Outer Space, Inner Light – Words AMS, Music Mari Alice Conrad, Premiere performance by Pro Coro Canada At First Light – Words AMS, Music Mari Alice Conrad, Premiere recording by Exultate Choir Journey Song – Words AMS, Music Mari Alice Conrad, Premiere recording by BaBel Choir Alasen Matieg – Words and Music, AMS Goodnight Amerika…
Author: prairiepomes
Writer, gardener, hopeful curmudgeon, free-range Aboriginal, lover of life, Poet Laureate of Edmonton 2011-13, traveller, Fifth World Drummer.
Outer Space, Inner Light
As midwinter shows the first hints of spring to come, I’m excitedly awaiting the premiere of Outer Space, Inner Light; I wrote the text in response to a choral score by the amazing Mari Alice Conrad, who wrote that score in response to a different poem, Book of Songs,* which was the title and text…
Journey Song Score Now Available
Thrilled to say that the score of Journey Song is now out from Cypress Choral. https://cypresschoral.com/composers/mari-alice-conrad/journey-song/ Here’s the The World Premiere recorded in Toronto by commissioning choir Babel, under the baton of Elaine Choi. I first published a version of Journey Song in my 2009 collection, Fifth World Drum. Since then, I’ve played with it…
Stars
First published in 2017; tis the season to repost. Joy in the Journey* is one of the themes of Advent, which is a central part of the Catholic religion, to which my mom was faithful. For me, that thought always takes me back to a dark country road, under a green and white blanket, under…
On American Thanksgiving Day
As an Indigenous person (albeit in Canada, where we celebrate Thanksgiving in October), I hold that holiday to be an occasion of potentiality. I consider, on that day, the vision of my Indigenous ancestors, who welcomed newcomers, taught them to survive, and (contrary to the propaganda) hosted the table and laid the feast, offering of the…
Humane, the Audio Book
Every year, the Book Publishers Association of Alberta selects a few titles for production as audiobooks by CNIB. I was honoured to have Humane chosen for this project.* Here’s a couple of links to where to buy the audiobook version. https://books.apple.com/ca/audiobook/humane/id1625391146 And on iBooks. Happy listening. I welcome reviews of my work. Meanwhile, edits progress…
At First Light
Here’s Toronto’s Exultate Choir performing a morning meditation of mine, set for choir by Mari Alice Conrad. Her setting received the Stephen Chatman Award for student composition this spring at Podium, Canada’s national choral symposium, when this video was recorded. Here’s the original post of At First Light, which I wrote in May 2020 as…
Letter to Bob by mustang from my town
I wanna live on your street, Bob. Mind you, my such street is a whole village filled, not with envy and the boredom of blocked horizons, but with a sweet reciprocating danger line between us and the moose and the bears – so much for you, so much for me, and that traveling salesman of…
Poetry Video
Back in 2021, the Edmonton Poetry Festival responded to the pandemic by commissioning poets to create recordings of our work. This is my “virtual chapbook” (to quote Dr. Don Perkins): This video was recorded on GarageBand and iMovie, using my own music (tracks 2 and 3) and open source Apple Loops arranged by me (all…
The March This Time: a Collective Conversation
Looking back to 2014, it seems a kinder, gentler time. Dr. Cornett is a wise, genuine, passionate teacher who leads with spirit and vulnerability. Interesting to look back at his work, now that Dr. Jordan Peterson has risen to prominence; now that Me Too has had its moment, now that this kind of conversation feels…
On the Passing of Elizabeth the Great
She showed the world how to be a woman of worth, of dignity and of steady courage – to be clear, I place her beside and after my mom, my spirit mom and my aunties. They are the personal, she the societal image of what a woman needs to be – strong, grounded, gracious but relentlessly firm.
What a gift to live during her reign. May her soul pass through the Western Door and find its true reward for a life of service and leadership. God Rest Elizabeth the Great.
A view of the papal visit, Part 1: old ladies vs…
Behind the grill, a K9 officer, evidently as done with the pointless tension of the whole thing as we were, suddenly fired a volley of loud barks at us. In perfect tandem, we turned and roared back ‘Ah, shut up!’
Prairiepomes 