The Vancouver Sun calls it, “A masterpiece of creative invention…”
– Stuart Derdeyn,
5 things to know about Music for Self-Isolation
It takes a special skill to be able to create a whole atmosphere in a work that is just 2 minutes long. I really liked that.
– Suzy Klein, BBC Radio 3
Essential Classics
The album Music for Self-Isolation, was recorded at Toronto’s iconic Roy Thomson Hall, in the three days before another COVID-19 lockdown in January 2021. It featured 25 musicians, each alone in an empty concert hall, reliving the emotions of that time period with 31 solos and socially-distanced duos.
After receiving great acclaim, it’s time for a sequel—a new snapshot of our recent history. Will you join us on an exciting album recording journey? Now, coming up on five years from the beginning of the pandemic, composer Frank Horvat, maestro Leslie Dala, and the Vancouver Bach Symphonic Choir (VBC) want to bring everyone together in a journey of healing by telling the stories of our shared experiences.
VBC commissioned Frank Horvat to compose Memories of Self-Isolation. In eight movements, this cantata explores and documents a diverse range of emotions and experiences gleaned from the pandemic, drawing from texts written during this period by poets from around the world.
This work is for 70-voice choir, 2 soloists, and a 12-instrument chamber ensemble and will require a large recording venue such as The Chan Centre for the Performing Arts in Vancouver.
To bring this vision to life, we are seeking support from visionary individuals who share our passion for fostering creativity and innovation in the arts. As a patron of this project, we would like to bring you into the album-making process by sharing with you special behind-the-scenes updates, interactions, and experiences. Please see below for specifics.
Your generosity will play a crucial role in enabling us to dedicate the time, resources, and creative energy necessary to realize this ambitious endeavour. Together, we can inspire audiences, provoke dialogue, and leave a lasting legacy that transcends boundaries and resonates with generations to come by utilizing music to document this important period in our collective history.
We would be honoured to discuss this opportunity with you further and explore how we can collaborate to bring this project to fruition. Please feel free to reach out to me (416-434-7870) at your convenience. Gillian Hunter-Gibbs, VBC’s Executive Director (604-872-8789), is available for in-person meetings in Vancouver if you want to learn more about the Vancouver Bach Choir and their storied history.
Thank you for considering this partnership opportunity, and we look forward to the possibility of working together to make a meaningful impact through the power of music.
PROJECT DETAILS
BUDGET:
Total Budget: $60,000
(incl. musician fees, venue rental, engineers, producer, digital distribution, etc.)
Creative BC Grant: $16,500 (confirmed)
Remaining Funding Required: $43,500
CONTRIBUTOR LEVELS AND BENEFITS:
Executive Producer: $15,000
- Executive Producer album credit
- Exclusive invitation to observe two recording sessions
- Dedicated new solo composition for instrument or voice of your choice
[length: 2 minutes] - Free private house concert timed around a scheduled recording session (requires piano)
[performance by composer/pianist Frank Horvat and guest VBC vocalist] - [all pertinent perks below]
Album Patron: $10,000
- Album Patron album credit
- Exclusive invitation to observe one recording session
- Composer-hosted ‘Meet-and-Greet’ at Virtue Natural Bakery on the day before or after a
scheduled recording session (or other location TBD) - Limited edition CD display frame memento
- [all pertinent perks below]
Track Patron: $5,000
- Track Patron album credit
- Composer video chat after each recording session
- Four free tickets to VBC concert during 2025/26 season
- Pre-release digital download of album
- Tax receipt from Vancouver Bach Family of Choirs
RECORDING INFORMATION:
Recording Venue: The Chan Centre for the Performing Arts (pending confirmation)
Recording Dates: Spring 2025 (pending confirmation)
Record Label: Redshift Records
Composition: Memories of Self-Isolation (composed by Frank Horvat)
Album Artists: Vancouver Bach Choir (conducted by Leslie Dala)
Album Producer: Denise Ball (formerly CBC Radio Orchestra)
Track Listing [40-minute run time]:
01 Memories of Self-Isolation – 1. Overture
02 Memories of Self-Isolation – 2. I Want To Remember (words: Vlada Mars)
03 Memories of Self-Isolation – 3. April 7, 2020 (words: Jane Covernton)
04 Memories of Self-Isolation – 4. COVID Positive (words: Lesley-Anne Evans)
05 Memories of Self-Isolation – 5. Ode to Distance (words: Athena Kildegaard)
06 Memories of Self-Isolation – 6. Largesse (words: Parvaneh Eshghi)
07 Memories of Self-Isolation – 7. This Too Shall Pass (words: Yewande Akinse)
08 Memories of Self-Isolation – 8. All Our Hands (words: Russell Blalack)
Truly a record of our times. There is a sense of loss and shared spirit in this music. It is saying, we might not be able to be together but let’s BE together.
– Paolo Pietropaolo, CBC Radio In Concert
If music is an essential aspect of our humanness, responses to the pandemic like Horvat’s make it clear that musicians are essential
workers. – WholeNote Magazine
Recording funded in part thanks to generous support from:
