Michelle Lorimer

Composer for screen and concert stage, arranger, pianist, educator

Bio

Michelle Lorimer is a composer for screen and concert stage. She loves to bring her diverse background of musical styles into any given project and has scored music for short and feature length documentaries by Toronto filmmakers, such as Loud and Here & Words Left Unspoken (dir. Josiane Blanc), and When I Go Outside (dir. Geordie Sabbagh). She has worked as assistant composer to Canadian screen composer Bruce Fowler, scoring cues for Bug Sex, It’s Complicated, an episode of CBC’s The Nature of Things (dir. Andrew Gregg), and she’s currently scoring an upcoming documentary by Toronto director Chrisann Hessing. In addition to her work for screen, Michelle enjoys composing concert music. Her works for instrumental ensembles have been performed by the Allegra Chamber Orchestra, the Sonority Sisters, Duo Holz, the Peterborough Concert Band, and the NU Quintet (NYC). Michelle is a classically trained pianist and also plays acoustic guitar. She studied music and composition at the Royal Conservatory of Music and Humber Polytechnic in Toronto.

List of Works

*For inquiries about scores please email lorimer.michelle@gmail.com

For a full list of works with recordings (including screen media examples + arrangements for orchestra, string quartet & jazz/fusion ensemble), please visit michellelorimer.ca

Orchestral/Band/Large ensemble

Grief Suite in 4 movements (2022) -- for full orchestra

Daybreak, Drawn to the Fire (2024) -- concert band (Grade 4)

Gouzenko (2023) – string orchestra

Love is a Bird – (2024) arranged for tenor + string orchestra

Small Ensemble/Solo Instrument (2021-2022):

Commuting – for violin and flute

Birdsong in My Backyard – for wind quintet

Bargaining – for string quintet and harp

Bach à la Dorian, for two flutes, piano, organ, bass & drums

A Quick Study in Waltzing -- for solo cello

Every Love that Weeps and Grieves – for violin and percussion

Ruminations -- for piano & percussion

Fall Finds Me Home -- for jazz trio: piano, bass & drums

Off Kilter Waltz --for solo oboe

For Voice

Love is a Bird – (2021) alto voice + jazz trio

Jelly-Fish (2021), alto voice & piano *text by Marianne Moore

Sacred Songs for Voice, Choir, Piano Accompaniment/Band

Christmas Morn (2021) -- for solo voice (alto or tenor) + piano, organ, bass, drums/percussion & flute

I Will not Use His Name -- for solo voice (alto or tenor) + acoustic guitar, organ, bass, drums & percussion, 3 piece brass (2022)

Sacred Songs for Contemporary Worship

Album: Undivided (2002)

Songs from this album:

Great God

Where Could I Go

At All Costs

Can I See the Lord of Glory

Lord I Want to Live the Life

One Thing I Know

To Those Who Seek

Undivided Heart

Heaven & Earth

Here in This Place

A God Like You

Album: Overflow (2014)

Songs from this album:

Fashion a Heart

My High Priest

I am not Ashamed

I Will Never Let You Go