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!
I wish I could say this was, you know, a regular occurrence for me, but seeing my name in the New York Times for the first time ever back in September was an immense - and, for me, unprecedented - thrill. When they mentioned me again in the paper, with a glowing review, I nearly crapped my pants.
Thanks to Christopher Houlihan for giving me some astonishing coat-tails to grab onto.
Steel Symphony has since been purchased by a number of other performers from around the United States. Hopefully this crazy little piece will continue to blow eardrums off all across the world for years to come.
If you'd like to purchase a bound copy of the score, by the way, you can do so on my store. It's $14, it's vermilion, and it's CRAZY.
But fun.
Thanks!
Michael Falco for the New York Times
In case you missed it in the New York Times, the New Yorker, I Care If You Listen, or Time Out New York, Christopher Houlihan - dear friend of mine, and world-class musician - will be performing Steel Symphony at the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph in Brooklyn on Sunday, September 20.
I wrote this piece for him back in 2013; since then it's been performed numerous times, always to thunderous applause. He's a magnificent interpreter of my music, and a thoughtful, helpful collaborator.
For more on Steel Symphony, check out this blog post from way back when I'd just started composing the thing. Live recordings of the premiere performance (at the Trinity College Chapel in Hartford) are available on the Music page, too.
But I wholeheartedly recommend you make the trip over to Prospect Heights if you're in the area and available. Watching Christopher play is a transformative experience, and hearing those thunderous pipes filling a richly acoustic, beautiful space is unlike any other live-music experience I can think of.
Hope to see you there!
The premiere of Steel Symphony (July 2, 2013) by Christopher Houlihan in Hartford was truly one of the great nights of my musical life. It simply couldn’t have gone better—it was phenomenally well-attended, Chris played superbly, and the whole program really came together beautifully.
Steel Symphony, which was commissioned for this performance by Trinity College Chapel Music, was also one of the first pieces to be performed on Trinity College’s new four-manual Austin console. It proved itself very much up to the challenge.
I’ve posted some pictures below (thanks to Mike Raciti and Trinity College Communications for taking them!). You can watch a video of the third movement here, and I’ve added audio to my Music page. Here are quick links to the audio files: I. Putto 4 over 4 | II. Lincoln | III. Armour Boys. Chris and I were interviewed by Bob Parzych on WRTC’s Kitchen Sink the day before the performance, as well—you can check that out here, if you’re interested.
I’m now officially on hiatus, for at least a few months, as my wife and I eagerly await the birth of our baby boy! Jude is due August 12, and Steel Symphony was dedicated to him. I sincerely can’t wait to show it to him someday.
L to R: John Rose, Director of Trinity College Chapel Music (and a great teacher and friend to Chris and I); Charles Dodsley Walker ’40, renowned organist and conductor; Christopher Houlihan ’09, a great friend and collaborator (and a true organ phenom); me (’07, for the record); and James F. Jones, Jr., the president of Trinity College and a hugely positive force in the musical life at Trinity.
There were close to 1,000 people in attendance.
The new console was made even more brilliant with some spiffy new lighting.
The line stretched well down the Upper Long Walk.
That’s me, cloaked in darkness, speaking with Jimmy Jones after the concert. He’s just a wonderful man, and a great advocate for many of us musical alums.
Standing ovation!
