Category Archives: new music

Now is the Time. #100

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This Sunday, Apr 29, 10–11 pm.

Steven Burke. Nervosa.
Dave Brubeck. Strange Meadow Lark.
Dave Brubeck. It’s a Raggy Waltz.
Philip Koplow. Variations on a Hymn Tune.
Patrick Beckman. Stomp.
Denman Maroney. I’m Yours.
Kile Smith. American Spirituals, Book 1.
Eric Whitacre. i thank you God for most this amazing day.

An encore broadcast of our 100th show. In addition to wonderful works evocative of my thoughts on the series, I set the bar lower and play my own music, only time I’ve done this.

Now is the Time, American contemporary music, Sundays at 10 pm. On WRTI-HD2 and on the classical stream at wrti.org, it’s all styles of concert music by living American composers. Here are the recording details and complete schedule, and because you  really wanted to know, here’s the theme music and how it was written. Tell me what you think (if I can’t take it, I promise to write back), and ask me where to send CDs for broadcast consideration.

Mass for Philadelphia

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How hard could it be to write a unison choral piece? How about a piece for unrehearsed singers—not a choir— who get only one shot at it?

Well, that’s much of church music, the congregational singing part of it, anyway. I’ve written many hymns for just this situation, but with those you at least get multiple verses to figure things out. With service music, such as a Mass, you go though it once and, until a week later, that’s it.

The Association of Anglican Musicians commissioned me to write music for the Closing Eucharist of their National Conference in Philadelphia, June 17–22, 2012. I completed it about a month and a half ago, and after field-testing and tweaking, sent the unison congregation part to the printer yesterday for inclusion in the bulletin.

The Mass for Philadelphia will be sung during the Closing Eucharist, 3:30 pm Thursday, 21 Jun 2012, at St. Luke and The Epiphany, Philadelphia. Assisting in the congregational singing will be a massed children’s choir from churches in the greater Philadelphia area. The Mass is for unison congregation, organ, and optional cantor and descant.

Actually, the congregation for this premiere will be mostly musicians, of course, and will include many fine singers (or those like me, who are just bold singers), but we’re hoping for this to be the start of many more opportunities for its use by all sorts of churches, big and small. I’ll also be an exhibitor at the Conference, bringing along lots of my choral music, including full scores of this Mass.

My deepest thanks to Phillip and Heather Shade and the AAM.

Andrea Clearfield, Mendelssohn Club

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Looking forward to this Sunday, 29 Apr, 4pm, for the Mendelssohn Club concert (in collaboration with the Pennsylvania Girlchoir) featuring Andrea Clearfield’s fascinating new work Tse Go La.

I’m moderating a panel discussion beforehand, 1:30 at fye, Broad & Chestnut, which will illuminate the work and its background. I know it will be illuminating because of the panelists, who, in addition to Andrea, are anthropologist Sienna Craig, Mendelssohn Club Artistic Director Alan Harler, The Venerable Losang Samten, and Tsering Jurme of The Tibetan Association of Philadelphia.

Also on the concert, the Fauré Requiem. Hope to see you there!

Now is the Time. United Nations

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Coming up Sunday, Apr 22, 10–11 pm.

Emma Lou Diemer. Homage to Paderewski
James Hartway. Holiday in Paris
Harold Farberman. Greek Scene
Rick Sowash. Variations on a Hiking Song
Gabriela Lena Frank. Barcarola Latinamericana

Now is the Time, American contemporary music, Sundays at 10 pm. On WRTI-HD2 and on the classical stream at wrti.org, it’s all styles of concert music by living American composers. Here are the recording details and complete schedule, and because you  really wanted to know, here’s the theme music and how it was written. Tell me what you think (if I can’t take it, I promise to write back), and ask me where to send CDs for broadcast consideration.

Now is the Time. Vera of Las Vegas

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Coming up Sunday, Apr 15, 10–11 pm.

Daron Hagen. Vera of Las Vegas

Now is the Time, American contemporary music, Sundays at 10 pm. On WRTI-HD2 and on the classical stream at wrti.org, it’s all styles of concert music by living American composers. Here are the recording details and complete schedule, and because you  really wanted to know, here’s the theme music and how it was written. Tell me what you think (if I can’t take it, I promise to write back), and ask me where to send CDs for broadcast consideration.

Now is the Time, Apr 1 2012

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Coming up Sunday, 10–11 pm:

Music for Words, Perhaps

Roberto Sierra. Kyrie, from Missa Latina “Pro Pace“

Bernard Rands. Walcott Songs

Denman Maroney. Music for Words, Perhaps

Now is the Time, American contemporary music, Sundays at 10 pm. On WRTI-HD2 and on the classical stream at wrti.org, it’s all styles of concert music by living American composers. Here are the recording details and complete schedule, and because you really wanted to know, here’s the theme music and how it was written. Tell me what you think (if I can’t take it, I promise to write back), and ask me where to send CDs for broadcast consideration.

Testimony

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My first thought was to call this short piano work Elegy, my second, not to. We were all saddened by the tragedy of Sam Hsu’s death, but anyone who knew Sam could not stay sad for long. Elegy, though, seemed to lock me into sadness, however peaceful or resigned it may be.

I knew that I would use the tune of “Beneath the Cross of Jesus,” as it was a favorite hymn of Sam’s. His arrangement of it resonates with me to this day. Its beauty and Debussy-like luxuriance speak so eloquently of Sam’s personality while playing anything on the piano. When I was a student composer, I thought it wasn’t fair that anyone who didn’t compose could write something so beautiful. And now…well, I still don’t think it’s fair.

Three elements go into this piece: a chaconne (repeating chords and bass line), bits of the hymn tune, and the letters of Sam’s name (in pitches, Samuel becomes E-flat, A, E, C, E, A, and Hsu, B, E-flat, C). It opens with “I fain would take… my…,” and then Sam’s name is played over the chaconne. It gradually becomes busier, until it ends on “I fain would take my…,” and then, in a new key, “stand.”

Very simply, the tune for the words “Beneath the cross of Jesus” is stated, then Sam’s letters again. And then I felt him showing me what the title should be. It is his testimony, and mine.

Premiered 24 March 2012 by Ephraim Schäfli, at Philadelphia Biblical University, Dr. Samuel Hsu Memorial Concert. Commissioned by Philadelphia Biblical University.