Spring 2019 Recap

ACDA Nationals (Feb 27 – 29) was once again a fantastic event. Lots of music and lots of fun. Always great to catch up with friends and make new ones. I was thrilled with the world premieres of Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child and Everyone Sang. Dedication was a pure joy. Some of the best singing I’ve every heard.

From Kansas City it was off to Paris for three weeks to prepare for the world premiere of STABAT MATER (April 29 & 30). It was a treat and an honor to work with the Paris Choral Society, The Choir of the American Cathedral and the Paris Chorals Society Orchestra. Two performances and two standing ovations. Thank you, Paris. Can’t wait until we do it again.

From Paris it was off to Toronto to hear the Canadian premiere of THE SEVEN LAST WORDS OF CHRIST (April 5) performed by the Saint Michael’s Choir School boy’s choir, directed by Bryan Priddy. I have never heard a boy’s choir of this caliber. They left me in tears. I’ll never forget that experience. I hope to have the recording soon to share with all of you.

From Toronto it was off to Los Angeles for the L.A. Choral Lab production SHAKESPEARE IN SONG (April 6&7). They premiered three works that I wrote specifically for them and this event: If Music be the Food of Love, How Like a Winter Has My Absence Been, and No Longer Mourn For Me When I Am Dead. It was an amazing production complete with actor and staging. Tastefully done and a thrill to hear my music woven into such a spectacularly performed production!

Off to Natchitoches, Louisiana! A week of rehearsals for the world premiere of FALLING STARS (May 2) for choir, strings, clarinet, harp and piano. Northwestern State University has something very special going on. Such great singing and playing – and friendly. . . very friendly. It was a delight to spend that much time with my friend and director, Nic Cummins, and the

performance was breathtaking. Met with a standing ovation, I’m still reeling from that. NSU, you were so good to me. Thank you, thank you.

To bring the spring season to an end, it was an overwhelming experience to be at Carnegie Hall on June 16 for the world premiere of DREAMCATCHER – A SYMBOL OF UNITY as the closing piece for Reflections on Unity, a concert of music featuring a number of choirs and a wind ensemble. All 350 singers and 70 instrumentalists joined forces at the end for DREAMCATCHER. The stage was full, singers were also surrounding the audience and the descant soprano line was sung from the fourth tier balcony. It was an emersion like no other. Spectacular!

Of course there are pictures all over my Facebook page of all of these events. I hope you take time to check them out. Watch for announcement of when this music is available to hear. Now, it’s finally summer break!