Marie-Claire Saindon Skylines: a la recherche du Fleuve - Saindon - SSAA

• Composer/Author: SAINDON, MARIE-CLAIRE
• Instrumentation: SSAA A CAP
• Model # MCS-SKY-SSAA

Composer: Marie-Claire Saindon
Format: Choral Octavo
Voicing: SSAA a cappella

Skylines is a larger work where multiple composers will each be writing a movement about the city, town, or village in which they reside, and where their skylines will affect their composition process in different ways.

"Skylines: a la recherche du Fleuve" is a prototype for this project, and a standalone piece for now. It is a piece where the austerity of the brutalist architecture of Montreal, mixed with the chaos of the church bells ("Montreal" was dubbed "The city with 100 steeples" by Mark Twain) create an initial impressive portrait of the city. But among all this imposing concrete and steel, the listener is invited to pay closer attention to the sound of the St-Lawrence River, barely audible at first. The River, the city's original highway, and in a sense, a river-guide that can bring us back towards our roots.

And among all of this, we hop on a fun subway ride to find the River. Those familiar with the Montreal metro will recognise familiar sounds and station names along the way.

The score features a few graphic score moments and illustrations of the city's more familiar buildings.

Written for Choeur Adleisia during the Musician In Residence Arts Program at the Banff Centre for the Arts, 2024.

Duration: 3:55