Journey Begun is a musical “genre-bender,” bringing together a folk/blusey singer, funk/classical pianist, groove/new music guitarist, classical/jazz bassist, and classical string quartet to create new musical fusions which set unique colors for this refreshing collection of Canadian and American poetry.

Featured on the album is Carol’s song cycle “I Have Been a Traveller“, with poetry by Canadian Judith Miller. Relating to passages of time and seasons, including images of migrating Canada geese, raven, and white-tailed deer, “Traveller” is lyric, minimalist, jazz blues, avant garde, travelling from ocarino, Zimbabwean mbira, and African drums to singer, piano, electric guitar and bass. Also featured on the CD is “Houses,” a “mini-opera,” with poetry by American Shari Wagner, who writes playfully about houses and ghosts of her conservative Mennonite ancestors, and about three sisters who hide homemade necklaces under their dresses. As they “join hands and arms” to build “a house where they belong,” the sisters create new spaces for themselves while making peace with the past. The post-modern music ranges from neo-classic – representing cleanliness and order of tradition – to funk/jazz/fusion for the breaking out from this tradition. Carol and Cate premiered “Houses” at the 1997 American Mennonite Writers Conference at Goshen College, Indiana. It is the first concert piece ever composed about distinctive, “plain” Mennonite dress!

“Little Creatures” is a musical setting of 10-year-old Chris Burkhart’s haunting poetry. Scored for vocals, cello, and piano,”West of Brutus” (text by Donna Burkhart) is where Chris is buried, and is the first art song about an Amish/ Mennonite graveyard. “Journey Just Begun” (text by Carol) is a tribute to her mother, Miriam L. Weaver.

Performers on the CD include Canadian singer/songwriter Cate Friesen; Toronto guitarist, instrument builder, composer John Gzowski; American bassist Jeremy Kurtz; Toronto’s Modern (String) Quartet; and composer/pianist, Carol Ann Weaver.

1-10. I Have Been a Traveller

11. Little Creatures

12-19. Houses

20. West of Brutus

21. Journey Just Begun