairs nicely with its title. Listening to “Candlelight Dancing” feels like a kind friend keeping you company.

The third track, “Liquid Moon”, has a tranquil grace to it. There is such love in this song. Listening to it is like stepping out into nature after spending too much time in the city. Frechette captures more truth in the few minutes of “Liquid Moon” than most books can hold. In a sociopolitical environment that can, at time, become so distracting and noisy, people need music like this more than ever. Once again, Frechette reminds us of something deeper, something more vital than words can express.

For the fourth track of the EP Frechette gives us “Jack Frost”. This is a song that sparkles with personality and dazzles the ears. It sounds like something from another planet. I could practically feel and hear snow crunching under my feet while listening. Frechette delivers an utterly delightful experience with this composition. To be honest I’ve never heard anything quite like it.

The brief and lovely “Pearls for My Daughter” is the fifth track on A Winter’s Tale. This composition takes up just one minute and forty-one seconds. It’s a short and sweet number which Frechette glides through with a grace and ease that brings a steady clarity to its listener. That steady clear feeling is further supported by a heartfelt Viola performance which complements Frechette’s playing nicely.

A Winter’s Tale finishes with the playful spark of a composition called “The Mischievous Fairie”. This song offers a lively and fun experience from start to finish and rounds off the EP with a delightful and charming energy. It’s performed with a brisk vitality that lifts its listener and puts a spring in their step.

Year after year Pauline Frechette gives us music full of class and beauty. A Winter’s Tale shows the deepening of Frechette’s artistry. The compositions on this new work reveal an artist who is ever more striving for new and fresh ways to express herself and give something meaningful to others. If you’d like to learn more about Pauline you can find her on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter If you’d like to listen to her music you can find it on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube and most other places that digital music is streamed or sold.