NAC ORCHESTRA TAPPED FOR MOMENTOUS TRUE NORTH: THE CANADIAN SONGBOOK PROJECT Orchestra Chosen for 10-Orchestra Album to Celebrate Canada’s 150th Birthday
OTTAWA, ON - Eleanor McCain is about to make history.
In an unparalleled and ambitious move to celebrate the country’s 150th birthday with her upcoming True North: The Canadian Songbook, the three-time East Coast Music Association Award nominee has been traveling across Canada from St. John’s, NL to Victoria, BC to record with 10 orchestras for inclusion on her 33-song recording project.
On June 13-14, she’ll conclude her cross-Canada orchestral recording sessions with the world-renowned, 60-piece National Arts Centre (NAC) Orchestra in sessions produced by Emmy-Award winning producer Don Breithaupt, conducted by Martin MacDonald and recorded by orchestral engineer Jeremy Tusz.
“I’m thrilled to be working with the brilliant musicians of the NAC Orchestra to reimagine a few songs by iconic Canadian songwriters through new orchestral arrangements,” McCain declared. “I couldn’t imagine realizing my vision of True North: The Canadian Songbook without them.”
Founded in 1969 with the opening of the National Arts Centre in Ottawa, the NAC toured China and the U.K. in 2013 and 2014 respectively, has made 40 recordings and includes master violinist Pinchas Zukerman as one of its former music directors.
“I am honoured to be performing with such a marvelous orchestra,” said McCain.
True North: The Canadian Songbook, is a musical celebration of 32 of the nation’s best-known songs, plus 1 original, as interpreted by classical crossover singer Eleanor McCain.
As well as prestigious Canadian orchestras, it will feature some of the country’s most distinguished performers and recording artists as special guests, captured by cameras for a companion documentary.
Song titles and guest artists will be announced at a later date.
“The idea for this project began in January 2014 and was to reimagine some of our most iconic Canadian songs in new arrangements for orchestra in celebration of Canada’s 150th birthday,” said McCain, who has five albums to her credit.
“But if you plan on recording with a Canadian symphony, how do you choose only one? That’s when the dream happened: wouldn’t it be great to do this with orchestras across the country and make it Pan-Canadian.”
To fulfill this dream, Florenceville, NB native McCain has been trekking across the nation between the months of March and June to capture the dynamic and powerful sounds of 40-plus-piece orchestras based on arrangements provided by such stellar arrangers as Shelly Berger, Peter Cardinali, Darren Fung, Lou Pomanti, and Sarah Slean to name a few.
“I am excited for these orchestra recording sessions and to eventually share these wonderful arrangements of some of Canada’s most iconic songs with everyone,” McCain enthused.
In addition to the recording, a coffee table book featuring picturesque Canadian landscapes captured by nationally prominent photographers will accompany the double CD. The album is also being offered as a standalone double CD with an enhanced booklet and as a digital download. The album and book are scheduled for release on Retriever Records in the spring of 2017 in time for Canada’s Sesquicentennial birthday.
Please visit www.EleanorMcCain.ca for further details.
Participating orchestras and corresponding dates:
Date: March 22 (Edmonton)
Orchestra: Edmonton Symphony Orchestra
Date: March 24 (Halifax)
Orchestra: Symphony Nova Scotia
Date: March 26 (St John, NB)
Orchestra: Symphony New Brunswick
Date: April 4 (Winnipeg)
Orchestra: Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra
Date: April 24 (St. John’s, NL)
Orchestra: Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra
Date: May 2 (Victoria)
Orchestra: Victoria Symphony
Date: May 4 (Vancouver)
Orchestra: Vancouver Symphony Orchestra
Date: May 10 (Kitchener-Waterloo)
Orchestra: Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony
Date: May 13 (Québec City)
Orchestra: L’orchestre symphonique de Québec
Date: June 13-14 (Ottawa)
Orchestra: National Arts Centre (NAC) Orchestra
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, IMAGES AND TO ARRANGE INTERVIEWS WITH ELEANOR McCAIN, PLEASE CONTACT:
Deb McCain Wonjay Chang
416-402-5681 647-349-2899