From Scorched Earth – SATB

In “From Scorched Earth” Canadian Composer Katerina Gimon brings to life the words of Canadian poet Saphren Ma written in response to the devastating wildfires and floods experienced in their home province of British Columbia in 2017. Applying her uniquely dynamic, poignant, and eclectic compositional style, Katerina’s setting takes us on a powerful musical and emotional journey that explores reckoning with feelings of grief and hopefulness in the aftermath of climate tragedy as well as serves as a reminder of how we can learn from and find hope in the resilience of nature. Just as new growth emerges from fire-scorched soil, we too can rise anew from tragedy and create our own new beginnings — making the change we wish to see and moving toward a place of healing and hope. This piece is a great fit for many programs, including those on themes of nature, climate change, grief, anxiety, resilience, and renewal.
Notes about the Composer

Katerina Gimon is a Canadian composer recognized
for her uniquely dynamic, poignant, and eclectic com-
positional style, which has gained her a reputation as a
distinctive voice in contemporary Canadian composition
and beyond.

Her music has been described as “sheer ra-
diance” (Campbell River Mirror), “imbued…with human
emotion” (San Diego Story), and capable of taking
listeners on a “fascinating journey of textural discovery” (Ludwig Van), earning her several honours including multiple SOCAN Awards (2022, 2021, 2016) as well as nominations for Western Canadian Composer of the Year (2023, 2021). In her music, Katerina draws influence from a myriad of places — from the Ukrainian folk music of her heritage to indie rock, as well as from her roots as a songwriter. Her works are performed widely across
Canada, the USA, and internationally. Katerina is the composer in residence for Myriad Ensemble and is based in Metro Vancouver, British Columbia.

About The Poet
Saphren Ma is a multidisciplinary artist and birth doula
living and working on the traditional unceded territories
of the Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), xʷməθkʷəy ̓ əm
(Musqueam), and Səl ̓ ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh)
Nations. She holds a visual arts degree from the University
of British Columbia, where she spent time studying poetry
under the tutelage of Giller Prize winner Ian Williams
and published poet Sheryda Warrener. Having been in choirs throughout her life, it is a dream come true to have her poetry set to
music.

Growing up in British Columbia, it is hard not to have a deep love of nature and all that it offers, and it is evident in her writing. Her work explores her relationship with grief and loss, mental illness, concepts of decomposition, regeneration, and cyclical patterns of death and growth, the old and the new. She can often be found cooking a new recipe, trying out a new craft, and taking care of her forest of houseplants.