“Sounds of Canada” in Zadar

As often happens, I learn more about my country when I am away from it.

This time, thanks to “The Sounds of Canada” concert at the Knezeva Palace in Zadar, part of a tour called Canada 150, celebrating Canada’s 150 birthday, I learned more about Canada’s rich and long history of music composition, Canadian composers, and who wrote the national anthem!  (I would like to think that I merely forgot that, but I honestly think I never knew!)

Joyce Lai, violinist, and Erike Crinó, pianist, performed works by Canadian composers Healey Willan, Charles Cozens, Claude Champagne and Calixa Lavallee, who wrote Canada’s national anthem “O Canada.” They also performed 2 works by Michael Pepa, who organized this tour and was in attendance.

In his introduction to the program, Michael commented on the multi-cultural nature of Canada, and the choice of composers coming from both English and French speaking Canada, reflecting the fact that Canada is officially bilingual.

With the introduction of his second piece, “Introduction et l’abeille dans la fleur”, which at the beginning sounds like a Romanian folk song, we learned that he was born in Romania, Lai was born in Hong Kong, and Crinó in Italy. (My ears picked up the fact that they all spoke with a Canadian accent. 😊)

Other songs included Celtic music, Japanese meditation influences and French village dance music, with a wide range of styles that were fun for the musicians and the audience, judging by the applause after every song and at the end of the program.

As the program stated, “the heritage of so-called ‘classical’ composition tells of course only part of the story.”

Two more things that I did not know: North America’s oldest original music-theatre work was produced in Montreal in 1790.  And the earliest original composition by a native-born composer was by Charles-Amador Martin, in the 1680’s.

Thanks to the Zadar Concert Office for offering this concert as the launch of their concert season.