How Saanich Songs Came to Be
In the fall of 2023 Deep Cove Folk sent out a request for songs about life on the Saanich Peninsula. The goal was to find “songs of place” that celebrated and informed about life in this amazing place. With the generous support of the ArtSea Community Arts Council, prizes were offered. The response was terrific with over 30 songs submitted. These were pruned down to a “short list” of 17 which clearly fulfilled the project mandate.
The short list was forwarded to three judges, each with considerable experience and expertise in song writing and performance: Cathy Miller, David Wilkie and Valdy. After Valdy returned from his “world tour of Nova Scotia,” they got together and selected the three best from among this 17, as well as four Honourable Mentions. The awards were presented at a gala ceremony that took place on May 10, 2024. Some photos and comments on this evening can be found at: https://www.deepcovefolk.ca/news/the-gala-awards-ceremony-for-the-great-deep-cove-folk-song-writing-project-may-10-2024/ .
Saanich Songs began life as an anthology of the winning songs that were submitted to this “Great Deep Cove Folk Song Writing Project.” Several other songs were added and the first edition of Saanich Songs, published in June of 2024, which contained 10 great songs.
The anthology was a vibrant view of life on the Peninsula: celebrations of the joy of returning home, of cycling in the area, of the beauty and romance of the moon over Finlayson Arm, of the Salish Sea and it’s First Nations, of a small park with a big history, of swimming in the ocean (throughout the year…brrr). There’s even an incisive commentary regarding our propensity to throw away too much “stuff.” While much remains unsaid, this 1st edition was the beginning of a rich collection of songs about our special place on southern Vancouver Island.