Mamachimowin
Andrew Balfour
1967
First Nations peoples often have a complex relationship with the Catholic Church. Despite centuries of efforts by clergy to convert Indigenous peoples and the role of residential schools in attempting to suppress Indigenous cultures, Catholicism continues to be adopted and practised by many members of Canada’s First Nations.
This is the paradox explored by Cree composer Andrew Balfour in his work Mamachimowin (the act of singing praises), where Indigenous spirituality meets Catholic culture.
As a choral conductor, Balfour was uniquely suited to express this dichotomy through music. Taken from his birth mother at six months old, he was raised by a loving family that shared their passion for music with him. His adoptive father was a minister at an Anglican church who encouraged his participation in a children’s choir where he discovered Renaissance liturgical music.
He rediscovered his Indigenous roots and love for Catholic music in parallel. While the choir sings Psalm 67 translated into Cree, the strings represent a solid foundation and stable ground—Mother Earth.
