Dragon’s Tale Program

Written by Mark Brownell
Composed by Chan Ka Nin
Directed by Michael Hidetoshi Mori
Music Director David Fallis, Naomi Woo (June 18)
June 15 – 18, 2023
Harbourfront Centre Concert Stage
A Tapestry Opera and Soundstreams co-production.

Content warning: Dragon’s Tale contains death by suicide.

Co-presented by Luminato Festival Toronto and realized in partnership with Harbourfront Centre

Dragon’s Tale is the story of a young Chinese-Canadian woman (Xiao Lian) and her ailing father, both living in Toronto. Xiao Lian wakes up in the ancient past and witnesses the last days of one of China’s greatest poets, Qu Yuan. In doing so, she begins to understand her father and herself as she returns to a challenging present. 

Scene 1 | A young Chinese/Canadian woman (Xiao Lian) faces a difficult choice: Honour her family’s traditional past or embrace a more modern future. Her father dwells on the memory of his deceased wife and honours her by performing the Qingming funeral tradition. Meanwhile, Xiao Lian’s two friends want her to get out and be more social. Her father objects to this and demands that she stay home.

Scene 2 | Xiao Lian’s father bitterly reveals that he will die soon. Xiao Lian’s mother appears in spirit form and asks her to forgive her father. She speaks of their happiness together as a family in earlier times. As a child, Xiao Lian had a close connection with the Dragon Boat Festival, known as Duanwu and its hero, the ancient poet Qu Yuan. Her Father and Qu Yuan are linked together by fate.

Scene 3 | Xiao Lian vows to look to the past and summons the great spirit of Qu Yuan. His spirit rises and assumes the form of Xiao Lian’s father.

Scene 4 | Xiao Lian is transported back to the ancient royal court, where she witnesses the majestic entrance of King Huai of Chu. Qu Yuan is at the peak of his power but is soon outfoxed by rival minister Zhang Yi. Qu Yuan is cast down and banished by his beloved king.

Scene 5 | Qu Yuan wanders into the southern wilderness. As he travels, he composes a lament for himself and his lost position in court. In the present, Xiao Lian’s Father senses his end is near. Summoning up his strength, he joins with the spirit of Qu Yuan to tell the final chapter.

Scene 6 | Years later, Qu Yuan has earned the honour and respect of the people in a little fishing village on the river Miluo. Xiao Lian and a local villager strike up a conversation with Qu Yuan, and it is soon revealed that The Kingdom of Chu has been destroyed by its enemies. After learning this news, Qu Yuan’s heart breaks, and he drowns himself in the river. Xiao Lian and the villager raise the alarm, and the fishermen launch their dragon boats in a desperate attempt to save Qu Yuan.

Scene 7 | All hope is lost as the villagers return and collect Qu Yuan’s possessions. They take the scrolls containing his famous poetry to the Daoist temple, where they will be preserved forever. Xiao Lian returns to the present at the bedside of her dying father. With his encouragement and love, she finally recognizes the value of honouring the past.

Scene 8 | Xiao Lian performs the Qingming ceremony to honour the spirit of her departed father and mother. Love and fellowship combine in the running of a dragon boat race. Xiao Lian joins her friends and crosses into her future.

Scene 9 (Epilogue) | The combined spirits of Qu Yuan and Father return and ask the audience to release them from their servitude. That freedom granted, they ascend into the heavens triumphantly.

Founded in 2010 by Soundstreams’ Artistic Director Lawrence Cherney, Soundstreams Choir 21 is a  pre-eminent group of exceptional singers selected on a project basis by Music Director David Fallis. Soundstreams Choir 21 members are handpicked for their ability to perform contemporary choral music. They are drawn from a pool of professional choristers, including the Canadian Opera Company Chorus, Tafelmusik Choir, and The Elmer Iseler Singers. The choir appears in Soundstreams’ concerts under David Fallis and with renowned guest conductors such as James MacMillan, Tõnu Kaljuste and Péter Eötvös. Soundstreams Choir 21 has performed with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and for the Toronto International Film Festival, Art of Time, and Continuum. Soundstreams Choir 21 is committed to the highest possible standards for the performance of compelling new choral music in the 21st century.

Soundstreams has no permanent ensemble but has worked for more than twenty years with a nucleus group of some of Toronto and Canada’s finest instrumentalists assembled by the excellent cellist David Hetherington. As with Soundstreams Choir 21, they have appeared under esteemed international conductors of the stature of James MacMillan, Tõnu Kaljuste and Péter Eötvös. Ensemble Soundstreams made its first international tour to the Beijing Modern Music Festival and Taiwan’s National Concert Hall in 2013, returning to China in 2018 at the invitation of the Shanghai New Music Festival.

Past & Present

Soprano Alicia Ault (Xiao Lian) performs Past & Present from Dragon’s Tale. This piece shares Xiao Lian’s struggle to either “embrace new life and be free and selfish” or “embrace the past and be stuck in a dream”

Dragon’s Tale is supported by George and Kathy Kawasaki.

We gratefully acknowledge our public and private supporters.

Program

Government

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Luminato Festival Toronto Supporters 

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Cultural Media Sponsor

Fête Chinoise is a cultural platform that aims to empower individuals to deepen the connection between identity and Chinese culture. Through a curated lens and critical thinking, they present meaningful stories, artful experiences, and inspiring products and editorial content. Their mission is to move culture forward, through compelling editorial and design work surrounding the arts, tradition, lifestyle and community which are areas in the Chinese-Canadian community that suffer from the lack of representation and high-quality presentation.

Fête Chinoise Magazine has consistently been recognized for its exceptional work. Fête Chinoise Edition No. 7 has recently won the Gold Award for Best Feel Good Story, the Silver Award for Best Multicultural Story and Top 10 stories overall by The Canadian Online Publishing Awards (COPAs 2022). 

Reception Sponsor

Thank you to our members for their generosity and commitment to supporting new opera creators!

Tapestry Opera

Tapestry Opera is an award-winning Toronto-based company dedicated to creating, developing and performing original Canadian opera. Tapestry is passionate about uniquely Canadian stories, told in innovative settings, unforgettably interpreted by world-class artists. Tapestry supports emerging artists, develops new audiences and brings Canadian opera to the world stage. Founded in 1979, Tapestry is the voice of original contemporary Canadian opera.

Michael Mori, Artistic and General Director
Jaime Martino, Executive Director
Stephanie Applin, Director of Advancement
Mélanie Dubois, Artistic Producer
Clay Jones, Marketing and Communications Manager
Dona Arbabzadeh, Box Office and Patron Services Associate
Sami Anguaya, Advancement Associate
Camille Rogers, Program Manager, Women in Musical Leadership 
Zile Liepens, Graphic Designer
Dragon’s Tale artwork by Gracia Lam

Soundstreams

Founded in 1982, Soundstreams is one of the world’s leading contemporary music companies and the largest global presenter of new Canadian music. Founding Artistic Director Lawrence Cherney and Executive Director Beth Brown are committed to showcasing the work of Canadian and international composers on the world stage with the aim of creating a lasting legacy for Canadian music.

Soundstreams’ focus is innovative thematic and experiential programming through which the organization serves a broad community of music lovers. Annual activities include its Main Stage series, a free community outreach series TD Encounters and two professional development programs: New Voices Mentorship Program for aspiring curators; and RBC Bridges Showcase for early career composers. Soundstreams is embarking on an ambitious recording project of the choral music of the late R. Murray Schafer and has two productions touring in North America and Europe in the coming seasons.

Lawrence Cherney, Artistic Director
Beth Brown, Executive Director
Graham Cozzubbo, Manager of Artistic Planning
Michael Ding, Arts Administrator
Emma Fowler, Programs Manager
Zoe Lin, Manager of Advancement & Patron Engagement
Kayla Milmine, Administrative Coordinator
Kirk Thomson, Marketing & Audience Engagement Manager

Luminato Festival Toronto

Luminato Festival Toronto is a convenor and catalyst for big, bold contemporary works of art. Each June, Luminato kicks off the summer with a festival to welcome the world to Toronto, commissioning, producing, and presenting exceptional Canadian and international artists. Throughout the year Luminato works with artists from the diverse cultures and communities of the city region, supporting creative development and bringing their art to the world stage. We connect local voices with global conversations and ground our work in equity, inclusion, accessibility, and sustainability. Most importantly, we believe in the power of art to start conversations and inspire audiences.