Aanii, Boozhoo, Welcome, Bienvenue!
Unsettled Scores creates and produces musical and theatrical works that explore and reflect difficult Canadian and global histories, while being relevant to contemporary issues and subject matter. Unsettled Scores was co-founded in 2006 by Spy Dénommé-Welch and Catherine Magowan, and together they have created and presented solo, chamber, orchestral and opera compositions, as well as theatrical and multimedia works. They have also presented at conferences and festivals, and conducted workshops on topics such as intercultural collaboration, and decolonizing through music.
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Come Home – The Legend of Daddy Hall
The music was atmospheric and transported you from scene to scene: from the swamp, to the boat, to the plantation. Aisha Lesley Bentham, Intermission Magazine When John Hall is confronted by his ancestors, he is …
Canoe
Visual Art by Mishiikenh Kwe Canoe is a captivating tale of two sisters from Northern Ontario, their ancestral tree, and an old, but familiar, visitor from the past. Through a minimalist aesthetic, this poignant work …
Transpositions
Transpositions is a sonic exploration of the relationship between health and the environment. The work is written for viola, bass trombone/tuba and piano as part of Dr. Spy Dénommé-Welch’s self-directed residency with Native Earth Performing …
Come Home – The Legend of Daddy Hall
When John Hall is awakened by the ghosts of his ancestors, he is forced to revisit the story of his entire life. As his young granddaughter Billie tries to keep him from death’s grip, she …
The Visitors
A short experimental video in development that incorporates elements of puppetry and original music to tell the story of a Great Hare and Opossum visiting an urban garden during a global crisis to bring healing. …
Maple Sugar Moon
Maple Sugar Moon was commissioned by the Lights on Stratford festival to accompany projections on Market Square from December 2020 to February 2021. Maple Sugar Moonby Spy Dénommé-Welch & Catherine Magowan5 minutesguitar, bass guitar, corn …
Miskwaa Biboon / Rouge Winter / Hiver Rouge
Commissioned in celebration of Scarborough Philharmonic Orchestra’s 40th anniversary season, this work takes the audience on a walk through the Rouge National Urban Park and encounters various wildlife in a series of musical tableaux. This …
RADAR
RADAR explores the conceptual idea of a palindrome, and the notion of being targeted while invisible. This piece is a musical response to the violence experienced by Indigenous people, particularly Indigenous women, Two-Spirit, and Trans-identified …
Contraries: a chamber requiem
Contraries: a chamber requiem tells the story of a little boy and his quest to relearn his gifts. After escaping the grip of a tyrannical schoolmaster, he embarks on a journey to fulfill his heroic …
HATE MAIL & Irreconcilable Trolls
What happens when the entire world is given a licence to critique and can hide behind fake usernames, spoofed emails, and anonymous comment boards? What happens when the online world explodes with armchair experts and …
We Want to Paint on the Walls of the Cave (music for)
Developed by Brock University researches, faculty members, graduate students and community artists, this work blends dance, music, drama, poetry, visuals and audience participation to explore the experiences of immigrants, refugees and Indigenous peoples in Canada. We …
Sojourn
Commissioned by Signal Theatre as part of Bearing. Sojourn Text by Spy Dénommé-Welch Music by Spy Dénommé-Welch & Catherine Magowan 20 minutes mezzo-soprano/alto …
Who Killed Rock Robin?
Music commissioned by Red Dress Productions for DRIFT SEEDS, a multi-discipline, multi-sensory theatrical experience with music, dance, puppetry, installation, interaction, and elements of live audio description and integrated ASL performances. DRIFT SEEDS and Who Killed …
Bottlenecked
This work follows a drop of water through the Grand River ecosystem. It falls from the sky, joins other drops of water in a sort of party, chills out in Luther Marsh, travels the Elora …
Giizhigookwe Falls to Earth
Solo cello piece based on the story of Sky Woman. Giizhigookwe Falls to Earth by Spy Dénommé-Welch & Catherine Magowan 2 minutes solo cello Performance history September 18, 2015: Performing Turtle Island: A Gathering of Indigenous …
Spin Doctors
SPIN DOCTORS for violin, clarinet and piano examines political satire and propaganda. As with our previous works the subject of this piece responds musically to historical and contemporary issues, and resonates with a variety of …
Victorian Secrets
A theatre-cabaret piece for actors/singers with accompanying piano, Victorian Secrets draws on the aesthetics of silent film, musical theatre, parody and satire. This work is comprised of three short scenes (vignettes) and explores constructs of …
Bike Rage
Ever find yourself caught in gridlock, or having to weave your way through downtown traffic? Are you frustrated when you see a motorist texting in their lap, or a cyclist blowing through a red? Bike …
Professor Quack & Grunt
Hailed by none other than himself as the single greatest living orator of all time, Professor Quack, and his assistant Grunt, are the Original Thinkers credited for advancing globalization through the use of Morse code …
Deux Poèmes Sur La Formation Des Glaces
This piece was composed as a musical response to the delay of ice forming in northern Canada, which has prevented polar bears from being able to hunt for food. While polar bears have been gathering at …