ACDA National Conference in the Queen City

Just back from the national ACDA conference in Cincinnati, four full days of music and friends. There were some outstanding and memorable moments for me: Trey Jacobs' powerful performance with Cantabile from the Nashville School of the Arts, the extraordinarily beautiful performance by Reed Criddle and the Utah Valley University Chamber Choir, Lori R Hetzel's gorgeous concert with the University of Kentucky Women's Choir, the Jason Max Ferdinand Singers, whose performance defies adjectives, and The Crossing's astounding singing and profound program conducted by Donald Nally.

Choral Music Experience UK

I was recently in London and Cambridge for ten days, the time in Cambridge merely as a tourist, visiting friends, punting down the river Cam, and attending Evensong services at St. John's and King's College.  In London I taught with Mandy Miller at Doreen Rao's Choral Music Experience course. Two days with the Artist Teachers and three with the full Institute of participants from England, Ireland, Scotland, Sweden, Germany and Poland. Score preparation, pedagogy, conducting practicum, performance teaching and master classes. 

Yo le Canto todo el Dia

I had the opportunity a few weeks back to visit Andy Bruhn's Men's Chorus at Illinois State University and his University Chorus at the University of Illinois, both of which were singing my YO LE CANTO TODO EL DIA.  That piece is twenty-five years old and still sung everywhere!  What great fun!

New Work for the Miami Children's Chorus

Last month I delivered ONE SONG, the commissioned work for the Miami Children's Chorus and their director Liana Salinas.  This is the fifth piece I've written for this chorus.  Tim Sharp, previous Artistic Director and conductor commissioned YO LE CANTO TODO EL DIA twenty-five years ago, and after that PSALM 150, SIR BROTHER SUN, and EVERYTHING IS MUSIC.  I look forward to hearing the premiere (along with other of my pieces) in Miami in May!

Some Very Old Words Rediscovered

Susan Quittmeyer Morris and I were music students together at Illinois Wesleyan University in the 70's.  In December of 1973 she gave me a little handwritten Christmas greeting with these words by Scottish poet William Dunbar (1460 - 1520?).  I had tucked this away thinking I might someday set it to music.  The day has come!  I just finished this little carol for mixed chorus and piano on Dunbar's final stanza of On The Nativity of Christ:

"Sing, hevin imperial, most of hicht! Regions of air mak armony! All fish in flud and fowl of flicht Be mirthful and mak melody! All Gloria in excelsis cry!  Heaven, erd, se, man bird, and best, He that is crownit abone the sky Pro nobis Puer natus est!"