Getting back to my roots with this choral piece, written for Skylark Ensemble. Stay tuned!
Filtering by Tag: choral
Photo credit: John Marinelli
Audio and video from the premiere of Logos
It was an extraordinary pleasure returning to my undergraduate alma mater for the premiere of Logos, a piece commissioned for Trinity College's 2016 Service of Lessons & Carols. It was especially exciting because it also happened to be a celebration of the fortieth year of John Rose's tenure as Director of Chapel music; considering the enormous influence John has had on my life as a friend, collaborator, and (in the truest sense of the word) teacher, I was hugely honored to be a part of the commemoration.
Photo credit: John Marinelli
The Chapel Singers sang the piece beautifully, and Christopher Houlihan played the organ as pristinely as ever. About two-thirds of the way through the piece, dozens of additional singers stood and joined the Chapel Singers for the closing pages. This group, made up of alumni (stretching as far back as the class of 1950) and student singers from other choirs on the Trinity campus, brought a sense of depth—timbrally, spatially, and emotionally—that was way, way cooler than I could've possibly expected while writing the thing.
Perhaps most immediately fulfilling for me, though, was that Logos gave me an excuse to reunite with my buddies in the Elmsmen. It'd been maybe eight years since we'd last sung together; up there shoulder-to-shoulder, though, it felt like we'd never stopped.
Anyway, if you'd like to view the full Flickr album, head over here (it's worth it; the service was freakin' gorgeous).
The audio's been uploaded as well: here's a direct link to the Soundcloud upload.
Come to the premiere of LOGOS!
Logos, a new work for male trio, large choir, narrator, and organ, will premiered in back-to-back performances during Trinity College's Services of Lessons & Carols on December 4 (4pm and 7pm).
Ye olde stomping ground
The venue is the absolutely stunning Trinity College Chapel (300 Summit Street, Hartford, CT 06106), and admission is free.
Hope you can make it!
MY DEAREST FRIEND just picked up a C7Prize!
The C7Prize ("Choirs, Conductors, and Composers Collaborating on a Choral Composition Competition") is a very cool new competition: it links composers, conductors, and performers throughout the adjudication process, and increases the exposure of a diverse array of new choral works.
As a "Recommended Work," My Dearest Friend will be performed at least once this year, and will be shopped around (by the fine folks running the competition) to various conductors and choirs.
The piece, which was composed for the wedding of two very good friends of mine back in 2011, has long been one of my favorites. I'm glad it's getting some increased exposure, and can't wait to see what some new performers bring to it (it's only been performed once, publicly).
2015 is shaping up to be a pretty good year, if these past few weeks are any indication.