COR
Operas
Content warning: illness, death, HIV/AIDS
Dark Star Requiem is a poetic chronicle of the 25 years (as of 2010) of HIV-AIDS, reflecting the many faces of the disease and those affected by the pandemic.
Dark Star Requiem is a poetic chronicle of the 25 years (as of 2010) of HIV-AIDS, reflecting the many faces of the disease and those affected by the pandemic.
Composer: Andrew Staniland
Librettist: Jill Battson
A woman is being examined by various doctors. Weakly, she sings of what she used to be. One doctor smears lipstick on her. She doesn’t want to go.
Composer: Gareth Williams
Librettist: Michael Pollard
An entire relationship in microcosm, from first meeting to last sunset together. This piece uses a couple’s dancing together as a metaphor for their time passing.
Composer: Gareth Williams
Librettist: Marjorie Chan
An estranged father and daughter re-establish their relationship after he has suffered a stroke and can no longer speak. He tries to convey to her that he loves her and is sorry for the harm he caused her. She is still too hurt from their past to see what he is trying to say. Instead, she passes the time by reading a book. He finds another way o...
Composer: Norbert Palej
Librettist: Marcia Johnson
Content warning: mental illness
Simone has been battling undiagnosed postpartum depression, and is losing. She decides to leave, packing her bags, and her husband Marc begs her to explain. As their son sleeps in the next room, she leaves, and Marc doesn’t try to stop her.
Simone has been battling undiagnosed postpartum depression, and is losing. She decides to leave, packing her bags, and her husband Marc begs her to explain. As their son sleeps in the next room, she leaves, and Marc doesn’t try to stop her.
Composer: Darren J
Librettist: Sharon Bajer
Content warning: illness, memory loss
A mother and son have dinner. The mother is suffering from Alzheimer’s, and her son has increasing difficulty coping with that fact.
A mother and son have dinner. The mother is suffering from Alzheimer’s, and her son has increasing difficulty coping with that fact.
Composer: Benton Roark
Librettist: Liza Balkan
Get Stuffed is a comic opera about serious decisions, featuring vocalizing vegetables and a big helping of other opinionated edible characters, all competing to influence one child's daily diet. Written for 5 singing actors and 2 musicians, this opera is intended for family audiences and touring to schools with a focus on encouraging youth to ma...
Composer: Richard Payne
Librettist: Alexis Diamond
COR
Excerpts
Zach's hunger-hallucination, Part 2: The Garden Trio (Apple, Carrot and Broccoli) treat Zach to a savoury song about vitamins.
Zach and the Cafeteria Worker are perplexed by the Chefs' new healthy homemade menu. They promise Zach that eating this way will be delicious and good for him, too! Zach passes out from hunger and empty calories. He is so hungry!
Zach's hunger-hallucination, Part 3: Sultry French Fries interrupts the Trio to tempt Zach, but is pulled up short by Big Cheese. There's a new Sheriff in town.
Zach's hunger-hallucination, Part 4: Big Cheese tries to convince Zach to eat healthy by crooning a song oozing with cheesy puns.
Zach's hunger-hallucination, Part 5: Food fight! The healthy and unhealthy foods fight over Zach. In the melee, Apple is struck by an airborne French fry.
Zach's hunger-hallucination, Part 6: Apple expires in true operatic fashion in Zach's arms. Zach grieves.
Zach wakes from his hallucination a changed boy. Now open to trying new options, he samples the new menu. Zach's tummy rumbles in appreciation!
A brief anthem to healthy eating.
A mother and son have dinner. The mother is suffering from Alzheimer’s, and her son has increasing difficulty coping with that fact.
A mother with postpartum depression leaves her husband and son.
Simone describes her postpartum depression and wonders how it is that she cannot love her own child.
Tabitha helps her father Ken, who has had a stroke. She combs his hair and helps him with his therapy ball, retrieving it each time he drops it.
A woman cryptically remembers her past as she is briefly examined by three different people.
Zach's hunger-hallucination, Part 1: A life-size Chocolate Bar entices him... only to turn into a Carrot!
The Cafeteria Worker sets out orderly rows of premade junk food in her spic-and-span kitchen. Just then, a trio of Chefs show up and toss all of the junk food out!
Zach longs for a lunch of junk food!
Zach's class studies the Canada Food Guide, making Zach's tummy grumble.
A funereal narration accompanied by a choral requiem.
The soloists describe AIDS as a black lion and a pack of hyenas, while the chorus continues listing medications.
An ode to alcohol and cocktails that devolves into a listing of medications.
A solo by the mezzo-soprano about nuns sex-shaming in hospitals, while the chorus repeatedly sings "sanctus".
A spoken duet about initial moments of attraction.
Soloists list conspiracy theories about the origin and spread of HIV, while the chorus laughs in the background.
A spoken monologue about the arrival of HIV to North America and Gaetan Dugas, the presumed patient-0.
From the perspective of a beauty mark that progresses into a serious medical complication.
As the Democratic Republic of Congo fights for its independence, patients are being hospitalized and dying from AIDS-related illness.
Recounts the presumed origin of the HIV virus, initially as SIV non-human primates in Central Africa.
Soloists and chorus sing the numbers attributed to HIV-1 and HIV-2 by the International Comitte of Taxonomy of Viruses.
An entire relationship in microcosm, from first meeting to last sunset together. This piece uses a couple’s dancing together as a metaphor for their time passing.
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