She has been called reclusive, enigmatic, irreverent, and even a destroyer of music, but also a true artist. Dubbed an iconoclast, her approach to music has always been “sans a priori.” She has also been described as enraged and contradictory. 

Her concerts have been reviewed as being “sans envergure,” but also as offering listeners a remarkable presence. Concert spaces have gone from sold out to empty. Concert and record producers lose patience at her fastidiousness, yet claim to respect her determination and clarity of vision;  her recordings have been described as an enrichment of humanity. Some composers seek to work with her, while others avoid her like the plague. Most musicians remain perplexed.

Her own relationship to her instrument presents parallel binary tensions: Love-hate, respect–ridicule, creation–destruction. vivienne spiteri’s sincere intention is to give expressive voice to music at any cost and by any means when played at the harpsichord, an instrument whose very mechanism defies musical expression.

Artists in the podcast:

Voices: 

narrator: peter von tiesenhausen

rainer maria rilke : sonnets to orpheus (sonnet 1), read by fred weihs

Musicians:

viola da gamba (in les pleurs by M. de sainte-colombe) : margaret little and susie napper (les voix humaines)  

non-pedal harp: sharlene wallace

accordion: joseph macerollo

violin: lawrence beckwith

banjo: kirk eliot 

electric guitar: tim brady 

harpsichord: vivienne spiteri / vivie’ vinçent

Part 4: Music

1. anahata –  acousmatic – vivienne spiteri – excerpt from the 40 minute work, underlying the voices @ 3’10” –  4’38”
2. snowSongs –  acousmatic – vivienne spiteri – excerpt underlying the voices @ 5’15” – 10’38”
3. brimba –  acousmatic – vivienne spiteri – excerpt underlying the voices @ 11’43” – 13’50”
4. in the beginning was the end – hope lee @ 15’24” – 32’15”
5. doubling – tim brady @ 33’03” – 37’50”
6. blurred lines – john beckwith @ 39’28” – 49’58”
7. insect variations – kirk eliot  @ 52’37” – 1h01’10” 
8. isadora sings –  kent olofsson and vivienne spiteri @ 1h04’55” to end : excerpt underlying the voices : and l’art de toucher le clavecin, prelude 2 – françois couperin @ 1h11’28” to end

Co-produced with Bradyworks

The Innovations Zine is made possible with the generous support of the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec, the Canada Council for the Arts, the Conseil des arts de Montréal and the SOCAN Foundation.

She has been called reclusive, enigmatic, irreverent, and even a destroyer of music, but also a true artist. Dubbed an iconoclast, her approach to music has always been “sans a priori.” She has also been described as enraged and contradictory. 

Her concerts have been reviewed as being “sans envergure,” but also as offering listeners a remarkable presence. Concert spaces have gone from sold out to empty. Concert and record producers lose patience at her fastidiousness, yet claim to respect her determination and clarity of vision;  her recordings have been described as an enrichment of humanity. Some composers seek to work with her, while others avoid her like the plague. Most musicians remain perplexed.

Her own relationship to her instrument presents parallel binary tensions: Love-hate, respect–ridicule, creation–destruction. vivienne spiteri’s sincere intention is to give expressive voice to music at any cost and by any means when played at the harpsichord, an instrument whose very mechanism defies musical expression.

Artists in the podcast:

Voices: 

narrator: peter von tiesenhausen

rainer maria rilke : sonnets to orpheus (sonnet 1), read by fred weihs

Musicians:

viola da gamba (in les pleurs by M. de sainte-colombe) : margaret little and susie napper (les voix humaines)  

non-pedal harp: sharlene wallace

accordion: joseph macerollo

violin: lawrence beckwith

banjo: kirk eliot 

electric guitar: tim brady 

harpsichord: vivienne spiteri / vivie’ vinçent

Part 3: Music

1. déploration – in memoriam morton feldman – brian cherney @ 15’05” – 34’24” 
2. à perte d’espace – françois rose  @ 36’30” – 47’31”  
3. ostinato and dance – barbara pentland @ 49’18” – 53’14”

Co-produced with Bradyworks

The Innovations Zine is made possible with the generous support of the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec, the Canada Council for the Arts, the Conseil des arts de Montréal and the SOCAN Foundation.

She has been called reclusive, enigmatic, irreverent, and even a destroyer of music, but also a true artist. Dubbed an iconoclast, her approach to music has always been “sans a priori.” She has also been described as enraged and contradictory. 

Her concerts have been reviewed as being “sans envergure,” but also as offering listeners a remarkable presence. Concert spaces have gone from sold out to empty. Concert and record producers lose patience at her fastidiousness, yet claim to respect her determination and clarity of vision;  her recordings have been described as an enrichment of humanity. Some composers seek to work with her, while others avoid her like the plague. Most musicians remain perplexed.

Her own relationship to her instrument presents parallel binary tensions: Love-hate, respect–ridicule, creation–destruction. vivienne spiteri’s sincere intention is to give expressive voice to music at any cost and by any means when played at the harpsichord, an instrument whose very mechanism defies musical expression.

Artists in the podcast:

Voices: 

narrator: peter von tiesenhausen

rainer maria rilke : sonnets to orpheus (sonnet 1), read by fred weihs

Musicians:

viola da gamba (in les pleurs by M. de sainte-colombe) : margaret little and susie napper (les voix humaines)  

non-pedal harp: sharlene wallace

accordion: joseph macerollo

violin: lawrence beckwith

banjo: kirk eliot 

electric guitar: tim brady 

harpsichord: vivienne spiteri / vivie’ vinçent

Part 2: Music

1. overture to orpheus –  louis andriessen @ 3’05” –  14’45”
2. les pleurs – m.de sainte-colombe @ 16’56” – 19’00”
3. sancerre – bruce mather @ 25’39” –  34’54” 
4. toccare – david eagle @ 36’46” –  48’35”            
5. capriccio 1 – bengt hambraeus @ 1h01’56 – 1h08’50”
6. on the other hand – john beckwith @ 1h20’02” – 1h22’48”

Co-produced with Bradyworks

"Overture to Orpheus" reproduced with permission of Donemus

"Les pleurs" reproduced with permission of ATMA Classique

The Innovations Zine is made possible with the generous support of the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec, the Canada Council for the Arts, the Conseil des arts de Montréal and the SOCAN Foundation.

She has been called reclusive, enigmatic, irreverent, and even a destroyer of music, but also a true artist. Dubbed an iconoclast, her approach to music has always been “sans a priori.” She has also been described as enraged and contradictory. 

Her concerts have been reviewed as being “sans envergure,” but also as offering listeners a remarkable presence. Concert spaces have gone from sold out to empty. Concert and record producers lose patience at her fastidiousness, yet claim to respect her determination and clarity of vision;  her recordings have been described as an enrichment of humanity. Some composers seek to work with her, while others avoid her like the plague. Most musicians remain perplexed.

Her own relationship to her instrument presents parallel binary tensions: Love-hate, respect–ridicule, creation–destruction. vivienne spiteri’s sincere intention is to give expressive voice to music at any cost and by any means when played at the harpsichord, an instrument whose very mechanism defies musical expression.

Artists in the podcast:

Voices: 

narrator: peter von tiesenhausen

rainer maria rilke : sonnets to orpheus (sonnet 1), read by fred weihs

Musicians:

viola da gamba (in les pleurs by M. de sainte-colombe) : margaret little and susie napper (les voix humaines)  

non-pedal harp: sharlene wallace

accordion: joseph macerollo

violin: lawrence beckwith

banjo: kirk eliot 

electric guitar: tim brady 

harpsichord: vivienne spiteri / vivie’ vinçent

Sonification of Comet 67P by manuel senfft 

Part 1: Music

1. opening music: isadora sings  for sound support and harpsichord, by kent olofsson and vivienne spiteri / vivie’ vinçent @  0’00 – 7’10”
2. sonification of comet 67P @ 7’32” – 8’57”
3. continuum für cembalo – gyorgi ligeti @ 9’02” – 12’54”
4. miroirs (tape and harpsichord) (excerpt) – micheline coulombes saint-marcoux – @ 17’27” –  18’34”
5. the desert speaks…praescio III (MIDI harpsichord) (excerpt) – bruce pennycook @ 19’17” – 24’07”
6. turbo toccata (MIDI harpsichord) – david keane @ 28’16” –  39’28” 
7. two pieces for harpsichord – wendy prezament @ 41’24” –  49’44”
8. eudoxia – pierre desrochers @ 53’46” – 1h 03’02” 

Co-produced with Bradyworks

"Continuum" Performed by Vivienne Spiteri (György Ligeti). Edited by Schott Music GMBH & Co. KG, Schott Music Corporation

The Innovations Zine is made possible with the generous support of the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec, the Canada Council for the Arts, the Conseil des arts de Montréal and the SOCAN Foundation.

Stories of Care Episode 8: Welcome to C.A.R.E. Ra-di-ooooo!

Welcome to C.A.R.E. Ra-di-ooooo! is the final episode of the podcast Stories of Care, a series featuring the clients, caregivers, friends and family of the C.A.R.E. Centre, a recreational centre for adults with severe physical disabilities. C.A.R.E. Radio is a long-standing C.A.R.E. program hosted by caregiver Bruno that features news and music chosen by the clients. The show featured in this episode was recorded in June 2020, following three months of online programming due to the coronavirus pandemic, at a time when clients, caregivers, and family members were anticipating returning to C.A.R.E. in-person in the fall. The rowdy hubbub of C.A.R.E. Radio on Zoom demonstrates clients’ and caregivers’ affection for each other, and the joy they take in connecting with each other.

As of this episode’s release in September 2020, C.A.R.E. is welcoming clients back in person with social distancing measures, and planning hybrid programming (in-person and on-line) to best serve clients’ needs.

Composed and performed by Tim Brady, Amy Horvey and Louise Campbell, music in this podcast is inspired by the wildly eclectic musical preferences of the C.A.R.E. clients and the numbers for ‘Radio’ in Bliss Communication: 1620 Radio

With many thanks to the C.A.R.E. Centre clients, caregivers, friends and family for your generosity and warm welcome.

Produced by the C.A.R.E. Centre, Innovations en concert and Bradyworks / Instruments of Happiness

With funding from Quebec’s Schools host an artist of Culture in Schools

Innovations en concert gratefully acknowledges the support of the Canada Council, the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec, the Conseil des arts de Montréal, and the SOCAN Foundation.

Facilitated by Artist in Residence Louise Campbell

Conception & montage, Louise Campbell Music by Tim Brady, Amy Horvey & Louise Campbell

The C.A.R.E Centre is a non-profit and charity that relies on the help, support and aid of the larger community to provide rewarding programming for adults with severe physical disabilities. To give to the C.A.R.E. Centre, click here: www.canadahelps.org/en/dn/4340

Stories of Care Episode 7: Musical Gifts

Musical Gifts is the seventh episode of the podcast Stories of Care, a series featuring the clients, caregivers, friends and family of the C.A.R.E. Centre, a recreational centre for adults with severe physical disabilities.

From March 2020 to September 2020, the musical team of Stories of Care created musical gifts for individual C.A.R.E. clients based on their musical interests. In this episode, C.A.R.E. Centre director Olivia Quesnel, musician and Artistic Director Louise Campbell, musicians Tim Brady and Amy Horvey and Innovations in concert director Isak Goldschneider discuss what the gifts meant to the clients and the musicians, particularly in light of increased isolation experienced by many as a result of the global coronavirus pandemic. This conversation was recorded in July of 2020 as coronavirus-related restrictions were starting to be lifted.

Music in this podcast is inspired by the numbers for ‘Music’ and ‘Gift’ in Bliss Communication and the musical preferences of the C.A.R.E. clients, which ranges from Big Band to Metallica: 2120 Music 2130 Gift

With many thanks to the C.A.R.E. Centre clients, caregivers, friends and family for your generosity and warm welcome.

Produced by the C.A.R.E. Centre, Innovations en concert, and Bradyworks / Instruments of Happiness

With funding from Quebec’s Schools host an artist of Culture in Schools

Innovations en concert gratefully acknowledges the support of the Canada Council, the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec, the Conseil des arts de Montréal, and the SOCAN Foundation.

Facilitated by Artist in Residence Louise Campbell

Conception & montage, Louise Campbell Music by Tim Brady, Amy Horvey & Louise Campbell

The C.A.R.E Centre is a non-profit and charity that relies on the help, support and aid of the larger community to provide rewarding programming for adults with severe physical disabilities. To give to the C.A.R.E. Centre, click here: www.canadahelps.org/en/dn/4340

Stories of Care : Episode 6 :: Bliss, Communication and Giota’s Song

Bliss, Communication and Giota’s Song is the sixth episode of the podcast Stories of Care, a series that features the clients, caregivers, friends and family of the C.A.R.E. Centre. The C.A.R.E. Centre is a recreational centre for adults living with severe physical disabilities, many of whom are non-verbal and communicate through low- and high-tech communication systems.

This episode focuses on Giota, a woman with cerebral palsy who communicates with Bliss Symbolics, a communication system that associates eye position with numbers and words. Giota, CARE director Olivia Quesnel, caregiver Chanelle Mantha and former MacKay Centre teacher Karen Hulme speak about Bliss and their collective efforts to understand Giota and her rich emotional life.

Music for this episode was inspired Enter Sandman by Metallica, Giota’s favourite band, and words drawn from Giota’s lyrics from Giota’s Song and their numbers in Bliss Communication: 1231 Depressed 0413 Happy 0202 C(are) 2012 Strong 1205 Feel

With warm thanks to Giota, Chanelle, Olivia and all the C.A.R.E. Centre clients, caregivers, friends and family.

Produced by the C.A.R.E. Centre, Innovations en concert, and Bradyworks/Instruments of Happiness

With funding from Quebec’s Schools Host an Artist programme of Culture in Schools

Innovations en concert gratefully acknowledges the support of the Canada Council, the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec, the Conseil des arts de Montréal, and the SOCAN Foundation.

Facilitated by Artist in Residence Louise Campbell

Conception & montage by Louise Campbell Giota’s Song, lyrics by Giota & music by Chanelle Mantha Music for electric guitar composed by Louise Campbell and Tim Brady, performed by TIm Brady.

The C.A.R.E Centre is a non-profit and charity that relies on the help, support and aid of the larger community to provide rewarding programming for adults with severe physical disabilities. To give to the C.A.R.E. Centre, click here: www.canadahelps.org/en/dn/4340

Stories of Care Episode 5: Tobii Stories, A Day in the Life of Rachel

Tobii Stories, A Day in the Life of Rachel is the sixth episode of the podcast Stories of Care, a series that features the clients, caregivers, friends and family of the C.A.R.E. Centre. The C.A.R.E. Centre is a recreational centre for adults living with severe physical disabilities, many of whom are non-verbal and communicate through low- and high-tech communication systems.

This episode focuses on Rachel, her support workers at home and her family, and the ways in which they communicate. Ranging from head nods and fist pumps to yes-no boards and eye gaze, these varying modes of communication ultimately show their deep affection for one another and Rachel’s finely-honed sense of humour.

Rachel, support worker Mischa and Louise Campbell collaborated closely in the editing and production of this episode. Music was composed by Tim Brady.

With warm thanks to the C.A.R.E. Centre clients, caregivers, friends and family.

Produced by the C.A.R.E. Centre, Innovations en concert, and Bradyworks/Instruments of Happiness

With funding from Quebec’s Schools Host an Artist programme of Culture in Schools

Innovations en concert gratefully acknowledges the support of the Canada Council, the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec, the Conseil des arts de Montréal, and the SOCAN Foundation.

Facilitated by Artist in Residence Louise Campbell

Conception & montage by Louise Campbell Interviews, field recordings and jokes by Rachel and Mischa Jokes composed by Tim Brady for Rachel’s computer-generated voice and computer-generated saxophone ensemble

The C.A.R.E Centre is a non-profit and charity that relies on the help, support and aid of the larger community to provide rewarding programming for adults with severe physical disabilities. To give to the C.A.R.E. Centre, click here: www.canadahelps.org/en/dn/4340