A transcription for piano solo of A Contented House, from Coulthard’s orchestral suite, Canada Mosaic.

Jean Coulthard: A Contented House (1974 [piano transcription by David Potvin, 2023]).

“A Contented House is taken from the orchestral suite Canada Mosaic, originally commissioned by the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra to perform on a cultural exchange with China during the mid-seventies. Its musical content perfectly reflects the title: beautifully tranquil and meditative. Coulthard evoked her childhood in writing this piece: fragments of the Quebec folk song À la claire fontaine—which she remembered her father telling her was Canada’s first Prime Minister’s favourite song. —feature prominently.

It was, in fact, the fragments of À la claire fontaine that appear in this piece which inspired me to write a transcription for solo piano. Around the time my son Matteo was born in the summer of 2022, I was preparing to perform Coulthard’s Preludes for piano on a recital tour. Part of my preparation for this included listening to other repertoire by Coulthard, and I quickly fell in love with Canada Mosaic. I recognized the phrases in A Contented House as coming from the folk song that my wife would sing to him as he slept. I dared not practise while my newborn napped during the day, so I spent this time working on a transcription that would serve as a vehicle for myself and other pianists to enjoy performing this delightful piece. Now, every time I perform this work, I revisit that special summer.” – David Potvin