2020–21 SEASON PERFORMANCES
the spirit's dwelling
“O! Soft responsive voices of the night - I join your minstrelsy, and call across the fading silver light…”
Join musica intima for an exploration of life, death, and the spiritual realm. This moving concert will feature Vancouver composer Joelysa Pankanea’s haunting ‘The First Stage’, a work commissioned for musica intima in which the composer explores the journey towards the loss of her mother. Music of loss and comfort by Anna Thorvaldsdottir, Caroline Shaw, and Rebecca Dale will round out the first half, and the second half will feature Herbert Howells’ monumental ‘Take Him, Earth, for Cherishing’ and Dominick DiOrio’s ‘Dome of Many-Coloured Glass’, on poems by Amy Lowell.
This concert will be available digitally, as we perform in the Celebration Hall of Mountain View Cemetery. We’re thrilled to be collaborating with Brian Nesselroad, marimba, and Mark Haney, double bass, opening our season of collaboration. the spirit’s dwelling is a joint presentation between musica intima and Little Chamber Music.
ceremony of carols
“The wind is high and cold; the sun low, its course is short: the sea churns…
Cold has seized the wings of birds; an icy season—these are my tidings”
Benjamin Britten’s Ceremony of Carols is a favourite of treble choirs around the world—less known is the arrangement for mixed choir, which Britten created the year after the piece was finished. musica intima’s unique style of performance will breathe new life into this masterwork for voices and harp. Drawing our inspiration from Britten’s use of medieval texts, the concert will feature music for voices from composers Cecilia McDowall, Andrew Balfour, Tawnie Olson, and Matthew Larkin, all on ancient texts. Alongside exciting new music, the concert will feature traditional choral favourites for Christmas.
Continuing our season of collaboration, the concert will feature Vancouver harpist Janelle Nadeau. The performance will be available digitally, as we perform in the beautiful Christ Church Cathedral in Downtown Vancouver.
the beginning of the song
A voice can bring out the sense of intention
Existence can be transformed by thoughts
The message of the will can move your heart
The beat of butterfly wings provoke a hurricane
In the final concert of our subscription series, we’ll round out our season of collaboration by joining with a quartet of mentored singers, to explore musica intima’s unique cannon of contemporary Canadian music. Featuring past commissions from Leslie Uyeda, Peter Hannan, and Alfredo Santa Ana, as well as premiering a piece by Michael Oesterle, the concert will explore themes of communication and isolation, as we reflect on the past year of social distancing.
For this unique concert, we’ll also be joined by Kenyan-Canadian Spoken Word Artist Germaine Konji, who will be premiering pieces commissioned for the concert. Konji is a recent graduate of Sheridan College and one of the recipients of the 20-21 Syd and Shirley Banks Prize for Emerging Musical Theatre Artists.
2020–21 OTHER EVENTS
ding dong!
“The boys of the NYPD choir, still singing Galway Bay—
And the bells are ringing out, for Christmas day”
An annual favourite! Join the singers of musica intima, together with a local jazz trio as we explore the sweet and salty sides of Christmas music. Featuring in-house arrangements by ensemble members and local composers, the concert transcends genre—with stops along the way in blues, folk, jazz, country, and more! Come for your favourite arrangements of classic carols, and stay for exciting performances of songs by The Pretenders, Pentatonix, Joni Mitchell, Corb Lund, and the Pogues.
This concert will be available digitally, as we perform in the rustic St. James Community Square. Grab your favourite beverage and toast the holidays with us at our now infamous irreverent Christmas!
morning walks
“Walking by flashlight
at six in the morning,
my circle of light on the gravel
swinging side to side,
coyote, raccoon, field mouse, sparrow,
each watching from darkness
this man with the moon on a leash.”
Rounding out our season of collaboration, this evening will feature a unique piece, borne out of continued musical and literary exploration. Originally written as a song cycle for American soprano Dawn Upshaw, Maria Schneider’s Winter Morning Walks is based on poems by Ted Kooser—what he calls ‘postcards’, written as he battled depression on pre-dawn walks alone and with his wife. Vancouver-based composer and arranger Réjean Marois arranged the musical miniatures for vocal ensemble and trio—and we’ll perform his version of these haunting and beautiful pieces with Vancouver-based ensemble Triology (Jodi Prozinik, Miles Black and Bill Coon). Join musica intima to enter the space between jazz and classical music!
MUSICA INTIMA ON THE ROAD
YOUR SUPPORT IS OUR LIFEBLOOD
musica intima exists to create incredible moments—to share the power of music with our audiences, and invite them into our circle of sound. Your financial support of the ensemble’s professional performance, touring, recording, and community outreach initiatives remains invaluable.
As with most not-for-profit arts organizations, ticket revenue only accounts for a small portion of our total budget. If you have been touched by musica intima’s performances, please consider a tax-deductible gift to the musica intima society. Your continued support of one of Canada’s musical gems is vital, allowing us to continue presenting world-class performances at home and abroad, and supporting generations of professional musicians.
Thank you!
musica intima is a registered charitable organizaion #872525530RR0001