By Jenny Wagner BEAVER FALLS, PA — Surrounded by students past and present, Robert Copeland took his final bow Saturday night as the longtime conductor of The Genevans. “Dr. Bob,” as he is affectionately called by students and singers, is retiring after 31 years as a music professor and leader of the renowned student choir […]
Sacred Harp popular with youth choir in Brooklyn
By Daniel J. Kushner BROOKLYN, NY — For young musicians who are called on to perform the works of contemporary composers, utilizing “extended techniques” that one might readily encounter in 20th century compositions is not unusual. Being asked to interpret music inspired by an early 19th-century American style of shape note singing called Sacred Harp […]
New Disc with VOLTI
My new disc, “Best Served Cold,” is available for pre-order on iTunes and will be released on approximately April 1. It contains a wonderful performance of my choral work, “Time’s Dream,” by Volti/Robert Geary, conductor.
A BURNT SHIP by John Donne SSATBar 1:30
A sharply dissonant setting of John Donne’s (1572-1631) terrifying six line poem, intended for all-male choir, difficult. Part of a series of war poems begun many years ago and recently resumed. While these pieces may be sung by mixed choirs, the effect of boys and men is preferred by the composer. “Out of a fired ship, […]
Quiet Lyricism Shines In Gjielo’s New Work
By Libby Motika PALISADES, CA — One of the most exciting events in a composer’s life is to hear his or her opus performed for the first time. Music at St. Matthew’s Director Tom Neenan got the jump on Ola Gjielo while rehearsing the composer’s commissioned work, ‘O Solitude,’ for its world premiere tomorrow […]
Youth Choir fills the musical void left by state education cuts
By Clara Beard ASH FORK, AZ — Through musical notes and scales, Ash Fork local Kathleen Petty fills the silence left by state education budget cuts. “Everyone has sports out here, but they don’t have music,” Petty said. “Sports you can do so long, but music you can play enjoy for the rest […]