Accord Treble Choir will be premiering my a cappella choral piece, “To Soar in Freedom and in Fullness of Power” (poem by Walt Whitman), next month in two NYC performances: Sunday, June 3, 3:00pm St. Paul’s Episcopal Church 199 Carroll St., Brooklyn, NY Saturday, June 9, 6:00pm St. Ignatius of Loyola Episcopal Church 552 West End Ave, New York, NY (entrance on 87th street) |
Accord’s director, Liz Geisewite, sang soprano in the premiere of “A Prayer in Spring” last summer at the Choral Chameleon Institute. She commissioned me to write this piece for her fantastic ensemble of nine women, and specifically for this concert, titled On Wings. New Yorkers, I hope you can make it to a show!
The Albany High School combined choir successfully premiered “The Gift to Sing” on March 28. I like this recording I made at a late rehearsal, with director Mary banging out the piano part and her very talented students still getting the hang of their parts. It’s raw in a good way.
I'm pleased to announce that I've been commissioned by the Oakland Symphony Chorus for a 20-minute work for full chorus and chamber orchestra. The work will premiere on April 13, 2019 (yes, that's next year), at a venue TBD in Oakland, CA.
The Symphony Chorus is directed by Lynne Morrow, whose name you may recognize as the director of my frequent co-conspirators Pacific Edge Voices. Lynne approached me with a fascinating concept for a multi-movement work: you can read all about it here. If you go back with me all the way to my rock opera days, you know I love a good epic. I think this one promises to fall squarely into that category. Please save the date and come join me for the unveiling! And having the choral experience I missed the first time around (when I was busy playing guitar in the jazz band—and my rock band, the immortal Flibbertigibbet).
This spring will see the premiere of three commissions I’ve been busy composing for high school choirs. More details forthcoming, but suffice it to say, I am very excited to be writing for some seriously talented students. Quick performance info: March 20, 2018 Premiere of 'Voices from the Freedom March' (mash-up arrangement of six iconic spirituals) Sunset High School Concert Choir, Portland, OR Christopher Rust, director March 28, 2018, 7:00pm Premiere of 'The Gift to Sing' (poem by James Weldon Johnson) Albany High School All-Choir, Mary Stocker, director Albany Veteran’s Memorial Building 1325 Portland Ave., Albany, CA Free admission (donations graciously accepted) May 2018 Commission for Albany High School Concert Choir, text and more precise info TBD |
AuthorComposer Michael T Roberts shares his thoughts on writing, playing, and teaching music. Comments? Please e-mail Mike. Archives
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