Toronto-based singer-songwriter Tonia Evans Cianciulli returns to her Newfoundland roots this August with a stirring new single, Nightingale of the North.
The song honors Georgina Stirling, widely recognized as Newfoundland’s first internationally celebrated opera singer.
Inspiration and Composition
Composed during the hush of the pandemic, the track serves as a personal and reverent tribute to Stirling’s life and artistic legacy. Tonia says a vivid dream in which Stirling took her hand inspired the work and guided the writing of The Heart’s Obsession, a biography she co-authored with her grandfather, Newfoundland historian Calvin D. Evans.
Musical Arrangement
The arrangement features alto flute by MusicNL Award-winner Rozalind MacPhail, whose plaintive playing evokes the spirit of the Nightingale. Guitarist Jesse Fegelman provides warm, grounding accompaniment while producer Dima Graziani handled recording, mixing and mastering to give the song a cinematic, timeless quality. Newfoundland poet Vaughn Harbin collaborated on the lyrics.
Lyrics and Theme
In the song’s refrain, Tonia channels Stirling’s bittersweet story:
“Her ...