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LAUGHTON & HUMPHREYS - Opening Day Laughton and Humphreys is one of Canada's most exciting ensembles, winning critical and public acclaim for their versatility in performing music of Bach and Handel alonside contemporary works. All of the music on this recording was written or arranged for Laughton and Humphreys, and celebrates Canada's cultural heritage and natural beauty. OPENING DAY takes the viewpoint of a fish on the opening day of fishing season. Paul Quarrington's text, while broadly humorous, concludes with pathos and a sadder view of the world at large. Peter Tiefenbach's music reflects the form of a secular baroque cantata, but with modern dance forms such as tangos replacing minuets and bourrées. Music and text were commissioned by The Guelph Spring Festival for Laughton and Humphreys' 1991 concert (broadcast on CBC Stereo) with British organist David Titterington. AUBADE FOR TWO VOICES (1992) was conceived for the wilderness ritual 'And Wolf Shall Inherit The Moon,' which completes R. Murray Schafer's "Patria" cycle. Written for any combination of voices and/or instruments of equal range, it is intended to be heard from divergent locations deep within the forest or from across a remote wilderness lake at dawn. The trees, rocks, beaver and nuthatches of Wildcat Lake in Ontario's Haliburton Forest and Wildlife Refuge were the first witnesses to this music. THREE POEMS features lyrical poetry by Saskatchewan writer John V. Hicks. Peter Tiefenbach developed the musical quality of Hicks' evocative text for these three lovely pieces, his most recent work. An off-stage trumpet lends an atmospheric quality to the first two songs. First performed 1993 in Almonte, Ontario for CBC Radio. AUBADE (1988) was inspired by the beauty of a Georgian Bay sunrise near Party Sound, Ontario, and reflects the spirit and influence of Aaron Copland and Ralph Vaughan Williams, whose music first inspired composer Scott Irvine to compose. Commissioned by Stuart Laughton, Aubade received its first performance on CBC Radio with organist Christiaan Teeuwsen. METIS SONGS FROM THE QU'APPELLE VALLEY uses folk song material from Metis communities in Saskatchewan. These Metis were the sons, daughters and grandchildren of French fur traders and their native wives. Laughton & Humphreys commissioned Malcolm Forsyth to adapt and expand his earlier settings (for Maureen Forrester) of this material. Chanson du Petit Cordonnier (Song of the Little Shoemaker) relates the tale of an impetuous young man who falls in love and goes to his sweetheart's father for permission to marry but is accused of trying to marry her for her wealth. Her brother pleads the lovers' case, but to no avail. Tears are shed, for which a handkerchief is found in the young girl's bedside table. The final stanza finds the little shoemaker on horseback, composing his song. Adieu de la Mariee (The Bride's Farewell) finds a young woman about to enter an arranged marriage. She bids farewell not only to her parents, sisters and brothers, but also to her youth, personal possessions and dreams of the future. The solemnity of the mood is enhanced here by the dark sound of the flugelhorn and an unusual tuning of the Celtic harp, while the young bride's frantically beating heart is portrayed by a bodhran drum. Chanson de la Grenouillere (Song of the Frog Plain) expresses the Metis' pride in their victory over the English at La Grenouillere in Saskatchewan's Red River Valley on June 19, 1816. Its composer was Pierre Falcon, "singer of the Plains", son of a North-West Company clerk and a native woman. He had not only a gift for words, like Louis Riel, but also for song. Malcolm Forsyth's setting features a virtuosic solo for cornet. TWO NEWFOUNDLAND SONGS: She's Like The Swallow is one of the most beautiful of the Newfoundland songs and a poignant expression of unhappy love. A returning lover in The Blooming Bright Star of Belle Isle disguises himself to test his love's faithfulness or perhaps to gauge whether his return would be welcomed. Harp arrangement by Peter for Wendy. NATIVITY (1990) incorporates Christmas songs familiar to arranger Peter Tiefenbach as an integral part of his Lutheran upbringing. These beautiful songs were brought to Canada by immigrants from Norway, France, Germany, Sweden and pre-Civil War USA. The music is quiet and contemplative, yet joyful. Laughton and Humphreys are noted for their innovative projects. For example, they were commissioned to première Malcolm Forsyth's Evangeline with the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra. Evangeline is based on Stuart Laughton's adaptation of Longfellow's classic story of the Acadian expulsion in 1755. The adapted text will also be published by Tundra Books of Montreal with Illustrations by Québecois artist (and 1992 Governor General's Award winner) Gilles Tibo. Regina native Peter Tiefenbach is the featured composer on this recording. He holds a Master of Music degree from Northwestern Llniversity in Chicago and diplomas from the Guildhall School and Royal Academy of Music in London. From 1988-1990 Peter was Musical Director of the innovative Musical Performance and Communication Program. He is currently Director of Music at Humbercrest United Church, Toronto and a member of the chamber group Trio Mio. Organist William 0'Meara has performed at major festivals
and concert halls across Canada and on the prestigious New York concert
series at both St. Thomas Church, Fifth Avenue and Trinity St. Paul's.
He is known for his virtuosity and innovative programming as well as for
his concert appearances with the Laughton & 0'Meara ensemble. John V. Hicks (b.1907) is a long-time resident of Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. His poetry and prose have appeared in the best literary publications across North America: Dalhousie Review, The Globe and Mail, The New York Times, Harper's and many others. His publications include critically acclaimed collections of poetry and the very popular Side Glances: Notes on the Writer's Craft, He is published by Thistledown Press Ltd. Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. J. Scott Irvine is a Toronto composer and instrumentalist with a particular interest in writing for brass. His music is represented on two CBC compact disc releases by The Hannaford Street Silver Band. R. Murray Schafer has achieved a national and international reputation as a composer, author, educator and environmentalist. He has a particular interest in harmonizing the sounds of nature with those of music to provide the basis for a new (and at the same time, very old) form of art modulated by the rhythms of the natural environment. Many of his dramatic works create opportunities for greater audience participation and awareness. Schafer was the first recipient (1987) of the Glenn Gould Prize for Music and its Communication. Paul Quarrington's novels have garnered him critical acclaim and a wide readership. He was awarded the prestigious 1988 Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour (for King Leary ) and the 1989 Governor-General's award for fiction (for Whale Music). His musical backgound includes a stint as bassist with the infamous rock group Joe Hall and The Continental Drift. He is published by Doubleday Canada Ltd. Courtney Milne (cover photo) is the author of two best-selling books, Prairie Light and Prairie Dreams, both stunning collections of landscape photography. His latest book, The Sacred Earth, celebrates the ancient wisdom embedded in the native spirituality of indigenous cultures worldwide. He lives near Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. |
ODR9301 Wendy Humphreys, soprano, Celtic harp
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Opening Day Entertainment Group, 2004 All rights reserved. |
