Sparks & Wiry Cries

Martha Guth interviews soprano Sara Schabas on the influential Viennese/Canadian pedagogue and singer Emmy Heim (1885-1954). Heim greatly contributed to the rising popularity of Lieder in Canada in the 20th Century. Sara Schabas tracks her life as it intersected with the compositional greats of fin de siècle Vienna, and later, as she fled as a refugee to Canada. Martha and Sara reflect on her life...

Martha sits down with storied tenor Paul Sperry for a conversation about his early music education, the state of song careers, working with Pierre Bernac, and his many collaborations with some of the most extraordinary composers of our times.

Martha interviews composer Shawn Okpebholo and baritone Will Liverman about our commission, Songs in Flight . Shawn and Will talk about their long history of collaboration, grappling with difficult and personal subject matter, and bringing one’s authentic self to performance and composition. Songs in Flight will receive its world premiere this week in NYC, as part of the 2023 sparksLIVE events. Mo...

Martha Guth interviews LaToya A. Lain, soprano, jessica Care moore, poet, and Andrew Staniland, composer about creating the 2021 commission "Ramadan 20 vs COVID 19" with Erika Switzer, co-founder of Sparks and Wiry Cries. The piece received its world premiere during the 2021 songSLAM festival, and the score is available through the Sparks and Wiry Cries shop.

An insightful interview with composer/writer Herschel Garfein in his Park Slope Apartment about his newest song cycle: Mortality Mansions with texts by poet Donald Hall.  We discuss 'why song', his own compositional style, and the delights of Donald Halls poetry.

A wonderful conversation with poet Donald Hall in his home in New Hampshire

The Internationally renowned baritone speaks about his love for American Song, the Hampsong Foundation and the 'Song of America' educative initiative which explores the history of American Culture through Song.

An interview with pianist Graham Johnson from the comfort of his own home in London.

An Interview with composer Scott Wheeler and an in depth look at his cycle 'Wasting the Night', poetry by Edna St. Vincent Millay.

The Casement Fund Song Series (now the songSLAM Festival) kicks off its inaugural concert with a live podcast event!

The Motown project and Alicia Hall Moran. In this interview, we speak to the creator and star of this incredible new fusion of Motown, Classical song and Opera, creating an incredible new hybrid and expanding the definition of art song.

A short conversation with an 88 year old Ned Rorem in his Manhattan apartment.

An interview with the brilliant composer Stephen Paulus. Composer Stephen Paulus: the Interview Sparks and Wiry Cries Podcast October 8, 2011

Musicologist Dr. Benjamin Binder and Dichterliebe Sparks and Wiry Cries Podcast October 1, 2011

A wonderful conversation with our friend, the late Deen Larsen in which he speaks about Goethe's poetry as set by Schubert.  Performances by Elly Ameling and Dalton Baldwin. 

The end of Napoleon's reign and the birth of the Biedermeier era brought about many things, including - in a round about way - the birth of the song salon. Musicologist Ben Binder discusses why the politics of the time created an atmosphere where people were comfortable to be themselves only at home, and why Schubert mattered so much.  Performances of 'Nacht und Träume', Auflösung, Der J...

Two performances from the Aldeburgh Connection recital series and recording label in Toronto: 'Abraham and Isaac' and 'The Journey of the Magi', performed by Brett Polegato, Daniel Taylor, Bruce Ubukata and Stephen Ralls and Benjamin Butterfield.

A beautiful recording of early songs by Francesca Caccini performed by Soprano Shannon Mercer, with Luc Beausejour (harpsichord), Amanda keesemat (cello) and Sylvain Bergeron (theorbo/guitar).

Jon Vickers and Maureen Forrester: Two Canadian Legends

A recording by Baritone Peter MacGillivray and pianist Liz Upchurch

Baritone Jesse Blumberg and the world premiere recording of 'Green Sneakers'

Esteemed performers, mezzo soprano Susan Platts and pianist Rena Sharon take us through Robert Schumanns beloved work

An interview in Carlisle Pennsylvania at Dickinson College with Libby Larsen, discussing her cycle ‘Try me Good King’.

Baritone Shen Yang and Pianist Vlad Iftinca take us through some wonderful ballads by Carl Loewe.

An interview with Tom at his home in Long Island City