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.
