Sounds of prairie birds featured in Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra concert

On Saturday, TCU Place in Saskatoon will be brought to life with sounds of the prairies through the “Whimsical Concerto of Fanciful Birds” by composer Vincent Ho.

Composer Vincent Ho joins the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra for the third time on Saturday with his “Whimsical Concerto of Fanciful Birds.” (Submitted)

This is the third time the Calgary composer’s music will be played by the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra, and the concerto is inspired by both the scientific and cultural worlds of the prairies. The performance also features Grammy-winning saxophonist Timothy McAllister as the soloist.

The sounds come from scientific research on birds of the prairies through the University of Saskatchewan’s Faculty for Applied Avian Research, Ho explained.

Ho’s work has also been inspired by Saskatchewan’s Indigenous community, specifically through the work of Louise Bernice Halfe, a Cree poet who served as Canadian Parliamentary Poet Laureate.

Ho said he’s learned about the cultural significance of birds, and how birds are a sacred entity in the province.

“I was gathering information from both the science world and the cultural world in the hopes of inspiring the ideas (to) create a sincere symphonic portrait of this particular theme,” he said.

Ho explained that birds like sparrows, warblers, mockingbirds and robins can be heard throughout the concerto, and other birds that are native to the prairie region can also be heard.

“There’s that element of connecting a local audience to the avian world as they know it, because they are surrounded by it almost every single day,” he said.

“I’m always excited to come to Saskatoon to work with this wonderful orchestra.”

The performance is set for 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, and tickets can be found online.