Podcast host Dr. Rea Beaumont and author of the book "Composer Barbara Pentland" marks the 50-year anniversary of Canadian composer Barbara Pentland's work NEWS with a reminder that the political and social issues highlighted in the work are as relevant today as they were when the piece was written, including protests against racial inequality, war and environmental destruction. #BarbaraPentland #ReaBeaumont #MartinLutherKing #JamesBaldwin #VietnamWar #environment

Podcast host Dr. Rea Beaumont acknowledges the 75th anniversary of VE Day by exploring an unusual composition that uses silence as one of its main features. The Second World War elicited strong reactions from artists worldwide, including Canadian composers. Considered the 'dean' of Canadian classical music, composer John Weinzweig (1913-2006) responded to the atrocities of the war in his orchestral work Dummiyah (Silence). ©2020 Dr. Rea Beaumont