Thursday 29 May 2014

To the Immediate Families of those who were lost on December 6, 1989.

Earlier this morning, I switched on CBC and heard quite literally the last note of something musical. Then the commentator said that it was part of a performance that was dedicated to Amanda Todd, and unfortunately her Mom hadn't been informed about it in time to attend, though she would have liked to had she known.

I don't know any of you beyond your children's names and their photographs online. But somebody out there does, and hopefully the internet will work its magic. I'm certain you have plenty of ways of remembering your loved ones and honouring them over time. But if you would like to attend the performance of "Requiem for Fourteen Roses" and I am made aware of it, I will be sure there is a seat for you.

About Requiem for Fourteen Roses... so far...

Written to commemorate the 25th Anniversary of the École Polytechnique Massacre, "Requiem for Fourteen Roses" is a concert-length work for female vocal soloist, choir, flute, 2 flugelhorns, 2 trombones, cello, contrabass, and piano. It begins with 14 tolls of a bell while roses are laid, and continues with instrumental, vocal, and choral music.

Though not written specifically as a religious work, the choir does sing some sections of the traditional mass, as well as the 23rd Psalm, in French. The choir also has sections to sing in English, using texts by Rabindranath Tagore, who won a Nobel prize for his work. These texts are in the public domain.

The female soloist sings music composed to contemporary sonnets from the Governor General's Award-winning book, "Woman at a Piano" by poet Ted Blodgett, who has graciously granted permission for his work to be used in this context. Sienna Dahlen, the vocalist from the "Notes on Montreal" CD that received this year's Juno award for vocal jazz, has agreed to perform the works.

Author-poet Coleman Barks has also granted permission for his interpretations of Rumi's poems to be included as texts.

Interspersed among the vocal works are fourteen short instrumental vignettes to be performed by the brass quartet, one for each of the young women who were murdered.

This project has significance for me as a composer of vocal music, but also as a Canadian woman. Like many of the young women who were lost, I was born in the second half of the 1960's. I have often stopped to wonder what they might be doing now had their lives not been cut short. The 25th anniversary is significant because 25 years represents a generation of Canadians, and a generation is long enough to forget. For many, the event and its memorials have come to represent violence against women, and though this is important, I view this music project in larger terms. There are so many forms of violence in our society: against women, children, men, animals, the Earth, our very selves, and more. Simply put, we must learn to be good to each other, and in addition to the fourteen young women who lost their lives on December 6 - 1989, I dedicate this work to the good that resides in each of us.

Wednesday 28 May 2014

NEWS: Permission received for use of Rumi translations

Am feeling lucky and lifted and lighter because I've just heard back from author-translator-poet Coleman Barks, who has written several books translating and rendering Jelaluddin Rumi's works for Western readers. Rumi was a 13th century Sufi mystic and poet, and Barks' interpretations of his works have been a deep well for me. I feel a huge relief at finally pinpointing what will be the closing movement of the requiem and knowing I may proceed with the text. Thank-you Mr. Barks!

About the École Polytechnique tragedy

The École Polytechnique Massacre, also known as the Montreal Massacre, occurred on December 6, 1989 at the École Polytechnique in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Twenty-five-year-old Marc Lépine, armed with a legally obtained Mini-14 rifle and a hunting knife, shot twenty-eight people before killing himself. He began his attack by entering a classroom at the university, where he separated the male and female students. After claiming that he was "fighting feminism" and calling the women "a bunch of feminists," he shot all nine women in the room, killing six. He then moved through corridors, the cafeteria, and another classroom, specifically targeting women to shoot. Overall, he killed fourteen women and injured ten other women and four men in just under twenty minutes before turning the gun on himself. Lépine was the son of a French-Canadian mother and an Algerian father, and had been physically abused by his father. His suicide note claimed political motives and blamed feminists for ruining his life. The note included a list of nineteen Quebec women whom Lépine considered to be feminists and apparently wished to kill.

Since the attack, Canadians have debated various interpretations of the events, their significance, and Lépine's motives. Many feminist groups and public officials have characterized the massacre as an anti-feminist attack that is representative of wider societal violence against women. Consequently, the anniversary of the massacre has since been commemorated as the National Day of Remembrance and Action of Violence Against Women. Other interpretations emphasize Lépine's abuse as a child or suggest that the massacre was simply the isolated act of a madman, unrelated to larger social issues. Still other commentators have blamed violence in the media and increasing poverty, isolation, and alienation in society, particularly in immigrant communities.

The incident led to more stringent gun control laws in Canada. It also introduced changes in the tactical response of police to shootings, which were later credited with minimizing casualties at the Dawson College shootings.


Source: Wikipedia

Tuesday 27 May 2014

The Fourteen Roses

Fourteen women:
  • Geneviève Bergeron (born 1968), civil engineering student
  • Hélène Colgan (born 1966), mechanical engineering student
  • Nathalie Croteau (born 1966), mechanical engineering student
  • Barbara Daigneault (born 1967), mechanical engineering student
  • Anne-Marie Edward (born 1968), chemical engineering student
  • Maud Haviernick (born 1960), materials engineering student
  • Maryse Laganière (born 1964), budget clerk in the École Polytechnique's finance department
  • Maryse Leclair (born 1966), materials engineering student
  • Anne-Marie Lemay (born 1967), mechanical engineering student
  • Sonia Pelletier (born 1961), mechanical engineering student
  • Michèle Richard (born 1968), materials engineering student
  • Annie St-Arneault (born 1966), mechanical engineering student
  • Annie Turcotte (born 1969), materials engineering student
  • Barbara Klucznik Widajewicz (born 1958), nursing student

    Plaque on the exterior wall of École Polytechnique commemorating the
    victims of the massacre. Memorial plate on the side of École Polytechnique.

Why the blog?

So many people have asked me about this project and have expressed a genuine interest in it. They have talked about how important it is to get the word out about this project. And they've also asked about the process of going about a project like this.

I'm so gratified by people's responses when they learn about "Requiem for Fourteen Roses", because it's a big undertaking, and I can't do it justice all by myself.

And it IS important to get the word out, because people will need to know about it in order for the project to get off the ground.

As far as the process goes, I don't think there is any one way of going about a project like this, but I'm glad to share the ups and downs along the way from my perspective as a composer. I've composed lots of music, but this is my first time taking on a full concert-length work, with a fixed and looming deadline, and a topic that is so important.

Truth is, I'm figuring it out as I go along. But I'm happy for the company along the way. Thanks for reading!