Premiere of the song cycle 'Songs by Animals' by Michael Donovan and John Sobol, with bass-baritone Marcus Nance, pianist Carl Philippe Gionet and a cast of local vocalists.
Cecilia Concerts presents Songs by Animals at Cecilia Concerts (6036 Coburg Rd) on Saturday 14 November, from 7:30 to 9:30 pm. It's a new song cycle by composer Michael Donovan and poet John Sobol, written for nine voices and piano, and billed as an all-ages work. The whole thing gives voice to the natural world through a series of poems imagined as written by the animals themselves, set within a northern landscape shaped by beauty, fragility and change.
At the centre of the cycle is the Ghost of the Woolly Mammoth, who encounters a Polar Bear, Arctic Tern, Bowhead Whale, Krill, Wolf, Moose, Lemming and Arctic Blue Butterfly. Each one gets its own moment, and the voices together build out that northern landscape the two creators had in mind. It's a piece that lets the animals speak for themselves, and the all-ages tag means it's as much for kids as for adults.
Leading the performance is bass-baritone Marcus Nance, a two-time Dora Award winner whom The New York Times has called a "compelling and versatile performer" across opera, musical theatre and new music. He's joined by pianist Carl Philippe Gionet, who works as a collaborative artist and vocal coach in Canada and Europe, and a cast of local vocalists who round out the nine voices. The whole thing is presented by Cecilia Concerts.
Every week we pick 🏆 the 5 best 🏆 things to do in Halifax and send them to your inbox. Just one weekly email, no spam.
By submitting your email, you accept our Privacy Policy
Tickets run from C$30 to C$42, and the performance runs from 7:30 to 9:30 pm on Saturday 14 November at Cecilia Concerts, 6036 Coburg Rd.
