MUSIC
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| Soprano Samantha Saunders and Canon Robert Tuck |
In October 2008 the DVD Sacred Sounds in Harris Churches will be released. Sacred Sounds features Island soprano Samantha Saunders singing 12 sacred solos in 12 Harris Churches on PEI with Canon Robert Tuck, biographer of William Critchlow Harris, providing a historical talk on the design and building of the 12 Harris Churches. Photographs for the project were taken by Louise Vessey of Light and Vision Inc.
Proceeds from the sale of the DVD will be donated to the 12 Churches involved plus the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Foundation and the Prince County Hospital Foundation. Costs of the project have been donated. The DVDs will be sold across PEI. A launch of the DVD is planned for October 30 at St. Paul‘s Anglican Church in Charlottetown at 7:30 pm. A post launch concert will be held at St. Paul’s Anglican Church November 1 at 2:30 pm.
The video work and editing of the video has been done by Darin Foulkes of Foulkes Productions, with sound by Perry Williams of Virtual Studios. The singing has not been digitally enhanced or modified.
What began with Ellen Davis and Kelti MacMillan choosing songs for the 12 Churches and practicing with Samantha for seven months before recording started, became a project which required a huge amount of planning. Kelti MacMillan has been Samantha‘s vocal coach and artistic director of the project. Sacred Sounds in Harris Churches was completed with accompaniment in various Churches by Island musicians Morgan Saulnier (flute, organ and piano), The Singing Strings, Christine Gallant (harp) and Peter Gallant (guitar), Rob Drew (guitar), and Mike Ross (piano).
Samantha Saunders’ comments on Sacred Sounds in Harris Churches: “This project has become very near and dear to my heart as it goes on. The first taping was very simple; a small church, one camera guy, one sound guy, my music teacher, my accompanist and my parents, and me. The largest taping was for the song ‘Panis Angelicus’ a lovely benediction hymn in origin in one of Harris‘ largest Churches, St Malchy’s in Kinkora. We had about thirty musicians, two camera guys, one sound guy, and about twenty observers. It was such a wonderful experience and privilege to sing with The Singing Strings!”
Video clips of Samantha singing, pictures of the Churches involved and detailed project information is available at www.harrischurches.com.