A fanstastic new work from Cree-Dene composer Sherryl Sewepagaham! Commissioned by Dead of Winter in 2024, we've been honoured to perform the work with Sherryl a few times, both on the road and at home, on the unceded Coast Salish territory the work is inspired by. Within the reach of mixed choirs of all levels, the work alternates between an exciting vocable 'refrain' and a more free, declamatory 'verse'.
Sewepagaham writes: "My Cree parents speak of how trees are important to the survival of Cree people. Trees provide navigation when hunting and travelling; moss grows on the northside of the tree, away from the sun. Wood is used for teepee and tent poles, canoes, paddles, toboggans, snowshoes, containers, rattle handles, drum frames, and whistles. Leaves and bark are used as medicines for various ailments. Sap is used for sweetening syrup as well as glues for sealants and patching of canoes. Spruce bows are used inside tents and teepees for flooring and poplar trees provide protective shade from the sun. When trees are harvested, tobacco is offered and prayers are said to acknowledge the precious gifts trees have provided. Trees represent the transformation of life stages from root to leaf.
80% of profits go directly to the composer. Please support their work by purchasing as many copies of this work as you intend to print.
Sewepagaham: Mîtosak (Trees)
We are not a traditional publisher - 80% of profits go directly to the composers, and musica intima only retains a 20% administration fee. Please order the number of copies you intend to print, and continue to support the composers who create choral music. This art form would not exist without them.
Many years in the dreams of ensemble singers, musica printima was formally established in 2022, as a composer-centric, exclusively digital publisher. With a small but spectacular catalogue of music commissioned by, written for, or performed by musica intima, the imprint exists to ensure that composers intentions are honoured in the publishing of their works, and that the profits find their way back to the composer, without the publisher interfering. 80% of earnings from musica printima sales go to the composer - without whom, these works would never have come to life. Please support their art by not photocopying this music.