On Friday’s St. Louis on the Air, host Don Marsh learned more about the Saint Louis Chamber Chorus’ 62nd season, which begins Oct. 1. The first performance of the six-concert season will feature a world premiere by Swedish composer Mårten Jansson.
Joining us in studio were Jansson himself as well as Philip Barnes, the artistic director of the Saint Louis Chamber Chorus, to preview the concert and what’s coming up in the 2017-2018 season.
"The theme is dance to the music of time," said Barnes of the season's setup. "I love the phrase, so I put together six programs that explore the influence of dance on choral music, but also of time."
Jansson's piece, which will premiere during the Oct. 1 performance, is titled "Tonight I Dance Alone." Jannson said the piece was developed by coincidence when he stumbled on the poetry of Charles Anthony Silvestri.
"I once heard a popular song about a man whose grandchildren asked him why he was wearing dancing shoes and he said he was wearing dancing shoes because he knew he would die one day and he wore the shoes for when he met his wife in death," Jannson said. "I commissioned this poem from Silvestri."
Listen as Jannson discusses the inspirations for his music and listen to samples from his previous work here:
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