I Am in Need of Music: Songs on Poems by Elizabeth Bishop

Featuring

Dinuk Wijeratne
Suzie LeBlanc
The Elizabeth Bishop Players
Blue Engine String Quartet
Alasdair MacLean
John Plant

Emily Doolittle
Christos Hatzis

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Performer Biography

Suzie LeBlanc, the soprano on this album, has participated in over 50 recordings with leading early music ensembles worldwide.

Composition History

This album was conceived to celebrate the centenary of poet Elizabeth Bishop's birth in 2011, fulfilling a dream of Bishop scholar Sandra Barry to have Canadian composers set Bishop's poetry to music.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Composer Christos Hatzis's philosophy for setting poetry to music is that the music should serve the poem, not obscure or appropriate it.

Compositional Technique

Christos Hatzis aimed to visit musical worlds Elizabeth Bishop might have experienced, such as big band era pop songs or 1960s folk/pop, only if the poetry itself suggested them.

Performer Biography

Suzie LeBlanc has received four honorary doctorates and a career achievement bursary from the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec (CALQ) for her contributions to culture.

Recording & Production

The album was recorded in June and August 2012 at St. David's Presbyterian Church in Halifax, and in November 2012 at St-Anselme Church in West Chezzetcook.