WINNIPEG, MB – Award-winning Canadian composer and University of Winnipeg alumnus Randolph Peters has been commissioned to create a choral piece based on Shields’ writings that will premiere at the inaugural Carol Shields Symposium on Women’s Writing: Festival of Voices, from May 8-10, 2009 at UWinnipeg.
Based on Shields’ poetry
Peters has created two pieces based on Shields’ poetry. The first is entitled Lost Things inspired by poetry from the novel Swann, and the second piece Curious Journeys uses four different poems from Coming to Canada. The gifted musicians performing the pieces are Ruth Moody (voice), Rosemarie van der Hooft (voice), Andrea Bell (cello), Joshua Peters (violin) and Randolph Peters (keyboard).
An Exciting Symmetry
“There is an exciting symmetry between the creativity of Carol Shields and that of Randolph Peters,” said Marjorie Anderson, co-editor, with Carol, of the Dropped Threads series. “Carol experimented with genre, working with the novel, the short story, drama, the essay and poetry. Having her words set to music seems like an imaginative logical step that ties into the theme of the festival.”
Capturing the Spirit of the Poetry
“I find Carol Shields poetry to be clear and direct, yet deceptively simple and layered with possibilities,” said Randolph Peters. “As I composed the music, I enjoyed playing with the multiple interpretations inherent in her text. My goal was to evoke a new and meaningful experience yet, at the same time, remain consistent with the original spirit of the poetry.”
Signature Theme
The commissioned works are a signature theme for the inaugural symposium and a gift to future symposia. This work reflects how art forms inspire one another and lead to collaborative works that create new levels of art.
Celebrates Carol Shields
The symposium celebrates Carol Shields’ work and legacy with three days of presentations, writing workshops, discussions and performances exploring trends in writing and creativity. For registration and details on the symposium, please visit http://www.uwinnipeg.ca/index/festival-of-voices.
