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The Journals of Susanna Moodie – June 11, 1992 | Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, Glasgow, Scotland
The Journals of Susanna Moodie – June 11, 1992 | Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, Glasgow, Scotland
A visit to 19th century Ontario
date: June 11, 1992
A programme with this title was first presented in Walter Hall, Toronto, on May 13, 1990. This adaptation was made for our UK tour in 1992. (Because of the exigencies of touring, we had to omit Margaret Atwood’s poems and John Beckwith’s exciting music which accompanied them. We were, however, able to include excerpts from Contrasts, a suite of songs newly written for us by Derek Holman.) The redoubtable pioneer, Susanna Moodie, had long fascinated us, her story only acquiring more significance when we discovered that she lived as a child and young woman in Reydon, Suffolk, just a few miles north of Aldeburgh. Songs were mostly from the early 19th century, together with extracts from Moodie’s own writings; some examples of Canadian song appeared as our heroine settled in Ontario. Our reader throughout the concert was the Scottish actress, Jane Keal.
| Song | Artist | Composer | Poet |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oh! can you leave your native land? – A Canadian song | Brett, Kathleen, soprano; Ralls, Stephen, piano | Scottish folksong | Moodie, Susanna |
| The Foggy, Foggy Dew | Boutet, Benoît, tenor; Ubukata, Bruce, piano | Suffolk folksong, arr. Britten, Benjamin | anon. |
| Oliver Cromwell | Oland, Erik, baritone; Ubukata, Bruce, piano | Suffolk folksong, arr. Britten, Benjamin | anon. |
| Allegro (Duett in E flat) | Ralls, Stephen / Ubukata, Bruce, piano | Webbe Jr., Samuel | n/a |
| Vaga luna che inargenti | Maguire, Linda, mezzo; Ralls, Stephen, piano | Bellini, Vincenzo | anon. |
| Now I’m prepar’d | Brett, Kathleen, soprano; Maguire, Linda, mezzo; Boutet, Benoît, tenor; Oland, Erik, baritone; Ubukata, Bruce, conductor | Webbe Sr., Samuel | anon. |
| Tom Bowling | Boutet, Benoît, tenor; Ralls, Stephen, piano | Dibdin, Charles | Dibdin, Charles |
| The Warning | Brett, Kathleen, soprano; Ralls, Stephen, piano | Hook, James | Rowson, Susanna |
| How sweet the answer | Boutet, Benoît, tenor; Ubukata, Bruce, piano | Irish folksong, arr. Britten, Benjamin | Moore, Thomas |
| Welcome, welcome little bark | Maguire, Linda, mezzo; Ralls, Stephen, piano | Moodie, J.W.Dunbar | Moodie, Susanna |
| The Canadian Herd-Boy | Brett, Kathleen, soprano; Ubukata, Bruce, piano | Moodie, J.W.Dunbar | Moodie, Susanna |
| Les Raftsmen | Boutet, Benoît, tenor; Oland, Erik, baritone; Ralls, Stephen, piano | French-Canadian lumbermen’s song, arr.Greer, John | anon. |
| Canadian Boat Song | Brett, Kathleen, soprano; Maguire, Linda, mezzo; Oland, Erik, baritone; Ubukata, Bruce, piano | Moore, Thomas | Moore, Thomas |
| The Canadian Sleigh Song | Maguire, Linda, mezzo; Oland, Erik, baritone; Ralls, Stephen / Ubukata, Bruce, piano | Russell, Henry | Mackay, Charles |
| At the mid hour of night | Brett, Kathleen, soprano; Ralls, Stephen, piano | Irish folksong, arr. Britten, Benjamin | Moore, Thomas |
| Oh! can you leave your native land? – A Canadian Song (Contrasts) | Brett, Kathleen, soprano; Maguire, Linda, mezzo; Boutet, Benoît, tenor; Oland, Erik, baritone; Ralls, Stephen / Ubukata, Bruce, piano | Holman, Derek | Moodie, Susanna |
| I am a Canadian (Contrasts) | Brett, Kathleen, soprano; Maguire, Linda, mezzo; Boutet, Benoît, tenor; Oland, Erik, baritone; Ralls, Stephen / Ubukata, Bruce, piano | Holman, Derek | Redbird, Duke |