The Marco Polo Suite

The Marco Polo Suite has been featured on a variety of radio programmes including:

- The first public performance of The Marco Polo Suite (August, 1993, Festival By The Sea), with 20 musicians, narrator and slide presentation,
was recorded by the National Film Board of Canada for use in its 1995 release The Marco Polo: Queen of the Seas

- Portions of The Marco Polo Suite were used in the marine gallery exhibit of the Market Square annex of the New Brunswick Museum (Saint John, N.B.)

- Portions of The Marco Polo Suite were used by Parks Canada in a film promoting Fundy National Park (N.B.)

- The overture of The Marco Polo Suite was performed by over 60 musicians at Fiddlers' Rally '98, Linlithgow, Scotland

- The Marco Polo Suite was a 1996 recipient of a Porcupine Award, in the category of Canadian History, presented by Steve Fruitman of University of
Toronto Radio, Inc., for "preserving Canadian history in song."

        - Anthem for the Wind & Water from The Marco Polo Suite was arranged for pipe band performance by Gordon Webster, former pipe major of the
        Scots Guards, and personal piper to the Queen.

"The Marco Polo Suite is a major piece of work and a wonderful gathering of singers and musicians ..."
- David Pirie in Maple Roots (North American Folk Alliance)

"... a tremendous piece of work which will go down in the annals of Maritime music history."
- Broadcaster and former East Coast Music Association director, Eric MacEwen

"... a fine and imaginative piece of work..."
- Hugh Jones, singer/songwriter and member of the legendary British folk group The Spinners

"It's quite an achievement and I will be playing it on the show here ... it's excellent and you should be very proud
of it ..."
- John O'Regan, Radio Limerick, Ireland

"The Marco Polo Suite was given a first complete broadcast in Australia yesterday. It was presented by Roger Holdsworth
on a special programme on radio station '3PBS' ... from the feedback and calls after the programme, it was warmly received."
- Ken Shewan, Shiplovers' Society of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia

"I cannot think of any other musical work with its origin in New Brunswick to make such an impact on the public imagination well beyond the borders of the province."
- Douglas Hughes, Times-Globe, Saint John, NB

"If you haven't already heard it on CBC or international radio stations, you will be thrilled by this excellent recording which captures so well a significant part of Atlantic Canadian history.
The music is rich and well-produced."
- Donna Davis, Spray Magazine

"This folk opera takes us through instrumental traditionally based musics, real folkie songs, songs of the theatre, along with narratives of diaries and tales. This remarkable CD is excellently produced ... "
- Steve Fruitman, CIUT-FM, Toronto

"Jim Stewart's composition, The Marco Polo Suite, is a musical tribute to one of Canada's most famous sailing ships, the Marco Polo ... Typically, this vessel and its rich history is unknown to most Canadians.
Stewart has helped rectify this situation by creating The Marco Polo Suite... The orchestration is sumptuous ... The album is graced by many fine performers."
- Gene Wilburn, Northern Journey Online

"The Marco Polo ... was destined to achieve a triumph over both sailing vessels and steamers greater than had ever before been considered possible by nautical men."