A Tribute Wrapped in Friendship: When Emmylou Harris Sang “Love Is” for Kate and Anna McGarrigle
Some performances are remembered for their technical brilliance. Others endure because they reveal something deeply human. When Emmylou Harris stepped onto the stage at the Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards in December 2004 to sing “Love Is,” she delivered far more than a musical tribute. She offered a heartfelt thank-you to two women whose friendship and artistry had enriched her life for decades.
The song itself was a fitting choice.
Written by the legendary sister duo Kate & Anna McGarrigle, “Love Is” is unlike most love songs. Rather than defining love through a single emotion, it paints a series of vivid images. Love is a shiny car. A steel guitar. A battle scar. A morning star. The lyrics move between joy, confusion, longing, beauty, and contradiction, reflecting the many forms love takes throughout a lifetime.
Few singers could have delivered those words with more grace than Emmylou Harris.
By 2004, Harris had already established herself as one of the most respected voices in roots music. Yet throughout her career, she never hesitated to shine a spotlight on songwriters she admired. The McGarrigle sisters were among the artists she held in the highest regard.
As she stood alone with the music, Harris brought a quiet reverence to every line. There was no attempt to overpower the audience. Instead, her voice floated gently through the hall, allowing the poetry of the song to speak for itself. The performance felt intimate, almost as though she were singing in a living room rather than at a national awards ceremony.
What made the evening especially moving was what happened after the song ended.
Speaking directly to the audience, Harris shared memories that revealed the depth of her connection with Kate and Anna. She recalled that Anna McGarrigle had helped her record the song in 1988, marking the beginning of a friendship and musical partnership she would come to treasure. Her words were not those of a celebrity honoring fellow artists. They were the words of a friend expressing gratitude.
She spoke of being inspired by their “achingly beautiful songs” and “exquisite harmonies.” She described the McGarrigles as completely original artists whose music continued to amaze her. Most touching of all was the way she portrayed their home and family life.
Rather than focusing on awards or accomplishments, Harris
A table filled with grace, good food, laughter, conversation, and friendship. A place where Kate and Anna were not only celebrated musicians but also sisters, mothers, and generous hosts. It was a portrait of a life well lived, grounded in creativity, family, and kindness.
Those remarks revealed something essential about the McGarrigle sisters’ legacy. Their influence extended far beyond the songs they wrote. They created a community around them, drawing fellow musicians into a circle of warmth and encouragement. Harris herself was one of many artists touched by that spirit.
Looking back today, the tribute carries even greater emotional weight. Kate McGarrigle would pass away just a few years later, in 2010. What remains is this beautiful moment from 2004, preserving both the admiration Harris felt for the sisters and the affection they inspired in so many others.
The performance is also a reminder of a remarkable era in folk and roots music, when artists valued songs, relationships, and artistic integrity above commercial trends. Harris, Kate, and Anna belonged to that tradition. They built careers not through spectacle but through authenticity.
Today, “Love Is” feels like more than a song title. It feels like the message of the entire evening.
Love is friendship that lasts decades. Love is music shared between kindred spirits. Love is gratitude expressed while there is still time to say it.
And on that December night in 2004, Emmylou Harris transformed those truths into one of the most touching tributes of her career.