COR
Operas
Based on the Epic of Gilgamesh, the mythical hero Enkidu remembers important moments from his life as he nears death.
Composer: Harry Somers
Librettist: Martin Kinch
Composer: Harry Somers
Librettist: Michael Fram
Act One, Scene One
Autumn, 1915
In the park of a small town in the Crowsnest Pass, family and friends celebrate the wedding of Filumena Costanzo to Charlie Lassandro. As festivities proceed, Filumena seems withdrawn, stunned by her new husband’s brusqueness. Charlie has given her a new “Canadian” name, Florence, which she clearly rejects. ...
Autumn, 1915
In the park of a small town in the Crowsnest Pass, family and friends celebrate the wedding of Filumena Costanzo to Charlie Lassandro. As festivities proceed, Filumena seems withdrawn, stunned by her new husband’s brusqueness. Charlie has given her a new “Canadian” name, Florence, which she clearly rejects. ...
Composer: John Estacio
Librettist: John Murrell
Anna and Michael are successful young filmmakers from Alberta, married in life and in art. Their latest project is a movie about Martin Frobisher, Elizabethan pirate and explorer who made three perilous journeys to the Arctic in the 1570s. History says that Frobisher failed in his attempt to find the fabled Northwest Passage, a quick route thro...
Composer: John Estacio
Librettist: John Murrell
Act One
In the mountains of British Columbia in 1980, Irene and her son Jimmy pack up Irene’s beloved cabin, in preparation for moving her to the city for better care. Jimmy discovers an old-fashioned spinning top. Irene reveals it once belonged to Lillian Alling, a mysterious woman who disappeared into the wilderness more than fifty years ago....
In the mountains of British Columbia in 1980, Irene and her son Jimmy pack up Irene’s beloved cabin, in preparation for moving her to the city for better care. Jimmy discovers an old-fashioned spinning top. Irene reveals it once belonged to Lillian Alling, a mysterious woman who disappeared into the wilderness more than fifty years ago....
Composer: John Estacio
Librettist: John Murrell
Medieval abbess and intellectual Hildegard von Bingen walks into an all-gender washroom... To her horror, she encounters a friar who has left behind a mess.
Composer: Roydon Tse
Librettist: Christene Adina Browne
An eccentric couple at a restaurant finish each other's sentences, which leads to an emotional realization.
Composer: Keith Klassen
Librettist: Keith Klassen
A dirty yogurt container and a dish sponge offer commentary as they observe two roommates argue over the state of the apartment.
Composer: Rebecca Gray
Librettist: Sarah Henstra
A son grieves his recently deceased mother. The mother's spirit arrives and tries to comfort him, but he cannot hear her voice.
Composer: Prokhor Protasoff
Librettist: Christene Adina Browne
Both Purcell’s and Virgil’s versions of Dido and Aeneas feature an Aeneas who is a man of action. He is what he does, in contrast to Dido, who is what she feels. Aeneas and Dido tries to imagine Aeneas’s interior life. What drives Aeneas to choose an uncertain quest for a new homeland over Dido’s offer of love and country? His heart has been tur...
Composer: James Rolfe
Librettist: André Alexis
Content warning: execution, incest, murder, sexual assault, slavery, torture, violence
Beatrice Chancy is a historical drama based upon the true story of the Cenci family of Rome, circa 1600. The story is set on a plantation in Nova Scotia during the last days of slavery, circa 1800, with the heroine Beatrice as the half-caste daughter of her...
Beatrice Chancy is a historical drama based upon the true story of the Cenci family of Rome, circa 1600. The story is set on a plantation in Nova Scotia during the last days of slavery, circa 1800, with the heroine Beatrice as the half-caste daughter of her...
Composer: James Rolfe
Librettist: George Elliott Clarke
Content warning: blood, gun violence, murder
Pedro Carmona, a young surgeon and son of a prominent Portuguese general, has escaped military service in Angola in 1968 by fleeing to Toronto with his upper-class wife Constanza. In order to survive, he has taken two jobs while he retrains to qualify as a doctor. The opera begins as Constanza—sick...
Pedro Carmona, a young surgeon and son of a prominent Portuguese general, has escaped military service in Angola in 1968 by fleeing to Toronto with his upper-class wife Constanza. In order to survive, he has taken two jobs while he retrains to qualify as a doctor. The opera begins as Constanza—sick...
Composer: James Rolfe
Librettist: Paul Bentley
Seeking his wife Eurydice in the underworld, Orpheus implores Hades to let him bring her back to life. Hades gives in reluctantly, on condition that Orpheus not look back at Eurydice while she is being led back to earth. The reunited couple begin their journey back. Hades praises the peacefulness of the underworld over the turbulence of life on ...
Composer: James Rolfe
Librettist: André Alexis
COR
Excerpts
An alarm goes off, triggering a pat-down at airport security.
A man and woman meet for the first time on a summer's evening.
A nighttime confrontation between a mother and son. The son accuses her of having an affair with his uncle, and killing his father. He’s found a doctor in Chinatown who will be able to prove his father was poisoned. The mother claims she did it to end his pain.
A francophile from Toronto walks into a café in downtown Montréal. His coffee order and small talk with the barista turns into a political rift that eventually leaves him lost in translation.
Eurydice volunteers to test new A.I. technology that promises to capture your most vivid memories and curate your perfect virtual afterlife. Lab techs hand out eye masks to the audience.
Calliope and the Muses lead Eurydice C into her subconscious, to the memory of her first love.
In memory, Eurydice C's painter lover pushes her to allow him to paint her and make love to her, even though she is reluctant.
Eurydice C remembers different versions of her lover in an Arioso, Bourrée, and Passacaglia. She questions what might have been, before Calliope calls her back to the present.
Eurydice C is shown her Elysium with Orpheus in the garden - she is not sure she wants him there, but it fades before she can decide. The CEO brings her back to reality and closes the presentation.
George celebrates the 25th anniversary of his paper mill with an important announcement. Lily is introduced. Freddy gets some bad news.
Brigitta is in love with Jeremiah. Jeremiah, Freddy, and Brigitta retrieve Jeremiah's birth certificate from the Taylor house where Brigitta found it. Jeremiah gives Freddy a note for Lily - he and Lily are leaving town when Jeremiah gets his fortune.
The Vagabond Theatrical Troupe presents! Jeremiah gives George an ultimatum but has to prove himself first in more ways than one, and all is wrapped up in the finest paper package.
A famous blues singer is warming up in her dressing room before the show. Her partner, Jack, enters and a fight begins.
A blind dancer and the shadow of her former sight share a final dance.
Democracy lies dead in a coffin, mourned by two citizens... But slowly Democracy raises her weak head and begs the two citizens to keep her alive by executing a difficult but necessary task.
A long setting of the word Alleluia, revisiting the multitude of themes and musical genres that have appeared in isolation in the work so far.
An electroacoustic setting of an old Sufi song composed by Muhammad ‘Uthman (Egypt 1855-1900). The texts are considerably older; they were written by Sana’ il-Mulk (Egypt 1155-1211). The text is a poetic adoration of clouds: “O clouds adorn the crowns of the hills with garlands/And make the bending stream a bracelet for them/O sky, in you and i...
“Christos Anesti”, the Byzantine Easter chant of the resurrection, is sung in Greek by the mezzo-soprano, while the alto intones and whispers similar texts from the Islamic faith.
A setting of twelve statements of the words “Kyrie Eleison” (“Lord Have Mercy Upon Us”), a standard orthodox ritual practice.
The two voices—representing two different worlds, two cultural paradigms—sing together. The texts are “The Death of Dighenis,” a poem about a Byzantine hero, and the Dies Irae.
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.
Soloists and chorus sing the numbers attributed to HIV-1 and HIV-2 by the International Comitte of Taxonomy of Viruses.
As the Democratic Republic of Congo fights for its independence, patients are being hospitalized and dying from AIDS-related illness.
A group of people discuss the dynamics of Polygyny before the arrival of colonizers and missionaries.
Soloists list conspiracy theories about the origin and spread of HIV, while the chorus laughs in the background.
A solo by the mezzo-soprano about nuns sex-shaming in hospitals, while the chorus repeatedly sings "sanctus".
An ode to alcohol and cocktails that devolves into a listing of medications.
A funereal narration accompanied by a choral requiem.
Elijah and Keisha tell Miriam about Billy the bully. Billy bullies Elijah, then Miriam stands up to Billy.
Miriam becomes a bully and destroys Elijah's kite.
The kids all make up and fly Elijah's restored kite.
Beth and Andrew are getting ready for bed. Malcolm enters suddenly, claiming that someone will be there soon and leaves as suddenly as he arrived.
Beth reads Andrew a memo from a political figure denying the murder of innocent people and claiming that suspensions of civil liberties are essential. Beth and Andrew go downstairs for dinner, where Malcolm has prepared them a live monkey.
Beth and Andrew are moving into the residence. They begin a conversation with Malcolm similar to that of Eugene and Antoine in scene 2. Malcolm explains that he once had scholarships to university because of a good recommendation letter.
The action continues from scene 3. Beth and Andrew are waiting for their guest, Duncan, but Antoine arrives instead and cuts into the live monkey's skullcap without hesitation. He recounts how he almost wrote Malcolm a letter of recommendation.
The political situation is worsening, and Andrew and Beth decide to invite Antoine, the ambassador, over for drinks. Violence errupts in the streets as Malcolm has gone out to the garden. He returns holding the body of a child.
Beth and Andrew demand Antoine that they be allowed to leave. He will keep them there forever because he wants to see them all become heroes and redeem his initial banishment with Eugene. Antoine grabs the dead monkey and begins to dance with it. A bullet explodes through the window, hitting Antoine and he falls to the ground.
Upstairs, Malcolm reads another memo from Antoine. Beth rushes in to tell him that it's time to leave. Andrew and Beth leave the house, but Malcolm remains in the house, still surrounded by violence.
An ill and delirious Peary reminisces about his polar days; his wife remembers their early love.
Josephine asks for Henson's help, despite Peary's past bad treatment of him.
The explorers make a plan to bring the Inuit to America to make money.
Henson helps Minik reach the land of the dead; Peary and Josephine argue about Peary's Inuit children.
Josephine wonders what discovery is worth.
An interrogator turns his lurid eyes on an imprisoned female activist. Purposefully misunderstanding her movements as seduction, he convinces himself of something horrid.
A cleric prepares for confessional. Someone enters the booth. The cleric realizes it’s a man with whom he shared a mutual attraction. The man has recently finished gay conversion therapy and wishes to resume some kind of a relationship.
A book pleads with the audience to be read. A rhythmic chorus rises. A tribute to the banned, the burned, and the hidden.
The Child creates her own book from pages of other books. She hands out her new rules to the audience.
Zach's class studies the Canada Food Guide, making Zach's tummy grumble.
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 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 2: The Garden Trio (Apple, Carrot and Broccoli) treat Zach to a savoury song about vitamins.
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 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.
First meeting of an adult son and his birth mother.
Cindy, Mindy, and Tyler revel in the newfound freedom of university life. Cindy delights in being single, Mindy says goodbye to her parents, and is excited for more privacy and time with Tyler... who is looking forward to playing more Fortnite.
Heather and Mindy share a moment of intimacy as they discuss their experiences of sexual violence.
An undersea monster sings to the scientists observing her.
In a deep sea submergence vehicle, a crew voyages in search of a sea creature whose gaze can cause burns to the eyes.
A mother and son have dinner. The mother is suffering from Alzheimer’s, and her son has increasing difficulty coping with that fact.
A figure skater and coach review a disappointing routine together.
A figure skating coach reminisces about her own time in the competition spotlight.
After a disappointing performance a coach chastises the skater, then dreams of her glory days; the skater decides this has been her last performance.
George and his wife Martha have three very different versions of a difficult conversation over breakfast.
At 4 a.m., a composer stands looking out the window, his tools nearby. Across town, a librettist is doing the same. Both are just slightly panicking about their latest work: an opera about a dog named Harley.
Before dying, Ama tells Lai Gwan of her father, gives her a wedding dress, and urges her to go to North America to find her father - but always remember Chinese traditions.
Lai Gwan dreams of the conflicting desires of her mother, father, Nichol and herself.
In the explosion rubble, Lai Gwan and Nichol declare their love depsite Ama's warnings. Nichol dies as the workers rescue Lai Gwan and Manli, who declares his renewed love for his daughter.
Manli and Lai Gwan decided to make a life together in Canada. As they collect and bury the bones of Chinese workers they remember all the dead, including Ama and Nichol.
Lisa is devastated to get 9 out of 10 on her math test. She insists that she answered the question correctly, and pleads with Mr. Herwin to change her grade. Mr. Herwin says that her "45" looked like a "43", and that everyone makes mistakes.
"A perfect score is all that counts." Lisa fixates on the consequences of her test and predicts that Annie and Caroline will banish her from "the circle of three" because of her imperfect score. She blames Mr. Herwin.
Mr. Herwin tells Lisa he knows she killed her friends with poisoned lemonade. Lisa tells him she has told people he is a pedophile.
Two mothers in the audience for a beauty pageant: while Eunice's daughter performs, Samantha reads an article about a murdered 11-year-old girl.
Two travellers trying to communicate in English- which neither of them speaks well- find they are attracted to each other.
Two lovers discuss what love is.
A child walks on a beach, in search of their parents.
On the eve of their departure, M'dea and Chase play a gruesome game imagining ways to kill Dahlia the demoness.
Jason, M'dea, and the soldiers return from war to a celebratory crowd. Some do not trust the new foreigner, M'dea.
At a party, the Corporal mocks Jason for needing M'dea to help him win and for bringing her home.
M'dea and Jason commit to loving each other and helping each other recover from the war and memories that haunt them.
Jason and M'dea are expecting a baby. Citizens gossip about the couple.
A family outing to the beach turns into a photo op for the paparazzi.
In a dream state, M'dea recalls all she has done to survive.
The President invites Jason to be his running mate, and begins to remake him. This process sidelines M'dea and Chase. Dahlia and Jason are attracted to one other.
The party is about to announce Jason's candidacy. Jason and Dahlia dance together, oblivious to all the others. Enraged, M'dea smashes a glass wall, showering fragments over the party guests.
English 
French