And now, a post from the Shameless Plug Department

So I got a comment the other day on my last post from someone who said she wants to read more about my process while learning new music. I’ve actually thought about this a lot, especially since I’ve spent the last couple of weeks rehearsing for a concert of all new music. to be performed this Sunday (Ack! That’s tomorrow! It might even be today — or yesterday — depending on when you’re reading this).

The reason I haven’t written about my learning process is that I’ve been too busy learning to write about it! However, I have been taking some mental notes, and I have a few ideas for some posts in the near future. It might be a little too late for me to expound on the difficulties of this particular concert, but I still have two more concerts’ worth of music to learn before the end of this festival.

In the meantime, if you’re interested in the process of creating music, watch these videos…they are interviews with Pulitzer Prize-winner David Lang as he talks about his own process writing the piece that The Crossing commissioned for tomorrow’s concert.

Crossing Chronicle #1

The Levine Project: an interview with David Lang from Jeffrey Dinsmore on Vimeo.

Crossing Chronicle #2

Crossing Chronicle Vol. 2 – David Lang on writing his new choral work “Statement to the Court” from Jeffrey Dinsmore on Vimeo.

The Crossing: Month of Moderns I
Sunday, June 27, 2010 at 4:00 p.m.

Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill
8855 Germantown Ave
Philadelphia, PA 19118

Included on tomorrow’s concert:
Bo Holten: Tallis Variations (1977)
Benjamin CS Boyle: Cantata: To One in Paradise (2005)
Arvo Pärt: Pilgrim’s Song – Psalm 121 (2001)
John Tavener: The Bridegroom (1999)
David Lang: Commissioned World Premiere: Statement to the Court – The Levine Project

Honestly, if you’re in Philadelphia and you like music, you shouldn’t miss it. Bring an extra pair of socks, because the ones on your feet will be knocked off.

A Little Podcast for Ya

I’m sure you have all heard me talk about The Crossing. I don’t think I’ve written about it as much as I’ve talked about it, but suffice to say that singing with this group of people is exactly the kind of musical experience I wish I could do every single day of my life.

Below is an interview that our director, Donald Nally, gave with WMFT’s Andrew Patner about The Crossing. Yours truly sang in all the recordings that are played on the podcast, including a movement from Kile Smith’s Epiphany Vespers, which will be released on CD in March.

Included in the podcast:

  • “der Frühling” from Tag des Jaars by Kaija Saariaho
  • “Herr Christ” from Epiphany Vespers by Kile Smith
  • “i lie” by David Lang
  • “Was heut’ noch grün” from Vier kleine Finalsätze zu ‘Es ist ein Schnitter, heisst der Tod’ by Erhard Karkoschka (excerpt)
  • “Creator of the Stars of Night” by Gabriel Jackson