A unique recital takes the stage at the Carol Shields Auditorium at the Millennium Library this weekend as Indigenous musicians share music from the intersection of opera and Indigenous culture.
Songs from Treaty One is a collaborative recital presented by Dead of Winter and Virtuosi Concerts as part of the ongoing City of Song celebrations being presented by the Winnipeg Arts Council. The recital features works from three Indigenous operas that have debuted in the last couple of years, including Li Keur: Riel’s Heart of the North which was presented by Manitoba Opera in November of 2023, Mishabooz’s Realm by Treaty One composer Andrew Balfour, and Indians on Vacation, based on the award-winning novel by Thomas King.
For Winnipeg-born Metis baritone Caleb Rondeau, performing works that are rooted not only in Treaty One Territory but also in Winnipeg is a thrill. “Winnipeg has such a thriving art scene and it's so important to highlight that because I feel like sometimes we get missed,” Rondeau explains in an interview with Nolan Kehler on Morning Light.
The other opera singer on the bill, mezzo-soprano Keely McPeek, has performed in all three operas across the country. “I’ve never done a concert like that before [where] I’ve been in all of these shows,” she laughs.
Creating Indigenous operas has been a calling card for McPeek in her burgeoning career, both in performance and in the creation of new works. She highlights extra preparation time and more intentionality with language as key components of these operas, elements that will shine through on the program for Songs from Treaty One.
Another element of the recital is the work of Anishinaabekwe songkeeper Taylor Galvin, who will be sharing songs from her community of Brokenhead Ojibway Nation, and also a story about Winnipeg’s water and the relationship Winnipeg continues to have with Shoal Lake 40.
The collaboration aspect of Songs from Treaty One is one thing that Rondeau notes will be something that sticks with audiences. “I think that making everything more of a collaborative process is just really something that's at the heart of what Indigenous-led opera is all about. Because when we’re all working together, I think that the end product that we’re offering is definitely going to have a peak-through of every person who’s involved, and it’s so different than just having that one person at the front who’s running the show.”
Songs from Treaty One takes the stage at the Carol Shields Auditorium at the Millennium Library in downtown Winnipeg on December 7 at 2 p.m. For more information, you can visit the City of Song website.