The Hockey Sweater

Since its premiere in 2012, The Hockey Sweater has resonated with audiences of all ages. Abigail Richardon-Schulte’s orchestral reimagining of this Canadian tale has drawn in listeners through an evocative and creative approach to musical storytelling, making it the most performed Canadian orchestral work each year since its creation. The Hockey Sweater has been presented to over 150,000 audience members since its premiere and has been performed by just about every professional orchestra in Canada. It is also becoming popular in France.

Roch Carrier’s iconic 1979 short story The Hockey Sweater is read in schools by children across the country and offers a rich narrative that encapsulates a moment in Canadian history. Carrier’s story is a nostalgic look at Canada’s favourite winter sport, the cross-country catalogue retailer –“Mr. Eaton”, the competition of francophones and anglophones, and national hero of the day — Rocket Richard. In this context, he gives us a very human story of aspirations, growing pains, trial and perspective. Richardson-Schulte uses expressive writing and innovative techniques to bring each scene to life through music, sound effects, physicality and vocalizations.

The Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra first performed The Hockey Sweater in December 2014 and is proud to capture the first commercial recording of both the French and English versions of this work under the baton of conductor Gemma New, further sharing this fantastic work that bridges Canadian literature, culture, languages, and music.