Bruce Ruddell is an internationally celebrated composer of major concert and music theatre works inspired by the environment, people and communities of the Pacific Northwest Coast where he grew up and still lives.
In 2008 he was honoured with a Canadian Aboriginal Music Award for his many collaborations with Indigenous Artists living in Canada and The United States.
ANNOUNCING
In Collaboration With
Presented By
I am partnering with Creative Visions, creativevisions.org, Los Angeles, to secure funding that will introduce The Five Seasons project to a global audience.
The Five Seasons, celebrates Earth’s changing seasons—Spring, Summer, Harvest, Fall, and Winter—and mirrors the human experience from birth to death.
The Five Seasons is a concert work and accompanying film with a duration of seventy-five minutes, structured in five distinct movements. The performance features eight mixed voices and twelve instrumentalists selected for their diverse cultural backgrounds. The repertoire includes literary texts spanning from 6th-century Chinese sources and Indigenous teachings to contemporary writings from across the globe.
The Five Seasons was inspired by Rachel Carson‘s book A Sense of Wonder. Rachel Carson, an American conservationist, is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in launching the modern environmental movement.
‘Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts… There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature – the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after winter.”
A performance of excerpts from The Five Seasons was performed in Victoria, British Columbia, May 2024 to a full house.
The Five Seasons-1st rehearsal excerpts
https://drive.google.com/file/d/15q8tcHNxpcqhxm0RGbkEln-P1RBIQdTH/view?usp=drive_link
The Complete Texts
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1UyMD6DCwTug1st0hVvBxgTXR3-BzmJnt/view?usp=drive_link
Audience testimonials
“This work is timeless and will inspire audiences for generations. What you have conveyed is a gift and I thank you for it.”-audience member
“It’s hard to find words to describe the excellence of the performance in every way: beautiful, expressive, strong yet poignant.”-audience member
“From its first notes, this work grips you and transports you. Technically remarkable, emotionally extraordinary, it’s a work of great power, beauty and insight. It’s a timeless and masterful achievement.”-audience member
I listened just now, before and after 5 AM. It’s just terrific. I love the composition and yr performers really kicked this upstairs with gorgeous expressive song flying out of them. Love their voices and ensemble sense. You got a hit here, mister. I’m sure audiences will love it every time. Peter Levitt- American Poet
The creation of The Five Seasons was made possible through a substantial contribution from Robert Davidson, internationally renowned Haida Artist, as well as a distinguished award from the Music Division of the Canada Council for the Arts and The Gail O’Rirodan Climate and The Arts Legacy Fund.
CREDITS
Barbara Williams-Advocate
Jon Washburn OC- Music Editor
Donna Wong-Juliani-Title-First Producer
Jon O’Rirodan-Philanthropist
Robert Davidson-Philanthropist and collaborator
Juno Rinaldi-Logo
Dean Mapstone-Accountant
Glen THompson-Legal
Mark Littler-Creative advice
SPONSORS
