Listen to Music For Sale on CD
Not all of Victor's music is available for purchase on CD. If you're looking for audio samples of works that you might want to rent or buy in print form (for your ensemble, etc.) that do not appear on this page, they can be found under the Music menu (above). They are listed under each work.
THE BIG TOP (a circus ballet) 
Earl Stafford, conductor
Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra
The glittering world of exotic animals, acrobats, colourful clowns, and the mystery in and behind The Big Top tent comes to life in this dazzling score! The Big Top ballet embodies Victor Davies’ versatility, exuberance of style, and renowned mastery of melody and orchestration. The tender, comic, and dramatic dances both stand on their own and flow seamlessly through a heartfelt timeless story transporting audiences through the irresistible world of the circus.
“The original score is lively and fresh “. Greg Quill - Toronto Star
“...this is a wonderful eclectic musical score...” Neil Harris - The Winnipeg Free Press
“….a little gem of inventiveness, fine dancing, a witty design and a strong score.” Calgary Herald…”Robinson and the Toronto Philharmonic seemed to love cavorting through the roustabout hilarity Davies has written into his circus music” - Ronald Hambleton – The Toronto Star (premiere of the Suite)
Ballet schools and companies here is an exciting and entertaining ballet score perfect
for your dancers and your audiences of all ages!
Come to The Big Top Today The Family (clip 1) (clip 2)
THE MENNONITE PIANO CONCERTO
and GOOD TIMES (suite for orchestra)
Irmgard Baerg, piano
Boris Brott, conductor
London Symphony Orchestra
The Mennonite Piano Concerto (Piano concerto No.1)
Sonata, Theme and Variations, Rondo/Scherzo
Based on familiar hymns The Piano Mennonite Concerto is Davies’ best known work and Canada’s most requested piece. In this brilliant performance it is coupled with the delightful Good Times Suite on this best selling recording.
The Concerto is an extraordinary weaving together of hymns and original music casting the traditional material in a new light in such a way that we clearly hear Davies’ true musical voice. It is melodic, moving and heartfelt music.
Performed live around the world, it is widely heard on radio - it is the most requested work on CBC Radio 2 in Canada and is heard on BBC, American and National Public Radio in the US. In 1996 it was #8 in sales on Classic FM, the most listened to classical broadcaster in the UK. In 2007 it was voted #50 in the Australian Broadcasting poll of listeners for their Favorite 100 Concertos.
[The CD is] ... "a thoroughly extroverted display vehicle for pianist Irmgard Baerg and the London Symphony Orchestra under Boris Brott, who together make the most of the work's predominantly exuberant high spirits. The Davies concerto has already achieved a certain popularity, through its easy accessibility, its wide range of musical styles and its flashy piano writing." Barry Edwards - Music Magazine
"In our day great talent is required to make traditional music respectable.... .there are many moving and delightful things throughout" Chester Duncan - Arts Manitoba
Sonata Theme & Variations Rondo
Good Times (Suite for orchestra)
Fugue/Waltz/Ragtime, Prairie Landscapes, Shaleen, Butterfly Dance
In a Fugue, Waltz and Ragtime, a panorama of styles, musical approaches, and idioms, are joined together in a rondo where these very diverse musical ideas play happily together. Prairie Landscapes features passionate string solos by violin, viola, cello and bass, against the cool grey sound of the winds. Shaleen, a beautiful lyrical melody was a TV theme for a princess locked in a tower, longing for freedom, and the Butterfly Dance, a form well known on the Prairies, consists of an alternating growing ever more wild polka, and an old time waltz which swirl together to end, and hopefully, “A good time was had by all.”
Good Times was commissioned by The Manitoba Educational Ensemble for their tours to small Manitoba towns. The ensemble consisted of a brass quintet, woodwind quintet, and string quartet, and this piece was the showcase for their evening concert for the whole town when all three groups came to together after performing school and community concerts during the day.
"The four movements of the Good Times Suite also emphasizes Davies' smiling conviction that life is beautiful. In this day and age that's rare. Performances are first rate, filled with vim and the recording very good." James Tircuit - Fanfare Magazine
OPENING & CLOSING CEREMONIES MUSIC
of the XIII PAN AMERICAN GAMES
Seen and heard on TV throughout the Americas by 400 million viewers.
A brilliant, vibrant, kaleidoscope of music encompassing symphony, choral, rock, jazz, country, ballet, Latin, songs, marches, and Aboriginal songs, from the spectacular opening and closing ceremonies of The XIII Pan American Games in Winnipeg in 1999. Performed by 4,000 singers and dancers and featuring the Royal Winnipeg Ballet and Evelyn Hart, and an all star cast of soloists all played out before a live audience of 35,000.
Outstanding Performances by:
Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, Bramwell Tovey, conductor, 400 voice Pan Am Choir, Pan Am Children’s Chorus, sopranos Tracy Dahl and Henriette Schellenberg, Fred Penner, Rosalie Rattai, Jeremy Kushnier, Jennifer Villeverde, Combo Latino, Nicole Brémault, Marcel Soulodre, Jennifer Lyon,
"The music was spectacular." Globe and Mail - July 1999
“In Davies music, we feel the pomp, the spectacle, and the ceremony of this great event... Through his richly varied music, he showcases the art of music in sport”
“The music is sensational! Inspiring! Youthful and fun!
A celebration of sport and culture - a dynamic celebration of life, dreams and aspirations”
Welcome The Champions Glory Of The Games
SILHOUETTES
Silhouettes, Yukon Scenes, Fun for Four
Festival Players Canada: Arthur Polson, violin; Melinda Coffey and Robert Rodgers, piano; Kathleen Rudolph, flute; Ian Hampton, cello; Mark Ferris, violin; Nancy Dinovo, viola; perform:
“Once you listen, you’re hooked” Ray Chatelin -Vancouver Province
Silhouettes (Piano trio No. 1)
Night Shadows, Perfume Bottles, Tango, City Lights
- four Art Deco moods, with jazz and salon flavours.
“...a deliciously jazzy trio.” Ray Chatelin - Vancouver Province
Night Shadows Perfume Bottles Tango 55 City Lights
Yukon Scenes – (For flute & piano)
Spring Flowers, Kate 1898, Ice Crystals, Rendezvous
The spirit of the Yukon captured in four sonic picture post cards, echoes of the land, Gold Rush and the people.
“transports us through the wonders of the Yukon’s landscape, blending jazz to rock and roll and classical....” Ingrid Gagnon - Kingston Whig Standard
Spring Flowers Ice Crystals Kate 1898 Rendezvous
Fun For Four (string quartet No 1.)
Disco-Bossa, The Magic Carpet, Blues-Ragtime, Mainstreet
-fun for both players and audience
”It lives up to it’s title!“ William Littler - Toronto Star
Two pieces for Violin & Piano - Arthur Polson
A jazz flavoured virtuoso duo.
THE MUSIC OF VICTOR DAVIES
Pulsations, Fun For Four, Silhouettes
Pulsations (concerto for (electric) violin);
The Wheel of Fire, Sunday Afternoon, Between the Planets
Arthur Polson, violin; the London Symphony Orchestra, Erich Kunzel conductor
Virtuoso violin fireworks by Polson, propelled by Davies’ rock, Latin, jazz, and Hollywood rhythms in brilliant orchestra colours, combine with the classical magic of the London Symphony Orchestra to make this an exciting performance.
“Pulsations….brought a standing ovation that was an expression of the delight felt throughout the house”. Kip Park - Winnipeg Tribune.
“..vintage Davies, vitality, energy, and an unending stream of tuneful toe tapping melodies.” Sid Robinovitch - Border Crossings.
“...Sunday Afternoon...this beautiful lyric melody...” Michael Burton - Sound and Vision.
Freeway Frenzy Dreams By The Fire Space Ride
Fun For Four (string quartet No 1.)
Disco-Bossa, The Magic Carpet, Blues-Ragtime, Mainstreet
A classical string quartet with popular themes.
Festival Players Canada: Arthur Polson, violin; Melinda Coffey/Robert Rodgers, piano; Ian Hampton, cello; Mark Ferris, violin; Nancy Dinovo, viola
”It lives up to it’s title!“ William Littler - Toronto Star
Silhouettes (Piano trio No. 1)
Night Shadows, Perfume Bottles, Tango, City Lights
- four Art Deco moods, with jazz and salon flavours.
“...a deliciously jazzy trio.” Ray Chatelin - Vancouver Province
1. Night Shadows 2. Perfume Bottles 3. Tango 55 4. City Lights
BEOWULF (a musical epic)
A fresh look at a classic of English literature through this panoramic rock opera. Made into several movies, this version of Beowulf takes us to a world of poetry, dance, song, and imagination with Chad Allan as Beowulf, a cast of 13 outstanding rock singers, full chorus, and the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra. Rock mingles with orchestra and chorus to paint a spectacular picture of the young and old Beowulf’s journeys, his loves, and his epic fights with Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and the Dragon.
Betty Jane Wylie’s clever and pungent lyrics, echo the kennings of Early English, while taking us to the modern world of rock and rap. Set to descriptive and unforgettable music by Davies, the punch of rock, electronica, and the cinematic sweep of a full symphonic orchestra and chorus, takes us to the epic, mythic, and sometimes violent times of Beowulf, his warriors, Hrothgar and his Queen, and their Great Hall. Then, ultimately to the swamps, fens and caves inhabited by Grendel, his mother and the Dragon where Beowulf must play out his fate.
Listen To The Story Of By Gone Glory
I Sing The Song Of Beginning
The Beginning And End Of The World (1971) 54’
Skitch Henderson and players of The Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra
Victor Davies’ music runs the emotional gamut as it accompanies the pageant of images of the journey through the life of the Earth. From the symphonically mythic (Through the Milky Way) to cool jazz 
(Pangaea (The Great Continent)), to the violent convulsions of Earth’s Birth, the Latin heat of The Dinosaurs and the wild energy of creation (Genesis).
The Beginning and End of The World was the first commercial production for the planetarium theatre, a spectacular multimedia production featuring film, slides animation panoramas and special effects combined to make it a stunning experience in environmental theatre. With an especially composed score, conducted by Skitch Henderson, with narration by Vincent Price, it had its world premiere in Winnipeg in 1971 and opened in the US at the Denver Planetarium in December 1971. The planetarium dome screen is a truly all-encompassing visual medium and this production was one of the first of what could be called an epic documentary.
“The music score by Victor Davies is extremely good, he has truly captured the mystic mood of what the world was like millions of years ago…At times there is a haunting quality reminiscent of Space Odyssey, although Davies has used his fertile imagination to come up with something entirely different than the famous movie score”. Gene Telpner - Winnipeg Tribune.
“the musical score composed by Victor Davies was magnificent and inspirational….a work of art in its own right. …..Some parts are better than the celebrated score for the movie Love Story.” Barry Mullin – Winnipeg Free Press
Tracks: Genesis, Through the Milky Way, Earth’s Birth, The First Rain, Life Starts, Sunset & Stars, Earth’s Embrace (Moon Capture), Under the Sea, Carboniferous (Green & Lush), The Dinosaurs, Pangaea (The Great Continent), Man Appears, Here and Now, Pollution, Revelation 21(End of the World)
SONGS FROM LET'S GO!
From Let’s Go!, the acclaimed CTV Television series, come a collection of 14 singable and danceable songs chosen as the funniest and favorite songs of the show.
These songs were written for specific program themes which were selected by the performers from the thousands of suggestions they received from their television audience.
The album features Janis Dunning and the Let’s Go! Kids who love to “make believe and make it real”. It steps beyond the traditional mode of children’s records with a bulging diversity of musical styles, provided by the wild and wonderful imagination of composer and lyricist Victor Davies.
To mention a few, there’s the Blues, such as in the down and out hard luck story of “The Dill Pickle Blues”. And Rock and Roll, with a musical invitation to “Do the Let’s Go!”. “You’re My Every, Every, Every, Everything” is a wonderful piece of musical comedy, dealing with the romantic aspiration of a young poet. Country licks turn “Alphabet Letters” into a musical rodeo, while Big Band comes alive with a number about the virtues of determination and practice in “Frankie Loved His Trumpet”.
It’s innovative and it’s entertaining, but most of all it’s fun!
PIRATES!
“A Swashbuckling Musical for Children of All Ages!”
The original cast album of the Charlottetown Festival Young Company production of August 1994. With music and lyrics by Victor Davies, and libretto by Janis Dunning, the creative team which collaborated so successfully on the hit CTV children’s series Lets Go! and The Rockets, Pirates! is a lively show intended to inspire children to read. Based on an actual Nova Scotia pirate, Black Bart, it features singable songs for children of all ages. In Pirates! Black Bart has stolen all the books in Storybook Land, and The Girl, The French Chef, and The Poet set out to find his castle and to restore the books on Medicine, Cookings and Poetry to the kingdom. Many adventures befall them but in the end they triumph, bring back the books, and even Black Bart has a happy ending!
“...an exciting treasure trove, filled with lively dancing & wonderful music that stays in your head long after the show ends.” Kristie McCallum - Confederation Herald
What a Great Day Stories of Gold
FOR THE MOMENT
The sound track for the award winning period feature film set on the Canadian Prairies in World War 2 produced by John Aaron Productions. Russell Crowe stars as an Australian pilot training with thousands of other fight crews from around the world in the Commonwealth Air Training Plan. He falls in love with a local farm wife (Christianne Hirt) whose husband is overseas in Bomber Command. Their bitter sweet romance and those of the other young airmen and local Prairie women, plays out against the music of the Big Band era.
The CD features a mixture of ‘40s Big Band originals by Davies, original classical pieces and film cues by him, two tunes of the era (Goody Goody, and Paper Moon) and two classics (Pachelbel’s Canon and the Marcello Oboe Concerto). The Czech Symphony Orchestra and Prague Big Band perform under the able baton of well known Czech conductor Mario Clemens.
“...evokes enough war-time nostalgia to let the music stand by itself...Especially the sprightly big band tunes ...delivered in a whistle-clean style by a nicely ignited big band ...” James Manishen - Winnipeg Free Press
Jack's Jive Death Of A Warrior
PULSATIONS (original CD)
Pulsations (concerto for (electric) violin) Fun For Four (string quartet No 1.)
Pulsations (concerto for (electric) violin);
The Wheel of Fire, Sunday Afternoon, Between the Planets
Arthur Polson, violin; the London Symphony Orchestra, Erich Kunzel, conductor.
Virtuoso violin fireworks by Polson propelled by Davies’ rock, Latin, jazz, and Hollywood rhythms in brilliant orchestra colours, combine with the classical magic of the London Symphony Orchestra to make this an exciting performance.
“Pulsations….brought a standing ovation that was an expression of the delight felt throughout the house”. - Kip Park - Winnipeg Tribune.
“..vintage Davies, vitality, energy, and an unending stream of tuneful toe tapping melodies.” Sid Robinovitch - Border Crossings.
“...Sunday Afternoon...this beautiful lyric melody...” Michael Burton - Sound and Vision.
1. Freeway Frenzy 2. Dreams By The Fire 3. Space Ride
and
Fun For Four (string quartet No 1.)
Disco-Bossa, The Magic Carpet, Blues-Ragtime, Mainstreet
played by the Armin Electric Strings
A classical string quartet with popular themes.
”It lives up to it’s title!“ William Littler - Toronto Star
DREAM VARIATIONS
This is the premiere recording of Dream Variations by Victor Davies which the Vancouver Youth Symphony Orchestra commissioned for their 65th Anniversary celebrations May 14, 1995. An outstanding performance by one of Canada’s finest youth orchestras, under the inspired baton of conductor Arthur Polson.
Dream Variations was composed to be played by all four of the Vancouver Youth Symphony Orchestra’s divisions - The Introductory Strings, The Junior Strings, The Intermediate Orchestra, and The Senior Orchestra. Each group (only the Senior Orchestra appears on this recording) gets a chance to shine in this delightful set of variations on Rock A Bye Baby (and some other well known Nursery Tunes). The piece, using this well known nursery tune as its starting point, tells the story of baby’s falling asleep, fifteen of baby’s dreams, (each through a separate variation - some fun and some hair razing!), and finally of baby’s waking up. (List of Variations) Twenty two minutes of fun and orchestral colour by this very large massed orchestra. Also on the CD: Berlioz - Roman Carnival Overture, Teddy Bear’s Picnic, Salish Lullaby – Glen Morley, and Mozart’s Paris Symphony.
Variations 1 Variations 2 Variations 3
DREAM VARIATIONS - PROGRAMME NOTES:
Rock a bye baby on the tree top
When the wind blows the cradle will rock
When the bough breaks the cradle will fall
Down will come baby cradle and all.Like many nursery rhymes Rock A Bye Baby tells a very strange story indeed! Sung as a lullaby the words seems curiously at odds with the sweet simple rocking rhythm of the lullaby tune. I had long wanted to write a set of variations on this theme. When Arthur Polson, the conductor of the Vancouver Youth Symphony Orchestra, asked me to do a work for the VYSO’s 65th Anniversary, I was delighted to compose Dream Variations for the occasion. The piece is a series of episodes illustrating baby’s falling asleep, baby’s various dreams, and baby’s waking up. Each of the variations is a separate Dream. Thus - Dream Variations.
The work opens with the sounds of a mechanical clock ticking. It strikes 8. It’s baby’s bed time. Then we hear the theme (presumably sung by Mom or Dad). Baby drifts off down into the dark world of sleep. We hear the sounds of the starry night sky. The clock strikes 12 and baby starts to dream.
DREAM ONE is a dark one. The theme is clearly stated but with strange brooding harmonies and the sounds of snoring (Dad in the next room?) and breathing.
DREAM TWO continues on in this mood as weird little creatures seem to scuttle and sneak about.
DREAM THREE. Some comic characters or beasts burst upon the scene.
DREAM FOUR. The sound of wind blowing through a very large tree where baby’s cradle is located! A march interrupts, but it ends with the wind.
DREAM FIVE. A jolly rhythmic section with much percussion in the middle. The sound of bells echo as baby remembers the clock chiming the hours. Are these the sounds of the forest creatures dancing below baby’s tree? This dream turns ugly at the end as
DREAM SIX turns into a nightmare! A horrible beast of enormous dinosauric dimensions! We hear bits of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and Ring Around A Rosie derisively taunting and gone bad. This fades and we find ourselves DREAM SEVEN flying smoothly over a huge plain. In the distance is a beautiful palace which as we draw closer we see is surrounded by fountains.
DREAM EIGHT takes us into an ornate ballroom in the grand palace where a beautiful princess and a handsome prince dance.
DREAM NINE and TEN. Clouds swirl and diverse images float past until we hear..... DREAM ELEVEN the sound of a horse! We’re in a western movie! Then suddenly DREAM TWELVE we’re in a 1950’s rock and roll video! DREAM THIRTEEN Without pause clowns are all around. It’s the circus!! DREAM FOURTEEN The wind blows baby’s cradle, tossing it around wildly, until it almost falls. Suddenly the enormous beast of DREAM SIX reappears more ferocious than before!! DREAM FIFTEEN This is too much!! Baby cries!! The monster disappears. We hear Mom and Dad quieting baby. Finally the clock strikes 7. Baby wakes up. The sun starts to rise as baby remembers only the sweet dreams, especially the one with the princess and the prince. A new day has started.
(Victor Davies May 1995)
JUPITER TRAIN (a space overture for orchestra)
Vancouver Youth Symphony Orchestra’s Senior Division conducted by Arthur Polson play Davies’ - Jupiter Train (a space overture for orchestra)
CD includes: Bachianis Brasileiras – Villa Lobos, Coquihalla Legends – Glen Morley, Six Railroad Preludes - Eldon Rathburn, and Rhapsody In Blue – George Gershwin.
The Jupiter Train (The Movie)
It is the year 2020 on Callisto a moon of Jupiter. The moon is racked with explosions as its volcanic core erupts and all life is endangered. For the beautiful Yarothra, a native of Jupiter and Yular, her true love from the planet Saturn, there is only one escape from the doomed satellite and this is the shuttle - The Jupiter Train! - which will carry them away from the volcanic holocaust which is quickly engulfing Callisto.
As the film begins the camera pans in on the now molten surface of the moon and comes to rest on the space platform where explorers from all parts of the solar system are huddled awaiting their rescue. There is something mysterious about the sudden volcanic activity on Callisto, but Yarothra and Yular cannot know that the powerful magnetic fields which have caused it, come from a distant black hole so powerful and horrible that ultimately only a love as true and pure as theirs will be able to defeat its evil. They will triumph, see it happen, experience it, ride with us on - The Jupiter Train!
((What a film! - which is not even made yet! What! Here is an instance where a composer wrote the music for a film before it was even shot! Our overture opens with a fragment of the love theme, followed by the turbulent theme depicting events on the surface of the moon. The love theme is then heard in it’s entirety and we return to the theme from the beginning which is transformed into a triumphant ending as Yarothra and Yular win against the forces of darkness! ))
Gershwin (arranged By Victor Davies)
Featuring performances by the Canadian Piano Trio and Shauna Rolston