Thursday - the moment when what the composer has heard in his head meets what we have brought to life so far.
Shawn began by telling us that what inspired him to write about the war in Iraq was his brother's imminent departure
for a third tour of duty there, and his brother's profound concern about taking lives.
Gabe thought " Yesterday's rehearsal with both Shawn Crouch and Mason Bates was inspiring and nerve-wracking, while truly completing the picture of both pieces for me..." Read Gabe's full post, as well as a message from Shawn, by clicking on Comments, below.
Posts
What a thrill it is to hear the music you've heard for the past year in your head come alive through a live ensemble. I loved seeing what parts of the piece the singers enjoy performing and what they have trouble with. What a great ensemble. Thank you,
ReplyDeleteShawn
Yesterday's rehearsal with both Shawn Crouch and Mason Bates was inspiring and nerve-wracking, while truly completing the picture of both pieces for me. To have those two gentlemen explain in their own words where the inspiration was drawn for their pieces, as well as answer specific musical and interpretive questions about their works, was an opportunity that we don't get with the majority of the music we perform. That means that Shawn can describe a sound he wants to embody "a canvas bag that's been left in the desert wind for about ten years" and Mason can clarify that the slides he wants in the first and last movements of his piece are to invoke the idea of "honey-dripping lips". Those sorts of comments are what make the music come alive for me.
ReplyDeleteAlmost more importantly I got to have lunch outside in the park with both Shawn and Mason, and that for me is an almost equally illuminating insight in to their music. Over falafel sandwiches and nicoise salad we began to see the people from where this music came, the human element behind the notes of a page. This comfort, humor and personal connection can, I believe, only enhance the comprehension and performance of these amazing pieces.