I went to see KC VITAs this afternoon at St. Peter's Catholic Church here in Kansas City. This was the second of their Summer Series 2019. Jackson Thomas is the Artistic Director of this very gifted choral ensemble whose mission is performing contemporary choral works by composers from all over the world...40 to date. I had the pleasure of interviewing Jackson a few years ago and have been a fan of his and this organization ever since. That Kansas City is home to such a cutting-edge and ground breaking ensemble is no surprise given his dedication to his art, as well as the talent and dedication of the singers who give their time and hearts to this endeavor. Today's program consisted of thirteen works which presented a wide range of polyphonic ideas and styles. I am not a choral music expert, but to my ears, these were innovative, dynamic and interesting works. They were:
The Prow by Matthew Lyon Hazzard of North Carolina (Regional Premiere)
Chasing Eclipses (from the Back of the Black) by L. V. Wood of Kansas (World Premiere)
When the Rain Comes by Bonnie McLarty of Kansas
Joy, Shipmate, Joy (from Voyaging) by Christian Guebert of California (Regional Premiere)
Translucence by Donna McKevitt of Great Britain (United States Premiere)
Sitivit anima mea by David Nunn of England (United States Premiere)
Wessobrunner gebert by Chris Williams of England ((World Premiere)
Hide and Seek (or a Life in Tow Minutes) by Francis Kayali of Illinois (World Premiere)
Telling the Bees by Philip W. Riegle of Illinois (World Premiere)
Lux Aeterna by Carlos Cordero of Venezuela (World Premiere)
Starlight by Austin Theriot of Nebraska
A Present from a Small Distant World by Alex Eddington of Canada (World Premiere)
I carry your heart with me by Jonathan Reid of Texas (World Premiere)
The performance was first rate. The accompanying pianist, Charles Dickinson, positioned right next to the group, gave the music its instrumental base with perfect balance and volume.
The sequencing was clearly thought out because the concert flowed effortlessly from one work to the next. Such pacing is important to both the performer and listener.
This concert...all of KC VITAs' concerts...are FREE to the public. Please consider making a donation so these concerts can continue to be free to all. Here is the KC VITAs website: https://www.kcvitas.org/
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July 17, 2019 marked the fifty-second anniversary of the passing of John Coltrane. Hands down, he is my favorite saxophone player of all time. Let me go even further than that....he is one of my favorite musicians of all time. He left us far too soon. But his musical legacy is huge. One composition that has always stood out for me is Dear Lord, which he recorded on May 26, 1965. I like what Michael Cuscuna wrote in his liner notes for the album The Gentle Side of John Coltrane:
"Wise One, Welcome, and Dear Lord come from 1964 and 1965, a period when the passion of John Coltrane's spirituality were most graphically and effectively expressed in his music. His love and respect for his fellow human beings, his inner peace and growing understanding and his constant searching came through his writing and playing and permeated every nerve and fiber of those who were willing to really listen. That was the sound of a man possessed...with sanity."
My country seems to be full of insanity. Mass shootings. I look to music to find comfort and hope,
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