An award-winning composer, producer and traditional singer from the St’át’imc and Lil’wat Nations will join an acclaimed vocal ensemble at the upcoming presentation of the Coast Recital Society.
Russell Wallace began his musical career playing Western music on the guitar with his mother and later moved on to synthesizers and sequencers. His mother suffered abuse while attending residential school, but resolved to keep her traditional music alive.
“I am so thankful for my mom teaching me and also having the patience to see me grow as an artist,” Wallace said in a 2019 interview with organizers of the Vancouver International Jazz Festival. “One of her final wishes was for my family and I to keep singing the songs and sharing our history.”
In 2022, Wallace received the Lieutenant Governor’s Art and Music Award for artists who have demonstrated exceptional leadership, creativity, community engagement and commitment through fostering and mentoring others in the fields of visual arts, music or performance.
Wallace has written soundtracks for film, television, theatre and dance productions across Canada and the U.S. In 2019, he was named the artist-in-residence with Vancouver’s Coastal Jazz society. During the residency, he created new works based on the St’át’imc language, explored Salish music forms, and investigated Indigenous contributions to jazz.
Two years ago at the Firehall Arts Centre, Wallace finally unveiled his “live podcast play” about Salish jazz singer and musical pioneer Mildred Bailey. Its original debut a year earlier had been cancelled due to COVID-19. Bailey grew up on the Coeur d’Alene Reservation in Idaho and gained widespread popularity as the Queen of Swing during the 1930s. Her unique style was shaped by childhood exposure to traditional Salish musical repertoire.
Wallace will be joining the musica intima vocal ensemble for a collaborative musical presentation.
Despite its lower-case name, the 17-member musica intima group has achieved stratospheric acclaim — including three JUNO nominations and wins at the Western Canadian Music Awards. It was founded in Vancouver in 1992 and has had more than 100 singers pass through its ranks. The group tours regularly and performed recently in the U.S., Denmark, Ireland, France and Korea.
The program fusing Wallace and musica intima, titled “Solicitude,” will be performed at the Raven’s Cry Theatre on Dec. 8.
Denise Ball, artistic director of the Coast Recital Society, explained that the concert is focused on sharing light, love and compassion when the days are short and darkness is pervasive.
“This can be a tough time of year for a lot of people and this concert is all about joining with our friends for a joyous musical experience as winter closes in,” Ball said.
“I’ve been a huge fan of musica intima for years — they bring vocal finesse and rich musicality to everything they sing. And Russell Wallace is a national treasure –– a true inspiration with a unique musical voice drawing from a deep well of creative experience.”
The program will combine music with folk, classical and contemporary influences blended with some familiar carols and songs from non-Western traditions.
Tickets for the concert are available by emailing [email protected] or calling 604 885-0991. More information is available online at www.coastrecitalsociety.ca.
