The Voices of Ascension Chorus performs James Bassi's Protect, a commissioned world premiere, on November 9, 2022 in New York City, under the direction of Dennis Keene.
Come, my people, enter your chambers, and shut your doors behind you;
hide yourselves for a little while until the fury has passed by. -Isaiah 26:20
I wrote ‘Protect’ during the early months of the Covid pandemic. For many of us - certainly for me - it was a period of time when one had to manage feelings of isolation, fear, and uncertainty. Though the smoke has not exactly cleared, we are in a much better place than we were.
The text of the piece comes from the book of Isaiah, which holds up a mirror strangely parallel to our current experiences. The opening sections of music are meditative and interior in tone. In the English translation I chose, the plagues are powerfully described by the word ‘fury.’
This word functions as a trigger in the piece, upsetting the relatively placid texture and creating a surge of dramatic tension. We then hear a recap of some of the calmer opening material, and a coda. Regarding this ending, Dennis has an observation which I find striking, and I share it here: at the close of the piece there is a resolution, but a qualified and ambiguous one. We must keep or eyes on ongoing and future challenges, whatever they may be.
James Bassi, 2020
The choral artists in this concert are represented by AGMA, the American Guild of Musical Artists, AFL-CIO, the union that represents artists performing in opera, modern dance and choral presentations, as well as choreographers, stage directors, and stage managers.
Voices of Ascension is a professional choral ensemble dedicated to the transformative impact of group singing. With an unwavering commitment to artistic excellence, Voices presents exceptional performances of choral masterpieces and expands the choral art form itself through commissioning new works for vocal ensemble and including a diverse roster of professional musicians, living composers, and ensembles of varying sizes to create enriching experiences for audiences.
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4 окт 2024
