Time does not bring relief; you all have lied - Premiere - Dr. Laura Sgroi

Premiere of Time does not bring relief, you all have lied, by Dr. Laura Sgroi. Written especially for our 20th anniversary, to celebrate the history of collaboration and friendship between Laura and Cheryll. May 2026, Cantabile Chamber Singers , Church of the Redeemer Note from Laura: They say the best mirror is an old friend and that meeting with that friend after an extensive absence leaves you with a feeling of comfort, as if nothing has changed. Both friends can travel separate paths, but coming back together reminds you of the reason that you created such a strong bond in the first place. I was a founding member of the Cantabile Chamber singers back in 2006. Cheryll and I met during my studies at the University of Toronto and we quickly became friends! I had the honour of being Cantabile’s composer in residence for several years. I have written many commissioned works for them and even had the group perform at my University Doctoral recital. My relationship with the choir unfortunately took a pause when I had my children. I spent the days with my kids and taught piano and composition evenings and weekends Cheryll approached me about composing a new piece for her choir’s special 20th anniversary concert and I was absolutely thrilled. The “Time” (title of this new piece) to get back into composing music again was perfect as my kids were both now in school and I actually had some time to myself. The poem I chose, “Time” was written in 1931 by Edna St. Vincent Millay. The piece blends my passion for both classical and popular/electronic music, and represents the cyclical nature of “time” with its repetitive chord progression. It only uses four chords which repeat in the same order throughout the piece — often the basis of a lot of popular and electronic music. At the opening as well as throughout this work, a single repetitive note represents a clock ticking… “time.” I am improvising on piano with the choir and combine this metronomic repetition with more rhythmically experimental music. In concert recording, live improvisation on piano by Dr. Sgroi. Conductor: Cheryll Chung Audio/Visual: Drew Henderson, assistant: Ricci Ebron Website: www.cantabilechambersingers.ca Find us on Instagram, FB, Apple Music, and Spotify