James Rolfe — Wound Turned To Light

Out: October 13th, 2023 on Redshift Records (CD/DL)
Genres: Art Song, Modern Composition

James Rolfe | Alex Samaras | Jeremy Dutcher | Andrew Adridge | Lara Dodds-Eden

REDSHIFT RECORDS — WEB | BANDCAMP

The music found on this stunning new collection of intimate vocal music from award-winning Toronto composer James Rolfe came at the behest of Governor General Award-winning poet and playwright George Elliott Clarke. Rolfe previously collaborated with the acclaimed writer on the opera Beatrice Chancy (1998) and during the early pandemic, Clarke commissioned the composer to set a poem by his partner and fellow poet, Giovanna Riccio, as her 2020 Christmas gift. The result, Namesake, stoked Clarke’s curiosity to hear how Rolfe would respond to other Canadian poets. By early 2022, Rolfe had composed no fewer than 16 new songs, as well as three of his own choosing: Last Paddle, on a poem by his late friend Richard Sanger; and the duets Set Me As A Seal and Songs of Joy, which both employ Biblical texts.

While Clarke was responsible for choosing the texts, Rolfe’s approach to crafting these pieces was deeply intuitive. He built personal relationships with each set of words, guided by their rhythm and in individual spirit. The exciting cast of vocalists that brings these songs to life adds further depth and intrigue to the project. Anchored by the remarkable pianist Lara Dodds-Eden, Alex Samaras (Meredith Monk, Queer Songbook Orchestra, Beverly Glenn-Copeland), 2018 Polaris-Prize winner Jeremy Dutcher, and in-demand baritone vocalist and multidisciplinary artist Andrew Adridge bring tenderness, agility and humility to these songs.

Confluence Concerts will be presenting a concert to celebrate the album’s launch on October 13th & 14th at Toronto’s Heliconian Hall.  

COVERAGE:
List — Upcoming Releases, V13
Newsletter — CMC Ontario E-Blast (October 20, 2023)
Newsletter — CMC Ontario E-Blast (November 17, 2023)
Review — Raul Da Gama, The WholeNote
Review — Tom Haugen, Take Effect Reviews
Review — Albertine D., A Découvrir Absolument
Mention — Robert Rowat, 30 hot Canadian classical musicians under 30, 2023 edition, CBC
Round-up — Brad Wheeler, Fall concert season packed with legends, trailblazers and Drake drama, The Globe And Mail
Radio — Vocal Cords, CJSW (March 4, 2024)
Radio — Vocal Cords, CJSW (January 29, 2024)
Radio/ Interview — HOWL, CIUT (January 9, 2024)
Radio — Vocal Cords, CJSW (August 5, 2024)
Radio — Vocal Cords, CJSW (December 25, 2023)
Radio — Elysian Fields, KXCI (November 3, 2023)
Radio — Corporate Standardized Programming, KBOO (October 17, 2023)
Radio — Not Brahms Or Liszt, WMBR (October 2, 2023)
Radio — Electric Sense, CIUT (September 21, 2023)