Decoys Concert Programme

Hummy Hummingbird

Donna Rhodenizer

Text: Donna Rhodenizer

Outside my door, the humming birds are quiet friends,
no song is heard; and can it be they do not sing,
because they do not know the words.

They only hum.
Those funny little hummy hummingbirds.
Perhaps one day they’ll learn to sing the words.

This simple duet in canon mimics the buzzing and humming sounds of hummingbirds as they flutter. Short and sweet, it’s a great piece for musicians of all ages.

Donna Rhodenizer is a composer, music educator, performer and recording artist. She has composed over 400 original compositions for singers of all ages, publishing choral octavos for adult choirs, and single titles and song collections for elementary students (in English and French).

She is a Juno-nominated and ECMA-winning recording artist as part of the professional singing duo, Donna & Andy. She also received the NS Music Educators’ Association Lifetime Achievement Award.

Ah! Toi, belle hirondelle

Arr: George Coutts (1888-1962)

Oh! Thou Fair Swallow!
Traditional

Oh thou, swift swallow, who flies so near
Have you seen round these islands, my Alexis?
He’s gone for so long on a voyage far away,
Go find him – will he truly return to me?

The bird, aids the lover, agrees with the task,
She flies with the breeze, and wings on her way,
Across rivers, plains, oceans unceasing she flies,
Till on the mast of a ship at last she alights.

In the midst of the vessel with its high topsail
She espies Alexis lamenting as he steers with the wheel,
“Speak to me, faithful lover, speak to me –
I have news from your fair one across the seas”.

The swain is all astonished to hear the bird speak,
To hear the good news from his fair love,
“Tell her, dear swallow, tell her my pledge –
To her alone I am faithful, until my return”.

An old French-Canadian folk song. Lovers, separated by the ocean, beseech the help of a migratory swallow to send each other a message of longing, promising that they will remain faithful until they meet again. A classic theme with a classic delivery, and timeless in its simplicity and universality.

George Coutts: Canadian organist, pianist, composer, conductor and teacher. Moved to Toronto, Ontario, in 1911, where he taught at the Academy of Music and at Woodstock (Ontario). Head of the Regina Conservatory piano department, ca. 1921-1928; Conductor of the Brahms Choir and the Little Symphony (later the Vancouver Junior Symphony), ca. 1931-1940. Adjudicated throughout Canada and taught at the Royal Conservatory of Music of Toronto and University of Toronto. Wrote for organ, piano, violin and piano, choir and solo voice.

一隻鳥仔哮救救 (A Bird is Crying)

Arr: Henry Chen

Traditional

I’m dying! I’m dying!
Reborn into a cycle of torment.

A bird is crying out for help.
Crying out into the wee hours of the morning,
Unable to find its nest.

Somebody came along and broke our nest.
If we catch them we will never let them go.
Never let go, never let go!

This Taiwanese folk song was first heard during the Japanese occupation of Taiwan. The Qing Emperor ceded control of Taiwan and surrounding islands to the Dainippon Teikoku (Great Japanese Empire) as a concession to defeat in the first Sino-Japanese War.

The Taiwanese population came under strict Japanese rule for over half a century and this song of resistance was one of many from that period.

After the end of Japanese colonial rule post WWII, Taiwan fell into a period of martial law when the ruling Kuomintang party oppressed dissidents on fears of anti-republic and pro-communist sentiments. This song once again served its purpose as a song of resistance against government oppression and was promptly banned.

Now, it is considered one of the most endearing folk songs that spanned multiple generations through many years of turmoil.

Abschiedslied der Zugvögel (Op. 63, No. 2)

Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)

Farewell Song of the Birds of Passage
Text: Heinrich Hoffmann

How green it was in the field and world,
And all is now so bare and cold!
The joyful summertide is fled,
And sorrow comes when joys are dead.

We knew of naught that pains or grieves,
We sat beneath the shelt’ring leaves,
In sunshine sported here and there,
And sang as free as sun and air,

Now sadly ev’rywhere we roam,
For we poor birds have lost our home;
The time has come, we cannot stay,
but fly to far off lands away,

This poem by August Heinrich Hoffmann is ever relevant in an age of strife and conflicts. Although not written about any specific event, the poet was not unfamiliar with the realm of political writing, with his poem Das Lied der Deutschen adopted as the official lyrics of the German national anthem. His ironically titled collection Unpolitische Lieder (Unpolitical Songs) later saw him stripped of his university position.

By utilizing birds as the main characters, Hoffman was able to describe a rather harsh reality of life without feeling too visceral or melodramatic. The words carry less baggage and deliver more on its intent: the longing of lost homes.

Felix Mendelssohn was a German composer, pianist, organist and conductor of the early Romantic period. Mendelssohn’s compositions include symphonies, concertos, piano music, organ music, chamber music, and of course, vocal music.

He was no stranger to the othering feeling of being an outsider. Born to Jewish parents and raised atheist until later baptized, his struggles with identity have been the topic of research for scholars since his death. His compositions were shelved during a period of growing antisemitism in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, but have since been re-evaluated. He is now a mainstay in the romantic repertoire.

Tit Willow

Gilbert & Sullivan

From The Mikado

On a tree by a river a little tom-tit
Sang “Willow, tit willow, tit willow”
And I said to him, “Dicky-bird, why do you sit
Singing ‘Willow, tit willow, tit willow’”
“Is it weakness of intellect, birdie?” I cried
“Or a rather tough worm in your little inside”
With a shake of his poor little head, he replied
“Oh, willow, tit willow, tit willow!”

He slapped at his chest, as he sat on that bough
Singing “Willow, tit willow, tit willow”
And a cold perspiration bespangled his brow
Oh, willow, tit willow, tit willow
He sobbed and he sighed and a gurgle he gave
Then he plunged himself into the billowy wave
And an echo arose from the suicide’s grave
“Oh, willow, tit willow, tit willow”

Now I feel just as sure as I’m sure that my name
Isn’t Willow, tit willow, tit willow
That ‘twas blighted affection that made him exclaim
“Oh, willow, tit willow, tit willow”
And if you remain callous and obdurate, I
Shall perish as he did, and you will know why
Though I probably shall not exclaim as I die
“Oh, willow, tit willow, tit willow”

Gilbert and Sullivan refers to the Victorian-era theatrical partnership of the dramatist W. S. Gilbert (1836–1911) and the composer Arthur Sullivan (1842–1900) and to the works they jointly created.

Many of their works have faced recent criticism for their portrayals of women and minorities, with The Mikado chief amongst them. It is, however, slightly unfair to judge their works in the modern lens while ignoring their historical context, as their works were satirical critiques of Victorian status quo and values. Under a Japanese guise, The Mikado lampooned English bureaucracy and sensibilities while indulging in orientalism to suit the tastes of their audiences.

She's Like the Swallow

Arr: Keith Bissell (1912-1992)

Traditional

She’s like the swallow that flies so high,
She’s like the river that never runs dry,
She’s like the sunshine on the leeshore,
I love my love and love is no more.

Twas out in the garden this fair maid did go,
A picking the beautiful primrose,
The more she plucked, the more she pulled,
Until she got her apron full.

It’s out of those roses she made a bed,
A stony pillow for her head,
She lay her down, no word she spoke
Until this fair maid’s heart was broke.

She’s Like the Swallow was first collected in 1930 from John Hunt of Placentia by English folksong scholar Maud Karpeles, who published it in 1934 along with a piano setting by her brother-in-law, the famous composer Ralph Vaughn Williams. It has since found favour with Canadian classical musicians, who have composed over 30 different orchestral and choral settings for it. Although it is generally considered to be of English origin, the song has only been found in Newfoundland. This version comes from the 1965 collection of Kenneth Peacock, who collected it from Charlotte Decker of Parson’s Pond.

— Dr. Neil V. Rosenberg, Catch Ahold this One...Songs of Newfoundland & Labrador –Volume 1

Keith Bissell (February 12, 1912 - May 9, 1992) received a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Toronto in 1942, where his principal teacher was Leo Smith. In 1948 Bissell was appointed Supervisor of Music for Edmonton schools.

Folk materials have influenced many of Bissell’s works, from Six Folk Songs from Eastern Canada (a CBC commission, first performed in 1971 by Maureen Forrester) to the Variations on a Canadian Folk Song for string orchestra (commissioned and performed by the Toronto Chamber Players).

Le bestiaire (Op. 17)

Louis Durey (1888-1979)

The Bestiary
Text: Guillaume Apollinaire
Translations: Christopher Goldsack

Colombe
Dove, the love and the spirit
which fathered Jesus Christ.
Like you, I love a Mary
Only with her shall I marry.

Hibou
My poor heart is an owl
that is nailed, unnailed, renailed.
Of blood, of passion it is now drained.
All those that I love, I praise them.

Ibis
Yes I shall go into the earthy shade.
Oh certain death, so let it be!
Deadly latin, hideous speech,
Ibis, bird of the banks of the Nile.

Louis Durey was born in Paris, the son of a local businessman. It was not until he was nineteen years old that he chose to pursue a musical career after hearing a performance of a Claude Debussy work. As a composer, he was primarily self-taught. From the beginning, choral music was of great importance in Durey’s productivity. His L’Offrande Lyrique (1914) has been called the first piece of French twelve-tone music. The first of his works to gain recognition in the music world was for a piano duet titled Carillons. At a 1918 concert, this work attracted the interest of Maurice Ravel, who recommended him to his publisher.

Oh Death! Thou art the Cooling Night

Healey Willan (1880-1968)

Original German Text: Heinrich Heine
Singable Translation: J. Snodgrass ed. by K. Kroeker

O Death! Though are the cooling night;
O Life! Though are the sultry day:
It darkens, and I slumber I am wearied with the light

Over my head is a tree, to my seeming,
And in it a nightingale sings;
It singeth of naught but love
I can hear it amidst my dreaming

This Heine poem has been set by many composers, most notably Johannes Brahms. Healy Willan chose to set the song in his native English, based on a singable translation by J. Snodgrass (misattributed to Kroeker in the score, who was the poem’s editor). A plaintive tune that portrays the cycle of death & life, with love ever-present.

Dr. Healey Willan, C.C. (Oct. 12,1880- Feb.16,1968) composer, organist and teacher. Admitted as an Associate of the Royal College of Organists, 1897 and Fellow. In 1937 he was appointed Professor of Music at U of T, a position he held until his retirement in 1950. An influential teacher, Willan was also active as the University Organist. In 1953 he was the first ever non-Briton commissioned to write an anthem for the coronation of Elizabeth II in Westminster Abbey (O Lord Our Governour.)

Les corbeaux

Carmen Brouard (1909-2005)

The Crows from Cinq chants funèbres
Text: Émile Nelligan

I thought I saw a swarm of crows over my heart
In the heart of the intimate moor with funeral flights,
Great crows from famous mountains
And who passed by moonlight and torchlight.

Lugubriously, as if circling over tombs
And scenting a feast of zebra carcasses,
They hovered in the icy thrill of our darkness,
Waving tattered flesh in their beaks.

Now, this prey fallen to these demons of the night
Was none other than my Life in tatters, with the vast troubles
that circled around it thus always

Tearing with broad pecks, without quarter,
My soul, a carcass scattered in the field of days,
Which these old crows will devour whole.

Carmen Brouard (1909-2005) was a Haitian-Canadian pianist, composer and music educator. She was considered the most accomplished Haitian composer of her time. She studied at the Paris Conservatory. During her time in France, she became friends with Maurice Ravel. In 1956, she was admitted to the Faculté des lettres de Paris. She founded the Society of Research and Dissemination of Haitian Music in Quebec.

Link to the Society Webpage

Émile Nelligan (December 24, 1879 – November 18, 1941) was a Canadian Symbolist poet from Montreal who wrote in French. Even though he stopped writing poetry after being institutionalized at the age of 19, Nelligan remains an iconic figure in Quebec culture and was considered by Edmund Wilson to be the greatest Canadian poet in any language.

Bird Scarer's Song

Benjamin Britten (1913-1976)

Traditional

Shoo all ‘er birds you be so black,
When I lay down to have a nap.
Shoo arlo arlo arlo birds.
Hi shoo all ‘er birds! Hi shoo all ‘er birds!
Out of Master’s ground into Tom Tucker’s ground.
Out of Tom Tucker’s ground into Luke Cole’s ground.
Out of Luke Cole’s ground into Bill Veater’s ground.
Shoo arlo arlo arlo birds.

Britten is a master of modern folksong arrangements, with collected volumes of folksongs from all over the British Isles. This song was originally composed in the last year of his life as part of a collection of eight songs for voice and harp and later rearranged for voice and piano. Based on a traditional “bird scaring” song, sung to chase away birds from fields.

Benjamin Britten (22 November 1913 – 4 December 1976) was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. He was a central figure of 20th-century British music, with a range of works including opera, other vocal music, orchestral and chamber pieces. His best-known works include the opera Peter Grimes (1945), the War Requiem (1962) and the orchestral showpiece The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra (1945).

On the island that comes and goes

Alfredo Santa Ana

Text: Colin Browne

The birds on the island
that comes and goes
in flight, pure white
in fog and wind
and winter snow
were angels once,

who chose
joy and sorrow
grief and laughter
here below
on the island
that comes and goes.

The birds called out
to St. Brendan’s men
setting out to sea again.
“Appearances deceive,” they cried.
“Mirages are many, landfalls few,
Heaven’s hand is fickle too.”

Seven years in willow and hide
trusting in Faith
to be their guide
daughters of Swallows, sons of Crows
one into the other flows
on the island
that comes and goes.

All is multiple and mutable,
terrifying and beautiful—
on the island
that comes and goes.

According to the 9th century saga, “Voyage of St. Brendan,” the Irish monk Brendan the Navigator (c. 445 – c.577) set sail, in mid-life, on a voyage of discovery. It is of course an allegorical voyage in which Brendan and his crew—fourteen monks and three unbelievers—undertake a seven-year search for the Earthly Paradise. They embark in a currach-like boat framed in wattle. Its hull was made of hide tanned with bark and softened with butter. The supernatural was never far away. It sometimes seemed as if they were going in circles, often passing familiar headlands several times a day. They encountered mysterious islands, including the Island of Sheep and an Island of Birds who’d once been Angels. On one occasion they stopped for the night on what appeared to be a rocky outcrop. When their cooking fire began to blaze, the island sank beneath the waves. They’d landed on the back of a whale. The crew often went hungry for weeks. Like all who cleave to their sins, the travellers regularly found themselves lost in dense fog. On many occasions, desperate for relief, they spotted an island that seemed lush and friendly, promising food, rest, and possibly salvation, but as they hastened toward it the fog rolled in once more. When it melted away the island had vanished. It was only ever an illusion. This is the island referred to in the song “On the island that comes and goes.”

— Colin Browne

This song is written in a chant-like style, with Santa Ana asking for a calm, invocation or ritualistic atmosphere, specifically without vibrato. The notation is reminescent of numes from chants. The composer allows for a lot of interpretive freedom from the performers, but sometimes such freedom can be misleading and beguiling until you clear the fog; an apt compositional mirror to the events outlined in the poetry. I thoroughly enjoyed preparing this piece and hope you enjoy the performance.

— Henry Chen

Alfredo Santa Ana is a Mexican/Canadian composer. He Writes music for live performances, electronic music, and sometimes for films. He teaches music theory and composition, and plays guitar in a band.

Link to the song on SoundCloud

Colin Browne’s joyful collaborations with Alfredo Santa Ana include Aves: The Four-Chambered Heart (2025), The River of Hellos and Goodbyes (2021), Night Sonnets (2018), and Petal (2018). His publications include Here (poetry, 2020) and Entering Time: The Fungus Man Platters of Charles Edenshaw (2016), an inquiry into three argillite platters created in the nineteenth century by Haida artist Da.a xiigang (Charles Edenshaw). Among recent exhibition catalogue essays are Wonders of the Universe for the Parviz Tanavoli exhibition at the Vancouver Art Gallery (2023); Wolfgang Paalen’s Voyage Nord-Ouest for Wolfgang Paalen: The Austrian Surrealist in Paris and Mexico (Vienna, 2019); and reflections on Yup’ik masks for Moon Dancers: Yup’ik Masks and the Surrealists (New York, 2018). Colin’s forthcoming book, The Possible: Surrealists on the Northwest Coast, explores the remarkable journeys of Kurt Seligmann and his wife Arlette in Hazelton, B.C., during the summer of 1938, and of Wolfgang Paalen, Alice Rahon, and Eva Sulzer from Alaska to Vancouver Island from June-August 1939. He has also been a documentary filmmaker, working independently and with the National Film Board of Canada, and is an archival film historian. He was a co-founder of the Kootenay School of Writing, where he edited Writing magazine, the Praxis Screenwriter’s Workshop, and the Art of Documentary workshop. Browne serves on the board and editorial committee of The Capilano Review and is Professor Emeritus in the School for the Contemporary Arts at Simon Fraser University.

Meadow-Larks

Amy Beach (1867-1944)

Text: Ina Coolbrith

Sweet, sweet, sweet!
O happy that I am!
(Listen to the meadow-larks,
across the fields that sing!)

Sweet, sweet, sweet!
O subtle breath of balm,
O winds that blow,
O buds that grow,
O rapture of the spring!

Sweet, sweet, sweet!
O skies serene and blue,
That shut the radiant pastures in,
that fold the mountain’s crest!

Sweet, sweet, sweet!
What of the clouds ye knew?
The vessels ride a golden tide
Upon a sea at rest.

Sweet, sweet, sweet!
Who prates of care and pain?
Who says that life is sorrowful?
O life, so glad, so fleet!

Ah! he who leads the noblest life
Finds life the noblest gain,
The tears of pain a tender rain
To make its waters sweet.

Sweet, sweet, sweet!
O happy world that is!
Dear heart! I hear across the fields
my mateling pipe and call.

Sweet, sweet, sweet!
O world so full of bliss,
O world so full of bliss!
For life is love, the world is love,
And love is over all,
For life is love, the world is love,
And love is over all!

Amy Beach [née Amy Marcy Cheney] (Sept. 5, 1867 - Dec. 27, 1944) is known as the first female composer to have a symphony performed by a major orchestra (her “Gaelic” Symphony, premiered by the Boston Symphony Orchestra in 1896), she was also one of the first U.S. composers to have her music be recognized in Europe, and THE first classical U.S. composer to achieve success without the benefit of European study.

Her setting of this Ina Coolbrith poem is notably the only published setting of the text. The vocal line is a reproduction of California lark songs, with trilling patterns throughout that mimic their busy calls.

One Ruby-throated Moment

Emily Doolittle

Text: Rae Crossman

if only for one
ruby-throated moment
your life could hover

rapid
radiant
rare

you would never let the quiver
out of your bloodstream

seek always the nectar
you sensed was there

if only for one
ruby-throated moment
your heart could beat

a hundred thrilling times
a hundred exclamations
a hundred revelations
a hundred prayers

if only for one
ruby-throated moment
you could drink
from the chalice of the sun

Composer Emily Doolittle was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia and educated at Dalhousie, Indiana University, Princeton, and the Koninklijk Conservatorium in the Hague, where she studied with Louis Andriessen with the support of a Fulbright fellowship.

An ongoing interest for Doolittle is the relationship between music and sounds from the natural world, particularly bird and other animal songs. She has explored this in a number of compositions, as well as in her doctoral dissertation at Princeton and in interdisciplinary birdsong research with biologists and ornithologists. In 2011 she was composer-in-residence at the Max Planck Institute for Ornithology in Seewiesen, Germany, where she collaborated with ornithologist Henrik Brumm in researching song of the musician wren, gathered birdsongs for future musical use, and presented a concert of her birdsong-related works, performed by members of the Bavarian State Opera.

Decoys

Songs About Birds but Not Really About Birds