ILLUMINARE: Wings of Silence

Shedding light on beauty, fragility, and the silenced voices of our natural world.


with the Emily Carr String Quartet, Josh Layne (harp), and Malcolm Armstrong (double bass)
Featuring the BC Premiere of The Lost Birds by Christopher Tin – a magnificent choral work that serves as both an elegy for vanished species and a powerful plea for the earth’s fragile future.

Wings of Silence centres on Christopher Tin’s striking cinematic oratorio, The Lost Birds — a soaring tribute to the beauty of flight and a poignant lament for species lost to time. This immersive performance invites audiences to reflect deeply on humanity’s relationship with the natural world and the urgent need for conservation.

Presented by the Capriccio Vocal Ensemble, the concert is enriched by a collaboration of images provided by Rocky Point Bird Observatory (RPBO). A special pre-concert panel discussion at 2:00 PM will feature Ann Nightingale (RPBO) and Dr. Richard Kool, (Royal Road University) exploring the intersection of art, science, and environmental stewardship. Audience members are also invited to explore information tables hosted by local nature and conservation groups before and after the performance.

Students from the Arts Calibre Academy will contribute original artwork, displayed in the venue and available through a raffle draw. Proceeds will support the Swan Lake Nature Sanctuary, further extending the event’s impact beyond the stage.
As the inaugural event in the 2026 Gaia Celebration Series, sponsored by the Gail O’Riordan Climate and the Arts Legacy Fund, Wings of Silence offers a moving artistic experience grounded in environmental awareness — a call to listen, reflect, and act before the voices of the earth fall silent.

May 2 @ 15:00
3:00 pm

Christ Church Cathedral — Victoria

Capriccio Vocal Ensemble

PO BOX 46015
VICTORIA RPO HILLSIDE
VICTORIA BC V8T 5G7
Capriccio Vocal Ensemble gratefully acknowledges that we gather and make music on the traditional territory of the Lək̓ʷəŋən (Songhees and Esquimalt) Peoples, and Lək̓ʷəŋən and W̱SÁNEĆ Peoples whose historical relationships with the land continue to this day.
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