Ashes Into Light
The performance and education programs are presented by The O'Shaughnessy and planet Ordway as part of their 2008-09 series, and will be held at The O'Shaughnessy at the College of St. Catherine. In addition to the premiere performance of Ah Nagasaki, the concert will feature individual presentations by each of the participating ensembles.
Sub-titled “Ashes into Light,” the centerpiece of the program is a three-movement, half-hour cantata for chorus, vocal soloists, and orchestra by the American composer Robert Kyr. The work was commissioned by the Nagasaki Peace Museum to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the atomic bombing of the city; the text, in both Japanese and English, is a collaboration between Mr. Kyr and the Japanese writer Kazuaki Tanahashi. The musical forces called for are large: four soloists (soprano, alto, tenor, and baritone), boy and girl soprano, mixed (adult) choirs, children's choirs, chanter, and orchestra (with a percussion section that includes Japanese taiko drums as well as Western instruments). This visionary work is a journey from the profound tragedy of nuclear annihilation to reconciliation and 'waging peace' as a means of freeing the world from weapons of mass destruction.Images created by artist Kazuaki Tanahashi, librettist for "Ah Nagasaki." Interested in reading more about choral singing and community engagement? Click here for Shekela Wanyama's thoughtful and provocative paper on the subject. Click here to learn more about past Bridges programs
Saturday, October 11, 2008 at 7:30 p.m.
The O'Shaughnessy at the College of St. Catherine
Kathy Saltzman Romey, Conductor
Allegro Choral Academy, Bel Canto Choir
Gregory Douma, Conductor
Gaia Philharmonic Choir and Yokohama Chamber Choir "Kai"
Ko Matsushita, Conductor
Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra
William Schrickel, Conductor
Minneapolis Youth Chorus
Patrice Arasim, Conductor
Mu Daiko
Rick Shiomi, Director
This October, the Chorale and partnering artists, all under the direction of Kathy Saltzman Romey, will present the world premiere of Ah Nagasaki in St. Paul, which since 1955 has maintained an active sister-city relationship with Nagasaki (the first of its kind in the United States). Joining the Chorale will be the Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra, the Chorale's own Minneapolis Youth Chorus and the Bel Canto choir of the Allegro Choral Academy, taiko (traditional Japanese) drummers from Mu Daiko, and vocal soloists. Members of the Gaia Philharmonic Choir and Yokohama Chamber Choir "Kai" and their conductor, Ko Matsushita, will travel from Japan to take part in both the performance and the educational programs surrounding the event.
The performance and education programs are presented by The O'Shaughnessy and planet Ordway as part of their 2008-09 series, and will be held at The O'Shaughnessy at the College of St. Catherine. In addition to the premiere performance of Ah Nagasaki, the concert will feature individual presentations by each of the participating ensembles.
Sub-titled “Ashes into Light,” the centerpiece of the program is a three-movement, half-hour cantata for chorus, vocal soloists, and orchestra by the American composer Robert Kyr. The work was commissioned by the Nagasaki Peace Museum to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the atomic bombing of the city; the text, in both Japanese and English, is a collaboration between Mr. Kyr and the Japanese writer Kazuaki Tanahashi. The musical forces called for are large: four soloists (soprano, alto, tenor, and baritone), boy and girl soprano, mixed (adult) choirs, children's choirs, chanter, and orchestra (with a percussion section that includes Japanese taiko drums as well as Western instruments). This visionary work is a journey from the profound tragedy of nuclear annihilation to reconciliation and 'waging peace' as a means of freeing the world from weapons of mass destruction.Images created by artist Kazuaki Tanahashi, librettist for "Ah Nagasaki." Interested in reading more about choral singing and community engagement? Click here for Shekela Wanyama's thoughtful and provocative paper on the subject. Click here to learn more about past Bridges programs
