Prairie Percussion

About Us

the sound of something new!

Viðarneisti is the collaboration between Catherine Wood and Victoria Sparks. Their name is an Icelandic word meaning “wood spark”. A nod to their shared heritage as descendants of Icelandic immigrants to Canada and to the imagery of creating new ideas and sounds through their unique instrument combination. Regularly commissioning new works for their performances, Cathy and Tori have worked with composers who are interested in exploring ideas around personal and cultural identity. They have also presented at MusCan (2019) and the Association for the Advancement of Scandinavian Studies (2021), sharing their explorations of their Icelandic Heritage.

They have commissioned works by Fjola Evans, Kenley Kristofferson, Chris Byman & Karen Sunabacka. This duo has toured through Canada with the support of Prairie Debut and has performed at the International Clarinet Festival (Oostend Belgium, 2018) and at the Nordic Music Days (Faroe Islands, 2021). They completed tours in Manitoba (winter 2022) and Saskatchewan (winter 2023) with the support of Prairie Debut.

Celebrating Manitoba Composers

Into Dreams - Kenley Kristofferson

written to explore the spaces between being awake and being asleep, this work is a lullaby in honour of the birth of Kenley's first child.

Three Winter Songs - Sid Robinovitch

adapted for clarinet and marimba by the duo, these three songs celebrate the best that the Prairie Winters have to offer with a Night Walk, a Carol and a Sleigh Ride!

Fairies - Chris Byman & Kenley Kristofferson

This combination of movements by Kenley Kristofferson and Chris Byman celebrate the personalities of the fairies of nordic cultures. Not your average tinkerbell-types, these characters will charm and surprise!