Dust Poets

Originally from Brandon, Manitoba, where it can indeed get dusty, and poets are known to wax, folk-pop band The Dust Poets' five members now live in four different towns, in three different provinces, and in two different countries. (When they say keeping a band together is like keeping a marriage together maybe they should take a tip or two from the Dust Poets!)

You can hear them tonight on Canada Live (8 p.m.), performing songs by their chief songwriter,
Murray Evans, who also runs a used book store -- which would, I think, provide plenty of song material. Titles of books, overheard conversations, authors depressed about finding ten copies of their book -- all kinds of fodder. Actually, the band describes the songs as "ranging in tone from the darkly humourous to the achingly tender," and says that Evans "finds a fertile muse in the joys and disappointments of modern living." Like I say, authors depressed about finding ten copies of their book.

Also on the show tonight are some highlights of the WSO New Music Festival. First, choral work called Ritual, which features Prairie Voices and the University Singers performing music by Stephen Hatfield and Sid Robinovitch. And also from the festival, the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra with Ether I by Pierre Michaud. Finally, Glenn Buhr performs his own Piano Concerto.

btw, it is also possible to hear some of this music online at Concerts On Demand -- WSO New Music Festival -- Rituals.