Taking chorus in unheard-of directions- Interview with Donald Nally

Donald Nally, 50, founded the Crossing, an unusual, fully
professional chamber choir in Philadelphia, in 2005. The acclaimed
group cultivates composers who take choral singing in totally
unheard-of directions. In its June festival in Chestnut Hill, the
Crossing will perform four world premieres, along with works
written in the last 15 years. Inquirer music critic David Patrick
Stearns spoke with Nally, who is moving back to Philadelphia to
work more closely with his creation.

Question: You’re leaving your position as chorus master at the
Lyric Opera of Chicago. Though you were preparing choruses for
performances that others would conduct, the Chicago job was among
the best of its kind. Why are you returning to Philadelphia?

Donald Nally: Carmen is a great opera, but seven or eight times
is enough. I don’t need to do another one of those. I love doing a
variety of things, and I want to have more control over my own
repertoire. I’m doing what I want to do. The Crossing isn’t going
to pay me a living. Maybe someday. Maybe it’ll close its doors
after a few seasons.

Q: That’s not likely as long as the Philadelphia Music Project
is giving you grants up to $70,000, which it did for your 2013
season. How will you use it?

Nally: We’re pinching ourselves to see if we’re still alive! The
project is named the Gulf Between You and Me. It’s taking the Gulf
of Mexico oil-spill tragedy, but also drawing parallels between our
inability to communicate with each other and listen to what the
Earth is telling us. So the gap between us and a healthy Earth just
gets larger and larger.

Q: That’s a heady concept – but then all of your festivals have
them.

Nally: I don’t want to sound like we’re trying to educate
anybody. I’m not interested in producing art that challenges the
audience. We’re strictly about singing the best music that’s being
written today and hopefully commissioning some of it.

Q: The ancient Roman philosopher and playwright Seneca is the
theme of your 2011 festival. What relevance does he have to
us?