Eleanor McCain releases True North: The Canadian Songbook
Part coffee table book, part album, the projects features 32 tracks performed by 10 different orchestras
Three years ago, Eleanor McCain was finishing her album Runaway when she began looking for her next musical project.
The classical crossover artist and singer was thinking about new ways to infuse popular music with orchestra. That's when she landed on the idea of re-imagining Canadian music with symphony music.
"It blossomed immediately because I thought if I'm going to celebrate Canadian music and I'm working with Canadian orchestras, I didn't know how to choose just one," she told CBC Radio's Saskatchewan Weekend.
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That's how McCain's ended up creating True North: The Canadian Songbook, which was released on Friday.
It's a coffee table book and a two-disc album of 32 iconic Canadian songs, performed by 10 orchestras from coast to coast, 28 guest artists and 14 different arrangers.
The book's pages are filled with landscape photography shot by 22 Canadian photographers and also features of work of 14 Canadian fashion designers.
There's also song lyrics and commentary from various singer-songwriters.
"It was a daunting thing from the get-go," she said of the project. "It was one of those ideas that captured my heart and I couldn't let go."
First time to Sask.
Working on the project meant that McCain had the chance to visit Saskatchewan for the first time last summer for a photo shoot in Rouleau.
"I absolutely loved it," she said.
McCain said the album showcases music from the great Canadian songbook — tunes by artists like Bruce Cockburn, Joni Mitchell, Gordon Lightfoot and Neil Young.
She focused on creating the album around the orchestra, and believes the music breathes new life into some Canadian favourites.
'True North: The Canadian Songbook' celebrates the songwriters, musicians and landscapes of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Canada?src=hash">#Canada</a> 🍁🇨🇦🍁 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CSB150?src=hash">#CSB150</a> <a href="https://t.co/vTTTFXofk9">https://t.co/vTTTFXofk9</a> <a href="https://t.co/7HvPwbRhpE">pic.twitter.com/7HvPwbRhpE</a>
—@Eleanor_McCain"When you have an orchestra to work with you have 40 to 60 musicians to create this lush musical palette of sound," she said. "It's really quite extraordinary."
With this being Canada's 150th anniversary year, the project is a tribute to all things Canada, from its landscape and songwriting talent, to photography and symphony music.
"It's just totally deepened my sense of being Canadian," McCain said
With files from Saskatchewan Weekend