Elektra unites Canadian composers with If the Earth Could Sing, March 28 and 29
Pieces by Katerina Gimon, Andrew Staniland, and more offer reflections on climate change and peace
Elektra. Photo by Christopher Edmondstone
This spring, Elektra presents If the Earth Could Sing, a compelling choral program centred on Canadian voices responding to climate change, place, and landscape. Performances take place at Pacific Spirit United Church on March 28 at 7:30 pm and March 29 at 4 pm.
Through music, text, and image, the concert traces a path across Canada, making room for memory, beauty, and transformation. At the heart of the program is Unsung: If the Earth Could Sing by Vancouver composer Katerina Gimon.
Written for choir with cello and percussion, Unsung begins on the East Coast and moves across the country—from the Atlantic provinces to Central Canada, the Prairies, the Rockies, and the North—giving voice to land shaped by weather, time, and change. Texts by poet Lauren Peat imagine the Earth speaking for itself, asking what it might say if we learned to listen. Unsung is accompanied by projected imagery of awe-inspiring Canadian landscapes, deepening the immersive experience and grounding the music in its places of inspiration.
Another major highlight is the world premiere of Songs from the Lytton Fire by Andrew Staniland, who is a 2026 Juno Award nominee. With texts by poet Meghan Fandrich, the work reflects on the 2021 wildfire that devastated the community of Lytton, approaching fire not only as destruction but as a lens for resilience, memory, and renewal.
Elektra’s upcoming program also features works by Don Macdonald, Mari Esabel Valverde, Gerda Blok-Wilson, and Luke Wallace, offering a wide range of musical perspectives on climate and place.
“If the Earth Could Sing is a concert dedicated to celebrating Canadian landscapes, acknowledging climate-related issues that have touched the lives of Canadian citizens, and encouraging environmental advocacy,” shared artistic director Cassie Luftspring in a release. “The program shifts from questioning and crisis towards hope, serving as a reminder of the importance of eco-consciousness and sustainability within our local community and beyond.”
Direct, reflective, and deeply human, If the Earth Could Sing invites audiences into a shared experience of listening to music, to land, and to the stories carried between them.
Tickets to the concert and more details are available through Elektra.
Post sponsored by Elektra.
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