Kile Smith
Composer“His voice is unlike any other”—Craig Hella Johnson, Conspirare
“sublimely … ecstatically beautiful”—David Patrick Stearns, Philadelphia Inquirer
News
The Dawn’s Early Light
Conspirare, LA Guitar Quartet, cellist Douglas Harvey, on The Singing Guitar CD, released September 2020
Canticle and Alleluia
2020 Grammy, Classical Producer of the Year, Blanton Alspaugh
The Arc in the Sky
2020 Grammy Nomination, Best Choral Performance, The Crossing, Donald Nally
Everyone Sang
composed for virtual choir at the beginning of COVID, premiered by the Louisiana State University choirs in May 2020, available for free during the pandemic and ordered by dozens of choirs already
The Consolation of Apollo
More than 50 performances
Alleluia
Published by Hal Leonard, 2020
The Arc in the Sky with The Crossing received a 2020 Grammy nomination for Best Choral Performance, and the Canticle / Alleluia CD by Cincinnati’s Vocal Arts Ensemble helped win the 2020 Classical Producer of the Year Grammy for Blanton Alspaugh. A Birch in Winter, which includes Kile’s Where Flames a Word, won the 2020 Estonian Recording of the Year for Voces Musicales. The Dawn’s Early Light, Ave Maris Stella, The Book of Job, The Arc in the Sky, Where Flames a Word, The Consolation of Apollo, Vespers, Conspirare, the L.A. Guitar Quartet, Piffaro, Variant 6, iSing Girlchoir, Choral Arts Society of Washington … more here…
SEVEN NEW CDs • The Dawn’s Early Light to release 2020 by Conspirare with the L.A. Guitar Quartet. The Vocal Arts Ensemble of Cincinnati released Canticle and Alleluia and helped win the 2020 Classical Producer of the Year Grammy for Blanton Alspaugh. The Crossing and Donald Nally with The Arc in the Sky nominated for the 2020 Grammy Best Choral Performance, which they commissioned and premiered 2018. Where Flames a Word, In This Blue Room, Canticle, The Arc in the Sky … more here…
PERFORMANCES • After The Crossing brought out the CD and brought down the house at the 2019 Chorus America national conference in Philadelphia, The Arc in the Sky moved to London with the Cantus Ensemble, New York with the Ghostlight Chorus, Cincinnati with the Vocal Arts Ensemble, and the Northwestern University Chorale. The Consolation of Apollo, Where Flames a Word, Spirituals for Piano Trio, And Good in Every Thing, I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day … more here…
PUBLICATIONS • Of the Father’s Love Begotten for choir, organ, and brass premiered at Westminster Choir College and is published by GIA. I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day and Alleluia published by Hal Leonard. MusicSpoke … more here… (Photo credit: A. J. Waltz)
Performances, events
2 Jan. Fleisher Discoveries podcast. Louis Gesensway, Four Squares of Philadelphia
6 Jan. Alleluia published by Hal Leonard in the Craig Hella Johnson Choral Series
12 Jan. The Arc in the Sky. Vocal Arts Ensemble Cincinnati, Craig Hella Johnson
17 Jan. American Spirituals, Book Two. WRTI broadcast, Kevin Gordon, 4:15
19 Jan. A Child’s Afternoon. Anna Meyer, fl, Erik Meyer, org, St. Paul’s Lutheran, Glenside, PA, 3:00
26 Jan. 2020 GRAMMY Classical Producer of the Year, Blanton Alspaugh, Canticle, Vocal Arts Ensemble, Craig Hella Johnson
26 Jan. 2020 Estonian Recording of the Year, A Birch in Winter CD with Where Flames a Word, Voces Tallinn, David Puderbaugh
1 Feb. Interview on Brad Lacey’s The Great Message, WPHT 1210 AM Philadelphia, 5 AM
3 Feb. Fleisher Discoveries podcast. William Grant Still, Darker America, Danzas de Panama
23 Feb. A Child’s Afternoon. Anna Meyer, flute, Erik Meyer, organ, Deerfield Presbyterian, Deerfield, NJ, 4:00
3 Mar 2020. In This Blue Room. Lauren McAllister, mezzo, Ben Flanders, baritone. Cincinnati
16 Mar. “Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern” from Vespers. “Listen Adventurously,” Alan Muirhead, WORT-FM, Madison, WI
17 Mar. The Arc in the Sky, excerpts, KHNS-FM Alaska
4 Apr. “She Sees She Dresses Her Subjects” and “Reading Others” from In This Blue Room. Molly Biddle, mezzo-soprano. Haverford College, 7:00. COVID-19 canceled
13 Apr. Completed Everyone Sang, for SATB (virtual choir)
25 Apr 2020. The Consolation of Apollo. Westminster Williamson Voices, James Jordan. Cathedral Basilica, Philadelphia. COVID-19 canceled
1 May. Where Flames a Word on CD released by Chicago Chamber Choir, Christopher Windle, Live Art 2017–2020
8 May. Everyone Sang. Online premiere, Louisiana State University Chorale and Tiger Glee Club, Trey Davis, director
9 May. Jubilate Deo, for string orchestra. Temple University Prep Annual Concert. COVID-19 canceled
15–17 May. Ave Maris Stella. Piffaro, Variant 6. COVID-19 postponed to Fall 2021
24 May. The Consolation of Apollo. Portland State Chamber Choir, Ethan Sperry. COVID-19 canceled
6 Jun. Concert of all-Smith works, Riga Project Chorus, Chris Walsh Sinka, Daugavpils, Latvia. COVID-19 canceled
7 Jun. Concert of all-Smith works, Riga Project Chorus, Chris Walsh Sinka, Riga, Latvia. COVID-19 canceled
12 Jun. The Arc in the Sky. et al., Kevin Neel, Boston. COVID-19 canceled
14 Jun. And Good in Every Thing. Alium Spiritum, virtual concerts 3 and 8pm Eastern
14 Jun. The Arc in the Sky. et al., Kevin Neel, Boston. COVID-19 canceled
15 Jun. Completed Ave Maris Stella, for Piffaro the Renaissance Band and Variant 6
28 Jun. The Arc in the Sky. Vocal Arts Ensemble Cincinnati, Craig Hella Johnson, broadcast on WGUC Cincinnati, 8pm
5 Jul. Completed Go Forth into the World in Peace, SATB and piano, for Knox Presbyterian Church, Cincinnati
10 Jul. Completed The Star-Spangled Banner, arr. from The Dawn’s Early Light, SATB, piano, cello, for Hal Leonard
11–18 Jul. The Consolation of Apollo. Portland State Chamber Choir, Ethan Sperry. 12th World Symposium on Choral Music, Auckland, New Zealand. COVID-19 canceled
28 Jul. Completed There’s a Land Beyond the River, for voice and piano
17 Aug. Completed Rise Up, Shepherd, and Follow, SATB, piano, for The Choral Arts Society of Washington
18 Sep. The Singing Guitar release, with The Dawn’s Early Light. Craig Hella Johnson conducts Conspirare, L.A. Guitar Quartet, cellist Douglas Harvey
21 Sep. Online meeting with Loyola University Chicago Choir, Kirsten Hedegaard, preparing Everyone Sang
23 Sep. The Dawn’s Early Light. Classical Discoveries broadcast, WPRB Princeton, Marvin Rosen
Oct. WFMT Chicago Fall Fund Drive pledge gift Live Art CD incl. Where Flames a Word. Chicago Chamber Choir, Christopher Windle
3 Oct. The Dawn’s Early Light. Classical New Releases, WRTI Philadelphia, Mark Pinto
4 Oct. The Heavens Declare. St. Mary’s Episcopal, Richmond, Ryan Tibbetts
10 Oct. Host, interviewer, Southeastern Pennsylvania Symphony Orchestra livestream
11 Oct. The Dawn’s Early Light. Going Beyond Words, KVNO Omaha, Stanley Schmidt
18 Oct. Go Forth into the World in Peace. Premiere, Knox Presbyterian Church, Cincinnati, Earl Rivers
24 Oct. Everyone Sang, Chicago Chamber Choir virtual concert, Christopher Windle
26 Oct, week of. The Singing Guitar Classical Album of the Week, including The Dawn’s Early Light. WRTI-FM Philadelphia
7 Nov. Host, interviewer, Southeastern Pennsylvania Symphony Orchestra livestream
22 Nov. Singing City Webinar Panel, 2:00, The Composer’s Craft in Choral Music, with Jeffrey Brillhart, Melissa Dunphy, Jay Fluellen
12–16 Dec 2021. The Consolation of Apollo and The Waking Sun. Recording with The Crossing and Quicksilver
17 Dec 2021. The Consolation of Apollo and The Waking Sun. The Crossing @ Christmas
19 Dec 2021. The Consolation of Apollo and The Waking Sun. The Crossing @ Christmas, Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia
Spring. The Book of Job. Conspirare, Craig Hella Johnson. Staged premiere
9–12 Nov. Recording The Book of Job. The Crossing
13 Nov. The Book of Job. The Crossing, Donald Nally. Concert premiere
