Imaginal - for ORCHESTRA - by Carmen Braden
Duration: 10:00
Commissioned by: the National Arts Centre Orcestra
Instrumentation: (1+pic221/2230/1perc/strings)
World Premiere - Sept 22 2026, National Arts Centre Orchestra, conducted by Henry Kennedy,
National Arts Centre, Southam Hall, Ottawa, Ontario
Program note for Orchestra arrangement - July 2026
How caterpillars become butterflies is crazier and more inspirational than I ever knew! Their bodies disintegrate inside the cocoon into a kind of goo and then are rebuilt into a new form that is bewilderingly different than the old. Special cells called “imaginal” cells are the catalysts for this transformation. They lie dormant in the caterpillar until the right phase of metamorphosis, then become the blueprints and building blocks forming the new butterfly wings, body, legs, antennae out of the caterpillar goo. How cool is that. So coo. Goo.
The universal idea is that we all have our future potentials dormant inside us. And when something catalyzes a major transformation, there is a dissolving of the old which is often hard and we fight against it. But then the incredible and tough and beautiful and surprising rebuilding happens.
It is super humanly-relatable to being in a mid-life crisis! - or any kind of big life change… I learned about imaginal cells while I turned 40 last year and am working through a now years long disintegration and rebuilding of my musical directions.
Musically in “Imaginal” there is a core melody woven throughout the piece that goes through many takings-apart and putting-back-togethers. The melody is from a song I wrote in the early writing stages to get me started.
I wrote "Imaginal" originally as a violin/piano duo, for James Ehnes and Andrew Armstrong, as part of James' 50th birthday recital tour (2026). Immediately following James' Ottawa performance at the National Arts Centre, I was invited by the NAC Orchestra to create this orchestral arrangement, to be included as part of "David Suzuki's Playlist”, celebrating Mr. Suzuki's 90th birthday. In solidarity, I also turned 40 this past year, and have had several music mid-life crises, during which the original "Imaginal", and this new orchestral arrangement, have been a positive force of moving through. Thank you for that!
Cuz if there’s anything that’ll hold us together in this crazy world, it’s music, friends, and caterpillars.