GSCC Member Event
Concord & Discord
Description
BRISTOW When Music Sounds [world premiere]
KECHLEY Hard Times: Antiphonal Conversations [world premiere]
BACH Magnificat in D major, BWV 243
“When music sounds, gone is the earth I know, and all her lovely things even lovelier grow.” That line from the poet Walter de la Mare forms the core notion of Sheila Bristow’s new work, which celebrates the many gifts music bestows upon us. Another of our lockdown-era commissions, this piece was written in the hope of a return to the very art form that brings us all together.
Bob Kechley’s Hard Times, also a pandemic project, explores some of the darker sides of living in a time of turmoil: disagreement, conflict, and acrimony. But in the end, this work — a “concerto” scored for a unique lineup of two harpsichords and three chamber ensembles — seeks reconciliation and enlightenment.
Bach’s Magnificat is a perennial favorite, one of the major delights of the Baroque repertoire. The shortest of Bach’s major choral works, the Magnificat displays just how much variety can fit into a small package.
