Mary Knickle

Last updated
Mary Knickle
Birth nameMary Knickle
Born (1960-10-07) October 7, 1960 (age 63)
Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, Canada
Genres Celtic, Classical, folk, Contemporary
Occupation(s)Composer, lyricist, musician, performer
Years active1981–present
Website www.maryknicklemusic.com

Mary Knickle (born October 7, 1960) is a Canadian composer, lyricist, musician, and performer known for her Celtic and folk-influenced music. [1] [2] [3] She has contributed to various music genres, including Folk songs, opera, musical theatre, choral compositions, and drama. [4] [5] [6]

Contents

Early life and career

Mary Knickle was born in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia. [7] [3] She studied music at Acadia University and later attended the Banff School of Fine Arts and the American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA) in New York City, where she studied acting, singing, and dancing. [8] [9]

Musical style and contributions

Knickle started her career performing in plays, musicals, and operas before transitioning to songwriting and composition. [8] She formed a collaborative band with core members Laurence Stevenson, [10] Don Moore, [11] and Jeffrey Ryan. [12] [13] Knickle has created vocal and instrumental arrangements for various Celtic bands and released three albums of original music.

Her album Weave (2006) received recognition in the Canadian music scene. [14] Her song "Weave the Yarn" received an honorable mention at the 2006 Singer/Songwriter Awards in London. [15] [16] [1] Her music is featured on the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast, including her song "Wild Irish Man" from the album Weave. [17] [18] [14] [1] Knickle also contributed the song "Female Sailor" to the 1996 album Mariposa '96. [19]

Among her notable works is the Celtic opera "Morgan le Fay" (2011), which was performed in Lunenburg and at the Music Room in Halifax, Nova Scotia. [20] [8] [9] She explored Sephardic themes in the musical drama "Miryam" (2013), which was debuted by Maritime Concert Opera. [9] Knickle's choral piece, "The Seafarers' Requiem" (2014), honors lost fishermen and premiered in Lunenburg and Halifax, receiving national acclaim and airplay on CBC Radio. [21] [22] [23] [24]

Knickle worked as an arranger on the Robbie Smith choral project "Klondyke Christmas" for SATB choir in 2020. [25] [26] [27] She composed accompaniment for over 40 songs for the Helen Creighton Society. [9]

Mary Knickle has advocated for preserving local heritage sites, including Blockhouse Hill in Lunenburg. [28]

In 2016, Mary Knickle composed "Without Leaving a Wake" for a small ensemble, inspired by Sue Goyette's poem "51" from the collection "Ocean", as part of the LAMP Composition Intensive. [29]

In 2010, she was part of the "South Shore for Haiti" benefit, which raised $13,600 for Oxfam's Earthquake Emergency Relief Fund. [30] [31]

Mary Knickle is affiliated with the Association of Canadian Women Composers (ACWC), [24] SOCAN Foundation, [32] [3] and is an associate composer with the Canadian Music Centre. [21] She developed a new musical based on Sheldon Currie's novel The Cape Breton Miners Museum . [21]

Awards

Mary Knickle was a semi-finalist in two UK songwriting contests and won the Best Provincial Folk CD award at the Toronto Exclusive Music Awards. [21] [9]

Discography

Albums

Singles and EPs

Selected works

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References

  1. 1 2 3 "Rambles: Mary Knickle, Weave". www.rambles.net. Retrieved 2024-07-18.
  2. ↑ "Artists - Musique Royale". musiqueroyale.com. Retrieved 2024-07-18.
  3. 1 2 3 "Front Page – Page 20 – Nova Scotia Choral Federation". 2021-11-29. Retrieved 2024-07-18.
  4. ↑ "Composers/Songwriters". Choral Canada. Retrieved 2024-07-18.
  5. ↑ "Banks Music Publications".
  6. ↑ "Composers". Cypress Choral Music. Retrieved 2024-07-18.
  7. ↑ "Artists & Musicians". Memory Café NS. Retrieved 2024-07-18.
  8. 1 2 3 4 "AMDA News - Alumna Mary Knickle takes on new musical Morgan Le Fay". www.amda.edu. Retrieved 2024-07-18.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 "Mary Knickle". Canadian Music Centre | SydneyEnterprise (Final). Retrieved 2024-07-18.
  10. ↑ "Laurence Stevenson". Laurence Stevenson. Retrieved 2024-07-18.
  11. ↑ "Don Moore". North 44° Academy. Retrieved 2024-07-18.
  12. ↑ "Events for Monday, March 4 – Wednesday, February 14 › Live stream › – Page 3 – UVic School of Music Events Calendar". finearts.uvic.ca. Retrieved 2024-07-18.
  13. ↑ "UVic Voice Ensemble: Remembering | UVic School of Music Events Calendar". finearts.uvic.ca. Retrieved 2024-07-18.
  14. 1 2 3 "Celtic MP3s Music Magazine: "Weave" by Mary Knickle". celticmp3s.blogspot.com. Retrieved 2024-07-18.
  15. ↑ Mitchell, Syne (2007-03-19). "Rigid-heddle Weaving – Betty Linn Davenport". Weavecast. Retrieved 2024-07-18.
  16. ↑ "Sounis LiveJournal".
  17. ↑ "Irish & Celtic Music Podcast: Celtic Women of Summer #562". celticmusicpodcast.com. Retrieved 2024-07-18.
  18. ↑ "3 Hour Celtic Music Retrospective | Celtic Music Magazine". celticmusicmagazine.com. Retrieved 2024-07-18.
  19. ↑ "Various – Mariposa '96". Discogs .
  20. 1 2 "CBC Nova Scotia".
  21. 1 2 3 4 "Mary Knickle". Cypress Choral Music. Retrieved 2024-07-18.
  22. ↑ "Nova Scotia woman composes tribute to fishermen lost at sea - Halifax | Globalnews.ca". Global News. Retrieved 2024-07-18.
  23. 1 2 "After the War Virtual Screening | Cantabile Choirs of Kingston". watch.eventive.org. Retrieved 2024-07-18.
  24. 1 2 "The Association of Canadian Women Composers (ACWC)" (PDF).
  25. ↑ "KLONDIKE CHRISTMAS". Cypress Choral Music. Retrieved 2024-07-18.
  26. ↑ "ROBBIE SMITH". Cypress Choral Music. Retrieved 2024-07-18.
  27. ↑ "Leaf Music Distribution Presents The Robbie Songs Project: A Legacy Choral Tribute to Robbie Smith". 8 December 2023.
  28. 1 2 "Thousands Tune Into Accomplished Musician Mary Knickle's Song A Rallying Cry For Historic Town: The Battle For Lunenburg's Soul - The Macdonald Notebook". The Macdonald Notebook.ca/. 2023-06-18. Retrieved 2024-07-18.
  29. ↑ Mary Knickle (2017-07-04). Without Leaving a Wake . Retrieved 2024-07-18– via YouTube.
  30. ↑ "Mary Knickle Archives". Nova Scotia Photo Album Blog. 2010-01-18. Retrieved 2024-07-18.
  31. ↑ "South Shore for Haiti". Nova Scotia Photo Album Blog. 2012-03-14. Retrieved 2024-07-18.
  32. ↑ "Arts Nova Scotia" (PDF).
  33. ↑ "Mary Knickle – Who Will Take The Throne?". Discogs .
  34. ↑ "The Maritime Conservatory & The Halifax Explosion - The Macdonald Notebook". The Macdonald Notebook. 2017-12-08. Retrieved 2024-07-18.
  35. ↑ "Events for July 2024 – Nova Scotia Choral Federation" . Retrieved 2024-07-18.
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