Music for our (grim) times

In streaming news Soundstreams has added a lovely concert of Ian Cusson’s  Five Songs on Poems of Marilyn Dumont and Raven Chacon’s Ella Llora.  The performers are mezzo Rebecca Cuddy and pianist Gregory Oh.  I really urge people, Canadian or otherwise, to take a look at this.  The news, as it pertains to Indigenous people in Canada, has been really grim in recent weeks and I don’t know anything quite like Dumont’s verse for conveying certain aspects of the Indigenous experience.  She combines, sadness, anger and disarming humour in a way that touches me deeply and Ian’s settings intensify that.  I’ve written about these songs before but never at such a moment.

goddamned railroad

A couple more on-line events.

Tomorrow at 3pm EST Jo So is interviewing Alexander Neef on a Zoom channel under the auspices of the IRCPA.  You need to register as space is limited.  The topics, how to register etc can be found at https://ircpa.net

On Friday May 29th at 8pm EST there’s another virtual event.  The vocal/piano du Chordless (Allegra Chapman and Sarah LeMesh) will be premiering a music video of George Crumb’s The Night in Silence Under Many a Star.  I’ve seen a short preview and I’m intrigued.  It will be followed by a Q&A on the theme of “How will digital media shape artists’ and audience’s performance experience, even beyond the pandemic era?”  Registration information is here

nightissilence.