True Concord Voices & Orchestra will premiere a work composed as part of its Stephen Paulus Emerging Composer Competition in a Veterans Day-themed program that also includes an excerpt from Paulus’ Grammy-winning “Prayers and Remembrances.”
Also on the program for the “American Rhythm” concert is Samuel Barber’s choral work “Agnus Dei,” which the composer adapted for a cappella choir from his Adagio for Strings that was played at President John F. Kennedy’s funeral and in the Academy Award-winning film “Platoon.”
The concert, which will be performed twice on Saturday, Nov. 3, and once on Sunday, Nov. 4, celebrates Armistice Day, which marked the end of World War I.
True Concord Music Director Eric Holtan’s program centers on the theme of peace, bravery and patriotism largely through the lens of men who served on the front lines of battle.
- Mack Wilberg’s “God of Our Fathers” borrows a hymn written to commemorate the centenary of the Declaration of Independence by Civil War veteran Daniel C. Roberts.
- Composer Martin Sedek set text from World War I veteran Alan Seeger’s poem “The Hosts” in his “The Beauty of Cosmic Things.”
- Minnesota composer Jake Runestad set the poetry of Iraq and Afghanistan veteran Brian Turner in his “Dreams of the Fallen.” Runestad will be in residency this weekend for the True Concord performances.
“Dreams,” a 25-minute choral work for piano, orchestra and voices, will feature pianist Jeffrey Biegel, who was central in commissioning the piece for a consortium of orchestras that included the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, the Symphony Chorus of New Orleans, the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus, the Rockford Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, the Philharmonic of Southern New Jersey and the Virginia Arts Festival. It borrows texts from Turner’s books of poetry “Here, Bullet” and “Phantom Noise.”
Holtan said the poems describe a soldier’s emotions grappling with death and destruction from war and how soldiers move on once they come home.
“No matter our personal opinions of war, may ‘Dreams of the Fallen’ deepen our awareness of its impact and challenge us to listen, feel, grieve and seek to understand those who have given of themselves for our country,” Runestad said in a written statement.
Sedek’s piece snagged the top prize in True Concord’s second annual Stephen Paulus Emerging Composer Competition to honor the late American composer. True Concord initiated the composing competition in Paulus’ memory. The group was nominated for a Grammy along with Paulus for their recording of “Prayers,” which the group commissioned from Paulus to commemorate the 10-year anniversary of 9/11.
Holtan said True Concord will have a choir of 36 and an orchestra of 40 for this weekend’s concerts.
