Southam's early works are lyrical atonal pieces written in a Romantic style, and lyricism remained an important element of her later electronic scores. She also worked with
12-tone techniques. (1981) is constructed from short tonal units that combine and re-combine, creating an overall sense of lyricism. In the 1990s, Southam largely abandoned the electroacoustic compositional style and began creating instrumental works such as
Song of the Varied Thrush (1991) for string quartet; ''Webster's Spin
(1993) for string orchestra, and Full Circles'' (1996, rev. 2005). Of her work and interest in incorporating feminism, Southam has said: I was looking for a way of writing music that would have a feminist aesthetic, because what was thought of as feminist music back in those days was usually vocal music, and it would be the words that would give the feminist meaning. I wanted something where the very workings of the music would reflect a feminist aesthetic. Southam found that minimalist, iterative compositions reminded her of "women's work" – repetitive, monotonous tasks such as knitting and cleaning that nevertheless sustain life. Southam's favorite quotes about herself were "staggeringly boring" (from the
Montreal Gazette), and "a rather shadowy presence on the new-music scene" (from
The Globe And Mail).
Collaborations Ann Southam worked for over thirty years with
Christina Petrowska-Quilico on
Rivers (2005),
Pond Life (2008), and
Glass Houses, which was revised by Southam in 2009 and by Petrowska-Quilico in 2010. These resulted in 6 CDs. Petrowska-Quilico also toured
Rivers with the Toronto Dance Theatre in Toronto at the Premiere Dance Theatre, Harbourfront; in Ottawa at the National Arts Centre; in Halifax; in St. John (New Brunswick) and St. John's, Newfoundland, and other cities. Southam was first introduced to
Eve Egoyan in 1998, when David Jaeger of the
Canadian Electronic Ensemble suggested Egoyan play on a new recording he was producing. Southam worked on several collaborative projects with Eve Egoyan throughout the late '90s and early 2000s including:
Qualities of Consonance (1998),
Figures (2001),
In Retrospect (2004), and
Simple Lines of Enquiry (2008). == Awards ==