Music for Choir

Bloom, for SATB Choir (2019) | 6'30

  • Premiered at Église Saint-Édouard (Montreal, Quebec) on June 15, 2019.

Commissioned & sung by Le Choeur du Brouhaha
Directed by Sébastien Lachaume

Program notes for Bloom

L’oeuvre de la compositrice Christine Lee est une création commandée par le Choeur du Brouhaha. Cédons la parole à la compositrice elle-même pour nous décrire l’oeuvre :

«BLOOM explore le pouvoir que nous ne pensons pas posséder, le désir de survivre qui émerge lors de nos vécus les plus troublés; cette force que nous pouvons enfin reconnaître à l'intérieur de nous-même lorsque nous faisons face aux moments difficiles. C'est une pièce qui examine comment nous vivons tous parfois comme des témoins à nos vies ainsi qu'aux vies de ceux et celles autour de nos jusqu'à ce que quelque chose d’irréversible arrive. Comment nous sommes incapables d'apprécier quelqu'un ou quelque chose de tout notre être jusqu'à ce que nous les perdions. Et une fois que cette balance bascule, soit complètement ou en partie, que nous faisons face à cette perte ou risque de perte, c'est à ce moment que nous trouvons en nous cette graine qui nous fait pousser - et dès lors, nous fleurissons.»


Lyrics for Bloom


Bloom

I am tired in a way that sleep can not cure

No cure, so my heart can only endure

if my tears could seep between the creases,

and glue me whole from all the missing pieces,

but there is nothing I can do.

You ache so I ache we both ache.


How can I keep you safe

when there is nothing I can do?

But you are brave

How can I keep you safe?

How brave you are

Let’s be brave

You are so brave


Show them you are brave

Let the miracles come

Let the miracles come in small doses

let them bloom,

let the miracles come in and let them bloom


Translated in French:

«Éclosion»

Je suis fatiguée d'une façon que le sommeil ne saurait guérir

Sans remède, mon coeur ne peut qu’endurer

si mes larmes pouvaient s'infiltrer dans les sillons

pour me recoller à partir de toutes les pièces manquantes

mais il n'y a rien que je puisse faire

Tu as mal, donc j'ai mal, nous avons toutes les deux mal.


Comment puis-je te protéger

alors que je suis si impuissante?

«Mais tu es courageuse»

Comment puis-je te protéger ?

«Tu es si courageuse»

Il faut que je sois courageuse

«Tu es si courageuse»


Montre-leur comme tu es courageuse

Laisse venir les miracles

Que les miracles viennent par petites doses

Qu’ils fleurissent,

Laisse entrer les miracles et qu’ils fleurissent

Rêves, for SATB choir (2013) | 10'

  • Premiered at the Claude Champagne Hall, University of Montreal (Montreal, Quebec) on April 19, 2013.

Text: Rêves by Albert Lozeau. Le Miroir des jours (1912)
Performed by the Montreal University Choir
Directed by Raymond Perrin

LISTEN

Music for Small Ensemble

Out of the Coarse Light, for piano and erhu (2020) |

  • Created for Elliot Weisgarber Workshop, Canadian Music Centre in BC (Vancouver, British Colombia), Summer 2020.

Performed by Nicole Ge Li, Erhu; Corey Hamm, Piano.

Heart Strings, for string quartet and tape (2013) |

  • Premiered at the Djavad Mowafaghian World Art Centre, Simon Fraser University Woodward's (Vancouver, British Colombia), on June 11, 2013.

Performed by the Bozzini String Quartet

Miniature, for piano, flute, cello and violin (2012) |

  • Premiered at Serge Garant Hall, for the Transmission Project, April 10, 2012.

Performed by Transmission ensemble

Monologue for Two, for piano and violin (2011) |

  • Premiered at the Brossard Centre Socio-Culturel, “Salon des Arts Visuels” for the Brossard’s Music School’s 35th anniversary, April 29, 2011.

Performed by Christine ML Lee, piano and Marie-Élène Lamoureux, violin

Fragrance, for piano and Eb clarinet (2010) |

  • Premiered at Vanier College TOPS concert, May 5, 2010.

Performed by James Lam, piano and Eric Braley, clarinet

LISTEN

Obsidian Flight, for piano and violin (2010) |

  • Premiered at Vanier College, February 17, 2010.

Performed by Christine ML Lee, piano and Dou Zhao Qing, violin.

Music for Solo Works

Where rivers turn, for basse trombone (2013) |

  • Premiered as part of the Montreal Contemporary Music Lab Participant Concert, at Salle de récital, Conservatoire de Musique de Montréal, on June 22, 2013.

Performed by Matthieu Bourget, basse trombone

Navires, étoiles et âme sage, for piano (2012) | 5'

  • premiered at the Céco 2012-2012 Season Launch, Serge Garant Hall, University of Montreal, October 10, 2012.

Performed by Philippe Prud’Homme, piano

La pluie, for piano (2012) | 4'

  • Premiered at the Brossard Centre Socio-Culturel, May 27, 2012.

Performed by Christine ML Lee, piano

To Uncage Peace, for piano (2010) | 6'

  • Premiered at the Kleinmann Family Foundation 17th Annual Cégep Symposium on the Holocaust and Genocide, Vanier College, April 14, 2010.

Performed by Christine ML Lee, piano

Clouded, for piano (2010) |

  • Premiered at Vanier College, February 17, 2010.

Performed by Christine ML Lee, piano

Music for Dance

Summer Swish, for contemporary dance (2018) | 20'

Choreography by As They Strike Collective (Chloe Hart & Stefania Skoryna)
Dancers: Julian Czenze, Lucy Fandel, Jenna Beaudoin, Chloe Hart, Stefania Skoryna
Composition by Christine ML Lee

Spring Swish, for contemporary dance (2018) | 9'42"

  • Premiered at the "Butterflies Go Free" Exhibition at the Montreal Botanical Gardens on April 12, 2018.

Choreography by As They Strike Collective (Chloe Hart & Stefania Skoryna)
Dancers: Camille Trudel-Vigeant, Ariane Famelart, Gina Grant, Cara Roy, Catherine Dagenais-Savard
Composition by Christine ML Lee

Autumn Swish, for piano, cello & contemporary dance (2017) |

  • Premiered and performed at the Mount Royal Chalet (Montreal, Quebec) on October 29, 2017

Choreography by As They Strike Collective (Chloe Hart & Stefania Skoryna)
Piano & composition: Christine ML Lee
Cello: Jane Chan

Does she come in a box?, a multimedia piece (2017) |

  • Premiered at "Wired on Music", Casa del Popolo (Montreal, Quebec) on March 19, 2017.

  • Performed at EDCM. (Montreal, Quebec) on April 21, 2017.

Choreography: Chloe Hart
Dance: Camille Trudel-Vigeaont
Videography: Gabrielle Allain
Spoken word & Electroacoustic/Music: Christine ML Lee

Dragonfly, for piano and dance (2015) | 30'

  • Premiered at the Brossard City Hall to celebrate the arrival of public pianos in the City of Brossard on July 8, 2015.

Choreography and dance by Chloe Hart
Composition and piano: Christine ML Lee

Music for Film/TV and Sound Design

Currently being updated, stay tuned!