OPERAS

In addition to my work writing songs and other music for t.v. shows, I've also had the pleasure of writing music for the stage, including two operas composed with librettist and Canada's Poet Laureate George Elliott Clarke. Here are some excerpts:

QUEBECITE
 

This track, "Honourable and Pure" was recorded at the opera's premiere at the River Run Centre in Guelph, Ontario featuring the great Indian singer Kiran Ahluwalia, plus myself on piano, Canadians Peggy Lee - cello and Brad Turner - trumpet, plus Jean Martin - drums and John Geggie - bass:

This track is one of the original "proof of concept" demos from a workshop at the Guelph Jazz Festival. It features Dean Bowman - vocals; Canadians Peggy Lee - cello, Brad Turner - trumpet, Jean Martin - drums and John Geggie - bass; plus myself on piano:

This next track is actually a version of a piece originally from the opera for which vocalist extraordinaire Dean Bowman wanted to record his own arrangement. I like his version so much that I'm including it here (I'm also on organ):

Here are two instrumental arrangements I did of music originally from "Quebecite", that appear on my CD "Serenity Song":

Here is an except from the original broadcast of "Quebecite" (recorded live at the River Run Centre in Guelph, Ont. in 2003),  featuring the final scene of the first Act (featuring: Dean Bowman and Yoon Choi - vocals; myself - piano; Jean Martin - drums; John Geggie - bass; Brad Turner - trumpet; and Peggy Lee - cello).  It's followed by a brief discussion with both myself and the opera's librettist, George Elliott Clarke: