Created and Produced by David Macfarlane

Like the city that inspires it, Toronto Suite is a collaboration. Its creator and producer, David Macfarlane, has written often about the city in which he lives - in newspapers, magazines, and books. In this instance, however, he has turned to a different medium - exploring ideas of narrative and history with artists who do not deal primarily in words. "I'm not sure that written-language is the most natural way to represent something as multi-layered and dynamic as a city," says Macfarlane. "I thought it would be interesting to ask musicians to help paint a portrait of Toronto."

Created in association with the Via Salzburg Chamber Ensemble (artistic director: Mayumi Seiler), Toronto Suite is a unique combination of musical voices and electronic soundscape. It blends classical with improvisational, traditional with contemporary, sacred music with popular to give musical expression to a city Macfarlane calls "inherently cross-genre."

Performed at the Glenn Gould Theatre in Toronto, October 15th and 16th, 2009. Dedicated to the memory of Gavin Relly.