Tracks:
1. Shreya Jha: Walk With Me (5:03) [notes and lyrics]
2. Elienna Wang: Rosé Leaves (5:36) [notes and lyrics]
3. Ted Runcie: Where Shadow Chases Light (5:42) [notes and lyrics]
4. Leela Gilday: All Alone (4:11)
5. Daniel Mehdizadeh: New Castles (5:12) [notes and lyrics]
6. Rachel McFarlane: Eternal Embrace (4:15) [notes and lyrics]
7. Bruno Degazio: Seven Parables of the Rising Dawn (17:09) [notes and lyrics]
8-10. Ronald Royer: Women of Dante’s Divine Comedy, Three Songs [notes and texts]
- Francesca da Rimini (Inferno) (6:05)
- Sapia of Siena (Purgatory) (6:42)
- Beatrice (Paradise) (5:55)
Danielle MacMillan, Mezzo Soprano (Tr. 1-10)
Maghan McPhee, Soprano (Tr. 3, 5)
Ronald Royer, Conductor (Tr. 1, 6-10)
Ted Runcie, Conductor (Tr. 3)
SPO Chamber Players:
Kaye Royer, Clarinet (Tr. 1, 3, 6-10)
Kristin Day, Bassoon (Tr. 7-10)
Gilles Thibodeau, Horn (Tr. 1, 3, 7-10)
Lisa Tahara, Piano (Tr. 1-3, 5, 7-10)
Odin Quartet:
Tanya Charles, Violin (Tr. 1, 3, 4, 6-10)
Alex Toskov, Violin (Tr. 3, 4, 6-10)
Matthew Antal, Viola (1-4, 6-10)
Samuel Bisson, Cello (1, 3-10)
Production:
Matt Antal, Recording Engineer; Jamie Way, Cover Design; Ronald Royer, Producer
Artistic Statement:
In 2023, the SPO decided to embark on a musical journey. We asked ourselves: “How can artists respond to the times in which we live?” Our answer was to create a song cycle embracing the theme, “through adversity, hope”. We brought together composers with a variety of lived experiences and cultural perspectives, who were also at different stages of their lives and careers. We selected 2 singers and chose an ensemble of 8 musicians from the SPO community, including our ensemble-in-residence, the Odin Quartet. We asked mezzo soprano Danielle MacMillan to be involved as we developed the various stories, lyrics, and music. Some of our composers wrote their own lyrics, and others were inspired by and adapted historical works. Each composer maintained their own musical voice but worked collaboratively while creating their lyrics and music. The SPO wanted to create a unified song cycle with the goal of engaging and touching our audience with music that finds hope in the face of challenge. For the next stage, Songs of Hope was workshopped, rehearsed, performed and finally recorded. Soprano Maghan McPhee summed it up for our team,
“For me, this project reaffirmed a core truth: music isn’t just about notes and rhythms—it’s about the stories we tell and the bonds we form along the way.Here’s to hope, collaboration, and the enduring power of art to connect us all.”
Acknowledgements:
On behalf of the SPO, I want to thank everyone involved for their commitment to the project and their great work, including our composers, performers, recording team, SPO administrative team, and our record label. I also want to thank the Canada Council for the Arts for their support in developing Songs of Hope. We enjoyed creating this album, and we hope you, our audience, will enjoy listening.
Ronald Royer
Songs of Hope project development and workshopping was made possible through the support of the Canada Council for the Arts.
Made in Canada – © ℗ 2025 Akashic Entertainment Recordings, Licensed from the Scarborough Philharmonic Orchestra – All Rights Reserved
