{"id":115235,"date":"2025-06-16T22:43:43","date_gmt":"2025-06-17T02:43:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/?p=115235"},"modified":"2025-06-17T08:00:02","modified_gmt":"2025-06-17T12:00:02","slug":"canadian-opera-interview-marion-newman-melody-courage-timothy-long-talk-about-missing-at-toronto-summer-music","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/2025\/06\/16\/canadian-opera-interview-marion-newman-melody-courage-timothy-long-talk-about-missing-at-toronto-summer-music\/","title":{"rendered":"INTERVIEW |  Canadian Opera: Marion Newman, Melody Courage &amp; Timothy Long Talk About Missing At Toronto Summer Music"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_115244\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-115244\" style=\"width: 1200px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-115244\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/06\/Copy-of-PREVIEW-2025-06-17T062317.600.jpg\" alt=\"L-R: Conductor Timothy Long; soprano Melody Courage; mezzo-soprano Marion Newman (Photos courtesy of the artists)\" width=\"1200\" height=\"628\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/06\/Copy-of-PREVIEW-2025-06-17T062317.600.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/06\/Copy-of-PREVIEW-2025-06-17T062317.600-300x157.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/06\/Copy-of-PREVIEW-2025-06-17T062317.600-1024x536.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/06\/Copy-of-PREVIEW-2025-06-17T062317.600-768x402.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-115244\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">L-R: Conductor Timothy Long; soprano Melody Courage; mezzo-soprano Marion Newman (Photos courtesy of the artists)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Toronto Summer Music is presenting Missing, a Canadian chamber opera, in concert as part of the festival\u2019s mainstage offerings. The performance takes place July 24.<\/p>\n<p>Missing is a chamber opera that gives a voice to the voiceless, and in doing so, puts an important Canadian human rights issue into sharp focus: that of the many missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls.<\/p>\n<p>The work was created by Sahtu Dene and M\u00e9tis playwright <strong>Marie Clements<\/strong> and JUNO Award-winning composer <strong>Brian Current<\/strong>, and the story revolves around two women: an unnamed Indigenous woman only known as \u201cNative Girl\u201d who disappears, and Ava, the non-Indigenous lawyer whose life is changed as she delves into the mystery.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s a journey of truth and healing that takes audiences from Vancouver\u2019s Downtown Eastside to British Columbia\u2019s Highway of Tears. Musically, it blends elements of Western opera with Indigenous language and storytelling, and is performed in both English and Gitxsan.<\/p>\n<h2>Performance Details: Personnel<\/h2>\n<p>The music will be performed by the CONTINUUM Ensemble: Leslie Newman, flute; Anthony Thompson, clarinet; Carol Fujino, violin; Paul Widner, cello; Gregory Oh, piano\/electric piano; Ryan Scott, percussion; Michael Murphy, percussion. Tim Long conducts.<\/p>\n<p>The cast (in order of vocal appearance):<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Ava: Caitlin Wood<\/li>\n<li>Native Girl: Melody Courage<\/li>\n<li>Jess: Andrea Ludwig<\/li>\n<li>Devon: Asitha Tennekoon<\/li>\n<li>Dr. Wilson: Marion Newman<\/li>\n<li>Angus: Evan Korbut<\/li>\n<li>Native Mother: Michelle Lafferty<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Scenic and Projection Designer <strong>Andy Moro<\/strong> has created brand new projections for the concert performance.<\/p>\n<p>Missing was co-commissioned and co-produced by Pacific Opera Victoria and City Opera Vancouver, and made its world premi\u00e8re in Vancouver and Victoria in 2017.<\/p>\n<p>Missing was created in collaboration with Indigenous women and communities as more than a simple performance. It\u2019s about resistance and resilience, and remembrance of the women who\u2019ve been lost.<\/p>\n<p>LvT spoke to mezzo-soprano Marion Newman (Dr. Wilson), soprano Melody Courage (Native Girl), and conductor Timothy Long about the upcoming performance.<\/p>\n<div class=\"jetpack-video-wrapper\"><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/iEJUAsFwOaM?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<h2>Interview: Marion Newman, Melody Courage &amp; Timothy Long<\/h2>\n<p>In many ways, opera and the performing arts are probably an ideal way to not only keep the story alive, but continue to connect with more and more people.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMusic insists that you allow your emotions to get involved,\u201d says Marion Newman. \u201cMuch harder to let go when you&#8217;re invested.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Marion has been involved with Missing since before its premiere.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI was invited by the people who were commissioning the work to be part of that process,\u201d she explains. \u201cI got to get involved from the start.\u201d The auditioning process, as she describes it, involved try-out arias submitting composers had written. The names of the composers had been blacked out in the interests of fairness.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI was part of the panel that decided which aria and why,\u201d Newman says. \u201cIt happened to be Brian Current.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Even earlier, her brother had seen draft versions of the libretto. Marion recommended Victoria-based M\u00e9tis soprano Melody Courage for the key role of Native girl.<\/p>\n<p>Conductor and pianist Tim Long is of Muscogee Creek and Choctaw descent from the Thlopthlocco Tribal Town in Oklahoma. He\u2019s also Associate Professor of Opera, and Artistic and Music Director of Opera at the Eastman School of Music.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey were searching for Indigenous singers,\u201d he explains. \u201cOpera America put them in touch with me. I gave them a list of names, and said, by the way I&#8217;m a conductor.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The suggestion hit home, and he was invited to conduct.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe understood the story so well,\u201d Marion says. \u201cHe really understood why things needed to be timed in a certain way.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Along with the usual technical aspects of timing such as taking a breath, with such an emotionally-charged work for the vocalists, it\u2019s necessary to allow time both for gathering emotions as well.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLucky I\u2019ve done a lot of opera,\u201d Long says.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_115245\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-115245\" style=\"width: 1200px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-115245\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/06\/B.-CURRENT.jpg\" alt=\"Canadian composer Brian Current (Photo courtesy of the artist)\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/06\/B.-CURRENT.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/06\/B.-CURRENT-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/06\/B.-CURRENT-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/06\/B.-CURRENT-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-115245\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Canadian composer Brian Current (Photo courtesy of the artist)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3>The Music<\/h3>\n<p>\u201cI describe this as tonal,\u201d Long says. \u201cI would say it&#8217;s polytonal \u2014post minimalist.\u201d It\u2019s not strict minimalism, as he notes.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt&#8217;s written in an interesting way, because you can almost do it as movement,\u201d Tim adds. \u201cI think it&#8217;s pretty remarkable piece, especially in how Brian uses time.\u201d As he describes it, the work begins in a fairly straightforward metre. Once the Native Girl sings, however, the pulse of the music changes.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think that&#8217;s one of the great hallmarks of the score.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI would also say that Brian put the language first,\u201d Marion says. Current worked with a native speaker to make sure the rhythm and phrasing of the lines in Gitxsan was correct.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe made sure none of it was too thickly orchestrated,\u201d Newman adds. \u201cI would say it&#8217;s quite tonal.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s not to say it\u2019s simplistic. \u201cIn fact, it&#8217;s very complex,\u201d she says. \u201cIt took several performances, remountings, for it to become \u2018easy\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>For her, the music revolves around the concept. \u201cHe was really thinking about story first.\u201d It\u2019s music anyone, whether they consider themselves a fan of new music or not, could enjoy.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe landscape sounds like British Columbia,\u201d she says. \u201cYou can hear the wind, and the trees. The desolate feeling of being on that highway.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3>The Impact<\/h3>\n<p>\u201cWe always did private performances for the families of victims,\u201d Long says. \u201cWe have never gotten a comment that, oh my gosh, I&#8217;ve never been to opera, or new music.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The emotional impact of the piece overrides the idea of experiencing the music as purely an art form. As he mentions, the music is atonal when it goes with what\u2019s happening in the story. It emphasizes expression via the story.<\/p>\n<p>While it\u2019s a concert performance, and not staged per se, there will be projections and background videos that help tell the story. Andy Moro is creating new visuals for the concert version which will include surtitles, and a background screen for Koerner Hall.<\/p>\n<p>Melody Courage is hoping the opera\u2019s message will be felt. \u201cI think, a better understanding, but also, they know this fact,\u201d she explains. It\u2019s one thing to read or watch a news story. It\u2019s another matter to feel real empathy. \u201cThey know it as a fact, not as actual real people,\u201d she adds.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cJust inviting them to be more compassionate to Indigenous communities who have gone through this,\u201d she hopes. \u201cTo stop and take a minute to learn about this story.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Once they\u2019ve heard about it, what else can be done?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEveryone is going to come in at their own level,\u201d Newman says. Raising awareness is an important step, along with continuing to pressure politicians and other authorities to do what\u2019s right \u2014 like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbc.ca\/news\/canada\/manitoba\/marcedes-myran-remains-found-1.7485825\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">searching landfills<\/a> when required.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe are people who should be on equal par in people&#8217;s hearts and minds,\u201d she says. The end goal, of course, is to make the world a safer place for Indigenous women and girls. \u201cI think Marie Clements did an amazing job,\u201d she says of the librettist.<\/p>\n<p>Audiences can\u2019t help but react.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSome people go in very guarded,\u201d Newman says, \u201cand they leave on our side, feeling like they now understand that their voice can make a difference too.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As an American, Tim is hoping for raised awareness most of all. \u201cWe&#8217;re certainly behind Canada in terms of recognition of the past,\u201d he says. \u201cMy hope is that people will simply see us.\u201d Other than the odd TV show, First Nations are largely invisible to mainstream American society. \u201cWe can&#8217;t grow without facing ourselves.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think it&#8217;s great that it&#8217;s finally coming out east,\u201d adds Melody.<\/p>\n<p>The more people who know the story, the more momentum builds for change.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBeyond all of that, it&#8217;s an incredible piece of theatre,\u201d Long says. \u201cIt&#8217;s a powerful, moving story that ends with hope, actually.\u201d He notes the opera is available as a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.brightshiny.ninja\/missing\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">recording on the Bright Shiny Things<\/a> label.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis piece is really built on community to me,\u201d Marion adds, \u201cand each performance, it adds to the community.\u201d<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Find tickets and show details for the Toronto Summer Music presentation of Missing: In Concert on July 24 [<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/torontosummermusic.com\/event\/missing\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">HERE<\/a><\/strong>].<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong><em>Are you looking to promote an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/advertising\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"color: #0e101a\"><u>event<\/u><\/span><\/a>? 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