Kenneth Peacock

Kenneth Peacock studied piano in Toronto from 1935 and later studied music theory and composition with John Weinzweig. In 1950 Peacock entered the New England Conservatory in Boston to continue his studies. At the same time, he worked as a piano teacher and performed as a pianist.

From 1951-72 Peacock investigated the music of indigenous peoples and ethnic minorities at the Canadian Museum of Civilization in Ottawa. His focus was the folk music of Newfoundland and the music of the peoples of the Great Plains. He was one of the first collectors of folk music with a sound musical education. Numerous Canadian composers worked on the material collected by Peacock. His own compositions, mainly piano and chamber music and orchestral works, also incorporated folk music. For his achievements he was appointed as a member of the Order of Canada and received numerous other awards. Many of his collected photographs and audio recordings are housed in the Canadian Museum of Civilization.

Peacock composed his cantata Songs of the Cedar in 1950 for mezzo-soprano, flute, piano, cello, and double bass. The 17-minute work consists of the movements The Whip and The Basket. The English text is based on the translation of the “Songs of the Coast Dwellers” of the Haida people of the Canadian West Coast. The first performance took place in 1951.