Catherine writes:
With the generous help of the Music & Sound department at the Banff Centre, Terri and I found a time for the performance of Pidgoyomon in Rolston Hall on Sunday March 8. We created a work a little longer than 70 minutes and had free rein to present our vision as fully as possible with staging, electronics and seating. Michael Markowsky designed some beautiful banners for us appliquéing cut coloured felt pieces onto 14′ x 18″ strips of white felt. He did his work, earlier in the winter, while Terri and I played in the space with Michael responding directly to the sounds he was hearing.
We used the banners as a freely hung frame placed in front of four floor to ceiling lengths of white broadcloth which served as a projection screen for the video elements of the show that Terri wonderfully prepared using sounds and images that she and I collected during our winter in Banff. Each of these projected sections represent the overall theme and serve as a division for the three sections in Pidgoyomon: the passenger pigeon, the coyote and the salmon.
Julie Fournier was our stage manager and lighting designer. She and her amazing spirit helped us to get the show up and running. Starting at noon, we got everything set and ready with a good hour to spare before the performance began.
Martin Finnerty helped with figuring out some logistics … hanging the screen and banners, organising the projector, finding cables etc.
Maria Kantorowitz recorded the show and Juliana Leite videotaped for us. Many thanks for the help!
Many thanks also to Barry, Geoff, Mhiran and everyone else in the Banff Centre music & sound department for helping us to get Pidgoyomon staged.
Terri adds:
PIDGOYOMON would not have had such a smooth and natural development had we not been in the welcoming and supportive space that is Music & Sound at the Banff Centre. Not only the staff but our fellow residents were unfailing pillars for us, who provided help, feedback, hugs and their eyes and ears. Their spirit is also in our piece, as it is a reflection of a specific space at a specific time.
The natural beauty of Banff, its hotsprings, its Wildflour Café, its locals and all its other quirks felt like home and the perfect place to be.