mitêh
A new, open-access choral work by Sherryl Sewepahagam
Commissioned for the 2026 CBC Music Class Challenge,
Powered by MusiCounts
About mitêh
mitêh centers on the heart as a place of connection: to ourselves, to one another, and to community. The Cree text reflects on the journey between thought and feeling and invites singers to return to empathy, care, and shared understanding through music.
Learning Options
- mitêh is composed in the Cree language, offering an excellent opportunity for educators to bring Indigenous language and music into the classroom in a way that is accessible, respectful, and supported by the composer.
- mitêh is a modular composition, designed to be accessible to choirs with varying skill levels, voice parts, and resources.
- Free, downloadable scores are available in SATB, SA, Unison, and Unison + Orff arrangements, allowing teachers to choose the version that best suits their ensemble.
- While the work is fully effective as an a cappella piece, schools are invited to create their own instrumental accompaniment if they choose. The Orff accompaniment included in the Unison + Orff version—or the chord markings in the Unison version— may be used as written or adapted as a starting point for student-created instrumental parts, encouraging creativity, exploration, and collaboration.
The Scores
The arrangements below are presented in order of increasing musical complexity. Teachers are encouraged to choose the version that best supports their students and to approach the piece at an achievable level, with attention to careful listening and respectful engagement with the Cree language.
Arrangement 1: Simplified Unison with Optional Orff Accompaniment
Arrangement 2: Unison with Lead Sheet-Style Chord Markings
Instructional Video & Full Performance
This instructional video features the composer introducing mitêh, sharing its meaning, and guiding students through the Cree text using listening and repetition, concluding with a full performance by a school choir.
Pronunciation Guide
Download this document that offers a translation of the Cree text and pronunciation guidance using phonetics and Standard Roman Orthography (SRO) Y-Dialect.
Singing In Indigenous Languages: A Practical Guide For Educators
This resource is created to empower educators in school and community contexts to bring Indigenous languages into existing courses and programs through singing. With practical activities, discussion prompts, and repertoire suggestions, this resource is designed to be a starting point for teachers, librarians, and community educators who wish to integrate Indigenous languages into music programs in a way that honours Indigenous ways of knowing and cultural practices in a respectful manner.
About the Composer
Sherryl Sewepagaham, a dynamic Cree-Dene artist from the Little Red River Cree Nation, Northern Alberta, blends her heritage with artistry, composition, and education. She is a current PhD student at UBC and holds a 2024 Vanier Scholar title, and was awarded a SSHRC Doctoral Award and a UBC Indigenous Graduate Fellowship award all in the same academic year. She has devoted over two decades to K-6 music education, infusing Indigenous musical traditions and creating Indigenous-focused teaching resources for MusiCounts, the Music Alive Program with the National Arts Centre, and the Alberta Orff Chapter. She is a passionate advocate of Cree language songs contributing to the resilient work of Indigenous language preservation and retention in communities, education, and academic scholarship.