The New Canon is the title of the program that will be given by musica intima at the Matsqui Centennial Auditorium when The Valley Concert Society opens its new season on Friday, September 20, at 7:30 p.m.
The program is a showcase for the creative work that musica intima loves to share with its audiences. The choir’s collaboration with many talented Canadian composers is on full display.
The program opens with the unexpected pairing of Anishinaabe words set to the music of a motet by the English Renaissance composer William Byrd.
Nature is a recurring theme throughout the program. Amihan evokes the northeast monsoon of the Philippines. Métis composer Ian Cusson, whose music we first heard played by Duo Concertante two years ago, has written ziibiwan. This is a set of five miniatures using the poetry of Katharena Vermette, from her love letter to Manitoba’s Red River. Vermette is a Métis who grew up in a Mennonite home.
While the composers are all Canadian, many have roots in cultures from around the world, and these are evident in the music they create. Yumma is an Aramaic Canaanite word meaning “my mother” which Shireen Abu-Khader has set to a traditional Palestinian melody. Other works are written by musicians with places like Guadeloupe and Africa in their background.
The program has several poignant elements. One is a prayer dedicated to the children buried in unmarked graves at Residential Schools. Vancouver composer Leslie Uyeda has set the words of esteemed poet Patrick Lane to music in an elegy for the late Jocelyn Morlock.
The evening will close with an energetic piece by Western University professor Dr. Tracy Wong which was inspired by Malaysian shadow puppet theatre.
The New Canon is a program of great variety and creativity. musica intima are ideal interpreters of this repertoire and masterful practitioners of the art of choral music.
Tickets for this program are available online at www.valleyconcertsociety.com at $32 for adults/seniors and $20 for students. Season subscriptions are also available at $140 for adults, $130 for seniors and $60 for students. Call 604-289-3377 for more information.
I look forward to seeing you there.
John Wiebe - President
The Valley Concert Society