Tune in tomorrow at 2:00pm to hear three unique and wonderful pieces by three Manitoba composers. All of the works on the program are inspired by a true Manitoba icon; Louis Riel.

 Louis Riel in one of Manitoba’s most multi-faceted and interesting characters in our history. Viewed by many as Metis leader, politician, and sometimes prophet, and by others as a traitor to the dominion; the character and historical importance of Louis Riel is very complicated and hard to define. The perception and significance of the man vary; often depending on who is interpreting and writing the history.

One of Louis Riel’s dreams was to build a land where peoples of all cultures would live in harmony and mutual respect. This is a belief system that most Manitobans agree on to this day.

On Thursday May 8th, 2018, a concert took place at the Ferdinand Eckhardt Hall at the Winnipeg Art Gallery that hoped to put into music this main tenant of Riel’s belief system. The name of the concert was “Riel’s Dream” and it featured three amazing works by Manitoba composers Jim Hiscott, Karen Sunabacka, and Andrew Balfour. This was a concert that was put on by Winnipeg’s GroundSwell New Music Organization.

Classic 107 and GroundSwell re-lived this wonderful concert experience by broadcasting the recorded performance this past Saturtday. Host Chris Wolf had the opportunity to chat with all three composers who had works on the program about their works. To hear Chris Wolf’s conversations with these three composers about their compositions centered around the character and belief system of one of the fathers of Manitoba; Louis Riel, click here:

 Jim Hiscott:

Andrew Balfour:

Karen Sunabacka:

 

The works on the program were:

Jim Hiscott: Turning for piano quartet (2018)* (written with a grant from the Winnipeg Arts Council)

Andrew Balfour :Mon Louis for 2 sopranos and electronics

Karen Sunabacka: Mama's Painting: Louis Riel's Dream for piano quintet and narrator (2015)

  1. Mama's Painting
  2. First Meetings
  3. Rise of the Métis Nation
  4. The War
  5. Spring Sun

The performers on the concert were:

Jane Fingler, soprano Sara Clefstad, soprano Karen Sunabacka, narrator

The Winnipeg Chamber Music Society:

            Gwen Hoebig, violin

            Karl Stobbe, violin

            Daniel Scholz, viola

            Yuri Hooker, cello

            David Moroz, piano