The Amadeus Choir of Greater Toronto will present Wanuskewin: Seeking Peace of Mind, with a program that showcases the work of leading Indigenous composers. The evening concert on May 9 combines music and storytelling, performed by a 100 voice choir and instrumental ensemble.
The concert’s title is taken from the Cree word Wanuskewin, which is often translated as “seeking peace of mind”. Themes explored in the music and storytelling include land, water, and memory, and the journey towards reconciliation and spiritual balance.
“Wanuskewin is about seeking peace of mind — not as a destination, but as an active, communal process,” says Amadeus Artistic Director Kathleen Allan in a statement. “We’re honoured to build this program in partnership with Indigenous artists whose music asks us to listen more deeply — to stories, to history, and to the waters and lands that sustain us.”
The Music
Cris Derksen’s Mass for Nîpîy: A Prayer for Water is the heart of the program. The work revolves around Indigenous water sovereignty, and a call for awareness and action. Musically, it features Derksen’s characteristic combination of classical, Indigenous, and experimental sounds.
The immersive program also includes music by composers Andrew Balfour and Sherryl Sewepagaham, and looks to engage the audience in a conversation about our responsibilities and relationships, and a journey through both grief for what has been lost, and hope for a better future.
All three composers will be in attendance at the concert.
The Composers
Cris Derksen
JUNO-nominated Indigenous cellist and composer is Derksen has developed an international reputation for music that defies categorization. She comes from Treaty 8 territory in Northern Alberta, with a background that stems from a lineage of chiefs from the NorthTall Cree Reserve on her father’s side, and Mennonite homesteaders on her mother’s side.
Her unique sound, which blends her classical training with her Indigenous roots and electronic elements, began to fully develop through performances with Tanya Tagaq in 2006. Cris has performed with orchestras and indie rock bands, and career highlights include serving as the composer for the Canadian Pavilion at the World Expo in Dubai, as well as in 2025 the World Expo in Osaka.
She’s performed with 15 symphonies and orchestras across Canada, as well as internationally in Mongolia, Japan, Norway, Chile, Hong Kong, Australia, Mongolia, and throughout Europe.
Andrew Balfour
Cree composer, conductor, singer and sound designer Andrew Balfour is based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He has written works for orchestra and individual instruments, as well as choral and electroacoustic music.
His music has been commissioned by the Winnipeg, Regina, and Toronto Symphony Orchestras, Ensemble Caprice, the Kingston Chamber Choir, Tafelmusik, and the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir, among many others. Balfour’s works have been performed and broadcast across Canada and internationally.
Andrew is the founder and Artistic Director of Winnipeg’s Dead of Winter ensemble, with a mandate of developing and performing cross genre and interdisciplinary collaborative works.
He is passionate about education and outreach, and routinely works with inter-city schools in Winnipeg as well as northern reserves.
In 2017, he was awarded a Gold Medal by the Senate of Canada for his contribution to Canada’s Indigenous and music communities.
Sherryl Sewepagaham
Cree-Dene composer and singer Sherryl Sewepagaham comes form the Little Red River Cree Nation of northern Alberta. She earned a Bachelor of Music Therapy from Capilano University, and a Bachelor of Education from the University of Alberta.
She is a dedicated educator, and taught music in elementary schools for 14 years. Sherryl has also worked as a Music Therapist with Indigenous patients in the fields of Geriatric and Palliative Care.
As a singer, she is a long time member of the JUNO nominated ensemble Asani, and composes drum songs in the Cree language. Asani has won multiple awards, including a 2010 Canadian Folk Music Award, a 2010 Indian Summer Music Award, a 2005 Canadian Aboriginal Music Award. The ensemble has toured internationally, including appearances at Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.
Sherryl has also released albums of her music as a solo artist. She is currently a PhD student in ethnomusicology at UBC.
Concert Details
Wanuskewin: Seeking Peace of Mind takes place on May 9, 2026 at The Playground at Artists’ Play (388 Carlaw Avenue).
- Find tickets and other concert details [HERE].
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