Amici Chamber Ensemble continues their 38th year celebration with a concert titled Northern Lights: Inspired by Canada. The concert takes place on November 23, and spotlights Canadian diversity across the country with a program that incorporates music from several provinces.
Soprano Mireille Asselin is the guest artist for the concert. She will be performing pieces from Amici’s 2017 album Inspired by Canada/ Notre Pays, which include Amici arrangements of Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah, Joni Mitchell’s A Case of You, and Red River Valley.
One of the works on the program, titled Lii Chiiraan (Northern Lights), was commissioned by Amici from composer T. Patrick Carrabré.
Composer T. Patrick Carrabré
Métis composer T. Patrick Carrabré makes his home base in Vancouver. Identity, and how it’s constructed, and community engagements have been recurring themes in his music. Both his Sonata No. 1, The Penitent, for violin and piano, and From the Dark Reaches, were nominated for JUNO Awards.
One of his best known works is Inuit Games, for katajjak (throat singers) and orchestra. Recent compositions include Histoires des Métis: the Freedom Songs, a work commissioned by the Vancouver Chamber Choir, and Snewíyalh tl’a Staḵw (Teachings of the Water), created in collaboration with the Elektra Women’s Choir. His music has been recorded various labels, including most recently Orpheus on the Centredisc label in 2023, and Métis Songs, an EP that was released on Winter Wind Records in 2024.
Carrabré studied composition at The University of Western Ontario, where he earned a Master’s degree, followed up by a PhD at the The City University of New York. He was formerly a professor of music at the University of British Columbia, as well as Director of the School of Music, and before that, Dean of Music and Vice-President at Brandon University.
In a program note, Patrick writes:
“Growing up in Red River (Winnipeg), I have experienced the Lii Chiiraan (our Michif name for the Northern Lights) for as long as I can remember. Sitting outside and looking up at the night sky is a thing we do, especially when you get out of town and away from the light pollution. With luck you have a fire and can spend time with people you love. But even if you’re all by yourself, it is a spiritual experience. So, I was really happy when asked to contribute to this program.
“The piece I’ve written is in four sections, beginning with Paahkishimoon, “Nightfall.” That’s when things slow down, the wind might drop off, and you can begin to forget the daily grind. That’s also when the night creatures come out. Some scurry, some fly and others just crash through the bush. If you’re lucky, Lii Chiiraan come out to play and gift you their amazing show. The sky ripples and shimmers with beautiful colours and playfulness, sharing wonder of being alive in this magical place and time. Eventually it’s time for bed. You let the fire go out and head back inside to begin your dream work.”
The Program
The full program includes
- T. Patrick Carrabré: Lii Chiiraan (World Premiere)
- Otto Nicolai: Variazioni
- Astor Piazzolla: Oblivion
- Matos Rodriguez: La Cumparsita (arr. Kradjian)
- Scott Joplin / Serouj Kradjian: Maple Leaf Forever Rag
- Ernest Seitz/ Gene Lockhart: The World is Waiting for the Sunrise
- Leonard Cohen: Hallelujah
- Claude Léveillée/ Henri Contet: Le Vieux Piano
- Joni Mitchell: A Case of You
- Antoine Gérin-Lajoie: Un Canadien Errant
- Red River Valley (Traditional)
- Serouj Kradjian: Chants du Québec
- Mrs. Maqi Denny’s Lullaby (Traditional)
Find concert details and tickets [HERE].
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