A Dream of Colour by Emma Rush

A Dream of Colour
Music Inspired by the Paintings of William Blair Bruce
Emma Rush, Classical Guitar

Great to hear the latest album of new music commissions from Canadian classical guitarist Emma Rush. The music is inspired by the paintings of William Blair Bruce and composed by Canadian composers Amy Brandon, Christine Donkin, Dale Kavanagh, Jeffrey McFadden, Daniel Mehdizadeh, Craig Visser, and Christina Volpini. Excellent performances by Rush and a nice diverse selection of compositional styles. I particularly enjoyed the walker of the snow (the phantom hunter) by Christina Volpini which is a beautifully spacious work that is wonderfully delicate and intense at the same time. Here’s some more info from Rush’s album booklet.

I grew up in Hamilton, Ontario, hometown of Canadian impressionist painter William Blair Bruce. Through a familial connection to Bruce, I grew up hearing stories about his life and seeing his paintings in the homes of my grandparents and aunts. I was a regular visitor to the Art Gallery of Hamilton that holds a fabulous collection of Bruce’s works.

In 2020 I commissioned seven new Canadian pieces inspired by the paintings of William Blair Bruce. With this project I hoped to create a new repertoire of Canadian music for solo guitar that would capture Bruce’s artistic practice and share the magic of his paintings through sound.

This album features music by Amy Brandon, Christine Donkin, Dale Kavanagh, Jeffrey McFadden, Daniel Mehdizadeh, Craig Visser, and Christina Volpini.

This album was supported by the Canada Council for the Arts and the City of Hamilton.

Listen

Repertoire

Moonlight in Canada – Christine Donkin
Red Rock, St. Nazaire – Amy Brandon
- i. Red Rock (into the light)
- ii. Thin Cloud
- iii. Under the Deep Blue Waves
Reflections on Afterglow – Dale Kavanagh
Temps Passé (for guitar and tape) – Craig Visser
the walker of the snow (the phantom hunter) – christina volpini
Mirror of the Moon – Daniel Medizadeh
Chedoke Ravine – Jeffrey McFadden