A TIME FOR LIFE - Anima Mundi Productions

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A TIME FOR LIFE - Anima Mundi Productions
A TIME FOR LIFE

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A TIME FOR LIFE - Anima Mundi Productions
CAPPELLA ROMANA

     Alexander Lingas                                    Robert Kyr: A Time for Life
Founder and Artistic Director
                                                         An environmental oratorio
        soprano
    LeaAnne DenBeste
     Stephanie Noble

           alto
       Tuesday Rupp
  Kristen Buhler, alto (A2)
                                           Part I: CREATION                   Part III: REMEMBERING
         tenor
       Cahen Taylor                     i. Prologue. [Instrumental]              I. DANCE OF LIFE
       Mark Powell                             ii. Proclaiming.
                                                 iii. Arriving.                II. CANTICLE OF LIFE
           bass                                   iv. Praising.                 Canticle: First Part
        Aaron Cain                               v. Trembling.                       i. First Soliloquy
        David Stutz                              vi. Rejoicing.                       ii. First Canons
                                                                                iii. Chorale, First Verse
                                         Part II: FORGETTING
                                                                              Canticle: Second Part
                                        i. Prologue. [Instrumental]              iv. Second Soliloquy
THIRD ANGLE NEW MUSIC
                                                                              v. Chorale, Second Verse
                                 ii. Supplication I: We Ignore Your Word          vi. Second Canons
       Ron Blessinger                 iii. Witness I: Look and Behold
  Violin & Artistic Director                                                  Canticle: Third Part
                                iv. Supplication II: We Devour Your Forest        vii. Third Soliloquy
       Anna Schaum                 v. Witness II: Breathe and Remember        viii. Chorale, Third Verse
          Viola                                                                    ix. Third Canons
                                vi. Supplication III: We Defile Your Oceans
     Hamilton Cheifetz                 vii. Witness III: The Survivor          Canticle: Final Part
       Violoncello                                                               x. Final Chorale
                                 viii. Supplication IV: We Destroy Nature        xi. Final Canons
                                   ix. Witness IV: Howl, You Shepherds!            xii. Epilogue

                                   x. Supplication V: We Pollute the Air
                                      xi. Witness V: The Joyless Land

                                  xii. Supplication VI: The Dying Planet
                                     xiii. Witness VI: The Sacred Way

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A TIME FOR LIFE - Anima Mundi Productions
camp in 1942); and the Orthodox “Service for the
                                                              Environment” that was written in 1961 by the monk
                                                              Gerasimos at the monastery of the Skete of Little
                                                              Anne on Mt. Athos (Greece).
                                                              • Part II: Forgetting. The second part explores
A TIME FOR LIFE BY ROBERT KYR                                 humanity’s present inability to live in harmony with
Program note by the composer                                  nature as “forgetting” and makes a recurrent appeal
                                                              to the Creator: “… We forget who we are. Help us to
                                                              remember …” Forgetting is structured in six sections
One of the most urgent issues facing the world today          and each consists of two parts: a “supplication” (a
is the ecological crisis caused by humanity’s inability       solo followed by canons) paired with a “witness”
to live in harmony with the natural world. My                 account (an aria, duo or trio). The sources for Part II
collaboration with Cappella Romana grew out of our            are: the U.N. Environmental Sabbath Program; the
mutual concern about this potentially catastrophic            Books of Jeremiah and Isaiah; the Chinook Psalter;
situation. After many discussions, I decided to create        and an Ojibway Prayer, as well as the Orthodox
an environmental oratorio in order to address this            “Service for the Environment.”
crucial topic from a variety of perspectives.                 • Part III: Remembering. The third part begins with
A Time for Life (2007) was created for eight of the           the Dance of Life followed by the Canticle of Life. The
principal singers of Cappella Romana, Alexander               “dance” features a double chorus singing call-and-
Lingas (its director), and the ensemble Medieval              response (three women juxtaposed with three men),
Strings with a later version (2008) for modern                whereas the “canticle” is structured in four parts,
instruments (Third Angle New Music). The work                 each of which contains a soliloquy (solo), a section
features each of its vocalists as a soloist, a chamber        of canons, and a chorale (full, eight-voice choral
musician (a member of duo- and trio-formations),              texture). The text sources for Part III are a Pawnee/
and a chorister (part of the full eight-voice choral          Osage/Omaha Indian Song, a Navaho Chant, the
texture). I know the artists of Cappella Romana               Book of Ecclesiastes, and the Orthodox “Service for
well and so I created the oratorio expressly for              the Environment.”
them so that they could explore the full range of             A Time for Life is a “musical play” that traces a
their abilities. In this sense, A Time for Life is a          journey from the glory of Creation as it was given to
musical play in which each “character” (singer or             humanity (Part I) through our destructive behavior
instrumentalist) performs a variety of roles. In a live       as demonstrated by the current global environmental
performance, this play is also enacted through both           crisis (Part II: Forgetting). The potential for
the music and a simple choral choreography; the               destruction is total: the forest (Supplication &
movement of the performers through the concert                Witness II); the oceans (Supplication III); animal life
space is a journey that embodies the meaning of the           (Supplication IV); the air we breathe (Supplication
text.                                                         V); and the entire planet itself as plagued by
The composite text for A Time for Life was adapted            corruption and abuse (Supplication VI). No one
from a wide range of sources that explore the                 can escape the responsibility for the earth (“My
relationship of humanity to nature. The work is               people are fools,/Senseless children/Who have no
structured in three large-scale parts, as follows:            understanding”), especially the leaders (“No more
• Part I: Creation. In the first part, the nature of          will the fool be called noble,/For he speaks foolishly,/
creation is celebrated through praise for the Creator         Planning evil in his heart”). The ruling class of all
and through rejoicing in the pure creative force              nations is particularly culpable in its folly (“Howl,
of existence. The text was adapted from several               you shepherds, and wail!/Roll in the dust, leaders of
sources: a Sioux Prayer; an Eskimo Song; Psalm 8;             the flock!/There is no flight for shepherds,/No escape
An Akathist in Praise of God’s Creation (attributed to        for leaders of the flock./There is no escape!”).
Metropolitan Tryphon, 1934, but possibly written by           The final phase of the journey (Part III:
Father Gregory Petrov who died in a Soviet prison             Remembering) moves towards a hopeful future in
                                                          3
A TIME FOR LIFE - Anima Mundi Productions
which humanity serves as a responsible steward of                              And thus, my environmental oratorio traces our
the earth and thus realigns itself with the creative                           journey from a state of division and separation to the
forces of existence. This journey is a spiritual one                           way of unity and wholeness.
in which we remember our true responsibility                                                                           ­—Robert Kyr
of stewardship for the earth, and through this
awakening finally “act[s] as one to preserve creation”
(Part III: Final Chorale). This spiritual awakening
leads to true and sustained action, as the final arc
of the journey passes through three phases: “…
remembering… restoring… rejoicing…” In turn, these
phases lead to gratitude for all life: “Beauty before
me…behind me…below me…above me…around
me…In beauty it is finished…”
A Time for Life is dedicated to Alexander Lingas and
Cappella Romana. I believe that music and the arts
have a crucial role to play in the transformation of
the current energy of cynicism and destruction into
the life-sustaining attitude and energy of creativity.

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                                             IO
                                          AT
                                         OL
“THE GREEN PATRIARCH,” CAPPELLA                              are most properly ordered by love and thanksgiving.
ROMANA, AND A TIME FOR LIFE                                  Some years ago Robert Kyr, having become aware
Before climate change became a pressing item on the          of and admiring the environmental initiatives of
global agenda, signs of human abuse of the natural           Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, approached
environment had prompted efforts in religious                me with the idea of composing an oratorio for
communities throughout the world to recover                  Cappella Romana that would address some of
spiritually grounded notions of human stewardship            the same issues. This led to further conversations
within creation. For Orthodox Christianity, this             between us exploring past and present perspectives
process began in earnest during the second half              on the relationship between divinity, humanity
of the tenure of His All-Holiness Dimitrios I as             and the environment. These discussions served as
Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople (1972–                a background for the creation of his libretto for A
1991). Theological inquiry was succeeded by public           Time for Life, in which Professor Kyr sensitively
engagement in 1989 when Ecumenical Patriarch                 incorporates excerpts from the Bible, the worship of
Dimitrios set aside September 1st, New Year’s Day            Eastern Orthodoxy, and the prayers of indigenous
in the liturgical calendar of Eastern Orthodox               peoples. As set to music, these texts movingly render
Churches, as an occasion for Christians under                the loss of ancient wisdom regarding responsible
his jurisdiction to offer prayers annually for the           stewardship of creation, its horrific consequences for
protection of the environment.                               our environment, and the potential offered by the
September 1st was chosen as liturgically                     recovery of spiritual tradition for re-establishing a
suitable because themes of supplication and                  harmonious relationship with nature.
thanksgiving for creation were already present                                                 —Alexander Lingas
in the existing medieval service texts for this
day (albeit with emphasis on preserving the city,
imperial government and church of Byzantine
Constantinople). Common prayer specifically
“for our environment and for the welfare of all
creation” was facilitated the following year by the
commissioning of a new liturgical office in Greek
from Fr. Gerasimos of the Skete of Little Anne on
the Holy Mountain of Athos (1905–91), a prolific
poet who had been previously recognized by the
Ecumenical Patriarchate as “Hymnwriter of the
Great Church.” In 1992, at the request of the World
Council of Churches, Archimandrite Ephrem (Lash)
made a slightly expanded English version of this
new office, the full text of which is available on his
personal website (www.anastasis.org.uk/environm.
htm).
The present Ecumenical Patriarch, His All-Holiness
Bartholomew I, has made the preservation of the
environment a focal point of his ministry. Described
previously in this booklet by the Rev. Dr. John
Chryssavgis, his efforts have led the international
media to dub him “the Green Patriarch.” One of their
recurrent themes, sounded also by other Eastern
Orthodox writers, has been that maltreatment of
the natural environment rests ultimately on human
distortions of relationships with God and nature that

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T2: Glory
                                                           For the natural world through which
A TIME FOR LIFE                                            We live and move and have our being.
An Environmental Oratorio                                  T1: O our Mother, the Earth, hear us
                                                           And give us support.
Vocalists:   S1 (Soprano I)                                T2: Glory
		           S2 (Soprano II/Mezzo-soprano)                 For the flowering earth
		           A1 (Alto I)                                   Filled with plants and trees.
		           A2 (Alto II)                                  A1: O Spirit of the East,
		           T1 (Tenor I)                                  Send us your Wisdom.
		           T2 (Tenor II)                                 T2: Glory
		           B1 (Bass I / Baritone)                        For the seas, vast and wide,
		           B2 (Bass II)                                  And all the creatures within.
Textual Sources:        The composite text for A           B1: O Spirit of the South,
Time for Life is adapted from the following sources:       May we tread your path of life.
a Sioux prayer; an Eskimo song; the Chinook                T2: Glory
Psalter; an Ojibway prayer; a Pawnee/Osage/ Omaha          For all animals and living things,
Indian song; a Navaho chant; the Orthodox “Service         Both great and small.
for the Environment”; “An Akathist in Praise               A2: O Spirit of the West,
of God’s Creation” (Orthodox); United Nations              May we always be ready for the long journey.
Environmental Sabbath Program; Psalm 8; Book of            T2: Glory
Jeremiah; Book of Isaiah; Book of Ecclesiastes; and        For beautiful weather and flourishing seasons.
original texts by the composer.                            B2: O Spirit of the North, purify us
                                                           With your cleansing winds.
Part I: CREATION                                           T2: Glory
                                                           For the breath of winds
i. Prologue. [Instrumental]                                And the flow of waters.
                                                            T2: [Adapted, Orthodox “Service for the Environment”]
                                                            The others: [Adapted, Sioux Prayer]
ii. Proclaiming.
T2: O Lord,
You are the light of those in darkness,                    v. Trembling.
And my spirit sings your praises:                          S1: The great sea has set me in motion,
Glory for calling us into being.                           Set me adrift,
 [Adapted, Orthodox “Service for the Environment”]         And I move as a weed in the river.
                                                           O the arch of sky
iii. Arriving.                                             And mightiness of storms
T2: O Lord,                                                Encompasses me,
How wonderful is your name                                 And I am left
In all the earth!                                          Trembling with joy.
                                                            [Adapted, Eskimo Song]
 [Adapted, Psalm 8:1]
Glory for creating the beauty of the universe;             T2: O Lord,
Glory for your eternity within this fleeting world;        Glory to You
Glory for each step in our life journey…                   For the joy of moving and seeing and living.
 [Adapted, An Akathist in Praise of God’s Creation]
                                                           vi. Rejoicing.
iv. Praising.                                              [All:] Glory
S2: O our Father, the Sky, hear us                         From age to age.
                                                            [Adapted, An Akathist in Praise of God’s Creation]
And make us strong.

                                                       6
Part II: FORGETTING                                      Be as incense to thee,
                                                         As I breathe and remember
i. Prologue. [Instrumental]                              The ancient forests of earth.
                                                          [Adapted, Chinook Psalter]
ii. Supplication I: We Ignore Your Word
S1: O God:                                               vi. Supplication III: We Defile Your Oceans
We ignore your Word                                      S1: O Creator:
Serving only ourselves.                                  We defile your oceans,
 [Adapted, Orthodox “Service for the Environment”]       Harming and killing sea life.
                                                         S1+T2: We forget who we are.
T2: We forget who we are.                                [All:] Help us to remember.
S1+T2: Help us to remember.
 [Adapted, U.N. Environmental Sabbath Program]           vii. Witness III: The Survivor
                                                         S2/A1: Woe to those who call evil good,
iii. Witness I: Look and Behold                          And good evil;
S2: My people are fools,                                 Who change darkness into light,
Senseless children                                       And light into darkness;
Who have no understanding;                               Who change bitter into sweet,
They are wise in evil,                                   And sweet into bitter!
And do not know                                          Woe to those who are wise in their own sight,
How to do good.                                          Who deprive the just man of his rights.
I look at the earth,                                      [Adapted, Isaiah 5:20-25]
It is waste and void;                                    No more will the fool be called noble,
Look and behold: many are dying,                         For he speaks foolishly,
Even the birds fly away!                                 Planning evil in his heart.
Look and behold:                                         But the noble man plans noble deeds
Our gardens are deserts.                                 And by noble deeds, he survives.
 [Adapted, Jeremiah 4: 22-26]                             [Adapted, Isaiah 32: 5-8]

iv. Supplication II: We Devour Your Forest               viii. Supplication IV: We Destroy Nature
T2: O Creator:                                           T2: O Creator:
We devour your forest,                                   We destroy nature,
Turning land into pavement.                              Extinguishing animal life.
S1: We forget who we are.                                S1+T2: We forget who we are.
[All:] Help us to remember.                              [All:] Help us to remember.

v. Witness II: Breathe and Remember                      ix. Witness IV: Howl, You Shepherds!
T1: Our garden was so diverse:                           T1/B1: Howl, you shepherds, and wail!
Plants from so many families,                            Roll in the dust, leaders of the flock!
So many colors, fragrances.                              There is no flight for shepherds,
Basil, mint, lavender,                                   No escape for leaders of the flock.
God help me to remember;                                 There is no escape!
Raspberry, Apple, Rose,                                   [Adapted, Jeremiah 25: 34-38]
God fill my heart with love;                             “Woe to those who mislead
Dill, anise, tansy,                                      And scatter the flock of my pasture;
Holy winds blow through me;                              You have not cared for them,
Rhododendron, zinnia,                                    And you will suffer for your evil deeds,
May my prayer be beautiful.                              For your evil heart.”
O God, may my remembrance                                 [Adapted, Jeremiah 23: 1-4]

                                                     7
Howl, you shepherds, and wail!                Teach us love, compassion, and honor,
Roll in the dust, leaders of the flock!
There is no flight for shepherds,             So we may heal the earth.
No escape for leaders of the flock.           So we may heal each other.
  [Adapted, Jeremiah 25: 34-38]                [Adapted, Ojibway Prayer]

x. Supplication V: We Pollute the Air         Part III: REMEMBERING
A1: O Creator:
We pollute your air,                          I. Dance of Life
Spreading death and disease.
S1+T2: We forget who we are.                  A1: A time for all seasons
[All:] Help us to remember.                   Under heaven:
                                              [All:] A time to live
xi. Witness V: The Joyless Land               And a time to die;
S1/A1/A2: The earth is laid waste;              A time to plant
Stripped and barren.                            And a time to harvest;
The world is polluted                         A time to rend
Because of its inhabitants,                   And a time to sew;
Who have broken too many laws.                  A time to hurt
They who dwell on earth turn pale,              And a time to heal;
And only a few good people are left.          A time to seek
Silent, the cheerful timbrels;                And a time to lose;
Ended, the cry of jubilation;                   A time to embrace
Still is the dancing harp.                      And a time to reject;
Broken down is the city of chaos:             A time to remember
Every joy has left the land.                  And a time to forget;
  [Adapted, Isaiah 24: 3-20]                    A time to cry
                                                And a time to laugh;
xii. Supplication VI: The Dying Planet        A time to love
T2: O Creator:                                And a time to hate.
Your planet is dying
From our corruption and abuse.                A time to give
A1+B1: We forget who we are.                  And a time to take;
[All:] Help us to remember.                    A time to destroy
                                               And a time to create;
xiii. Witness VI: The Sacred Way              A time for action
T1/B1/B2: O Creator:                          And a time for thought;
Look at our brokenness.                        A time for war
                                               And a time for peace;
In all creation,                              A time to mourn
Only the human family                         And a time to dance;
Has strayed from the Sacred Way.               A time for silence
                                               And a time for music—
We are divided                                A time for life
And must come back together again             And only life.
To walk as one in wholeness.                   [Adapted, Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8]

O Creator,
O Sacred One:

                                          8
II. Canticle of Life                                      vi. Second Canons
                                                          House made of dawn.
Canticle: First Part                                      House made of evening light.
i. First Soliloquy                                        House made of the dark cloud.
T2: O Lord:                                               House made of male rain.
Help me to remember who I am,                             House made of dark mist.
Guide me to preserve your creation.                       House made of female rain.
Lead me to greater life.                                  House made of pollen.
  [Adapted, Orthodox “Service for the Environment”]        [Adapted, Navaho Chant]

ii. First Canons                                          Canticle: Third Part
[All:] Help me to remember who I am…                      vii. Third Soliloquy
                                                          A1: O Master:
iii. Chorale, First Verse                                 Help us to remember
[All:] Remember, remember                                 The holiness of your creation.
The circle of the sky:                                    Guide us to preserve
The stars and the brown eagle,                            The majesty of nature.
The supernatural winds                                     [Adapted, Orthodox “Service for the Environment”]
Breathing night and day
From the four directions.                                 viii. Chorale, Third Verse
  [Adapted, Pawnee/Osage/Omaha Indian Song]               [All:] Remember, remember
                                                          The holiness of life:
Canticle: Second Part                                     The running streams and dwellings,
iv. Second Soliloquy                                      The young within the nest,
S1: O Creator:                                            A hearth for sacred fire,
Guide us to preserve your creation.                       The holy flame.
Help us to protect the fullness of nature                  [Adapted, Pawnee/Osage/Omaha Indian Song]
In which we live and move and have our being.
Give us the breath of winds.                              ix. Third Canons
Give us the flow of waters.                               Restore my feet for me. Restore my legs for me.
Give us light.                                            Restore my body for me. Restore my mind for me.
  [Adapted, Orthodox “Service for the Environment”]       Restore my voice for me.
                                                           [Adapted, Navaho Chant]
v. Chorale, Second Verse
[All:] Remember, remember                                 Canticle: Final Part
The great life of the sun:                                x. Final Chorale
Breathing on the earth,                                   [All:] O Holy One:
Falling upon earth,                                       Give peace to all nations
Bringing out life from the earth—                         And understanding in all things,
Life covering the earth.                                  So we may act as one
  [Adapted, Pawnee/Osage/Omaha Indian Song]               To preserve your creation.
                                                           [Adapted, Orthodox “Service for the Environment”]

                                                          xi. Final Canons
                                                          S1, T2: Rejoicing may I walk.
                                                          Rejoicing, with abundant dark clouds, may I walk.
                                                          Rejoicing, with abundant showers, may I walk.
                                                          Rejoicing, with abundant plants, may I walk.
                                                          Rejoicing, on a trail of pollen, may I walk.

                                                      9
xii. Epilogue
S1, T2: May it be beautiful before me.
May it be beautiful behind me.
May it be beautiful below me.
May it be beautiful above me.
May it be beautiful all around me.
In beauty it is finished.

Beauty before me…
Beauty behind me…
Beauty below me…
Beauty above me…
Beauty around me…
T2: Remember…

      Available at cappellarecords.com              Mark Powell, M.A.              Alexander Lingas, Ph.D.
                                                    Executive Director             Music Director & Founder

         and where fine music is sold                Brian Edwards
                                                                                      John Michael Boyer
                                                                                    Associate Music Director
                                                   Operations Manager
                                                                                 Board of Directors 2020-2021
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                                                    Gala Coordinator              His Eminence Metropolitan
                                                                               +Gerasimos of the Greek Orthodox
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                                                        Librarian               Honorary Chairman of the Board
                                                                                     Thomas LaBarge, J.D.
                                                                                  President, treasurer pro tem
                                                                                    S. Keith Walters, Ph.D.
                                                                                         Vice President
                                                                                   Diane Cherry, Secretary

                                                                                 Susan Ashbrook Harvey, Ph.D.
                                                                                    Juanita Doerksen, M.D.
                                                                                   Shanti Michael, M.S.Mus.
                                                                                        John Paterakis
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                                                www.cappellaromana.org
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                                              Email: info@cappellaromana.org

                                         10
ABOUT THE ARTISTS                              Camerata, Harvard-Radcliffe Collegium      the Christian East and West,
                                               Musicum, Harvard Glee Club, Radcliffe      with emphasis on early and
                                               Choral Society, University of Chicago
                                                                                          contemporary music. The
ROBERT KYR                                     Choruses, Pacific Youth Choir, Cappella
                                               Nova (Scotland), Revalia (Estonia),        ensemble is known especially
Robert Kyr (b. 1952) is considered to be                                                  for its presentations and
                                               Putni (Latvia), Moscow State Chamber
one of the most prolific composers of
                                               Choir (Russia), Ensemble Project Ars       recordings of medieval
his generation; he is also a writer and
filmmaker. His output features a wide
                                               Nova, Back Bay Chorale (Boston),           Byzantine chant, Greek and
                                               Oregon Repertory Singers, Pacific Youth    Russian Orthodox choral
range of music for vocal ensembles of
                                               Choir, San Francisco Symphony Chorus,
all types, as well as twelve symphonies,                                                  works, and other sacred
                                               among many others.
three chamber symphonies, three violin                                                    music that expresses the
concerti, and works for diverse chamber        Many foundations and institutions have     historic traditions of a unified
ensembles. Luminous and sometimes              commissioned Kyr’s music, including
                                               Paul G. Allen Foundation, National
                                                                                          Christian inheritance. Founded
ecstatic in effect, Kyr’s music is basically
tonal and modal, and he often combines         Endowment for the Arts (NEA),              in 1991, Cappella Romana
music with other media in order to             Meet the Composer, Chamber Music           has a special commitment
explore important intercultural themes,        America, Yale Institute of Sacred Music,   to mastering the Slavic and
such as peace-making (conflict and             Scottish Arts Council, Canada Council,     Byzantine musical repertories
reconciliation) and the environment            Estonian Choral Society, Nagasaki Peace    in their original languages,
(living in harmony with nature). His           Museum, Chase Foundation (Boston),
                                               New England Foundation for the Arts,
                                                                                          thereby making accessible to
Songs of the Soul was premiered by
Craig Hella Johnson and Conspirare's           Hopkins Arts Center (Dartmouth),           the general public two great
Company of Voices, and hailed in the           Templeton Foundation, Collins              musical traditions that are
Wall Street Journal as “a powerful new         Foundation, Oregon’s Regional Arts and     little known in the West. The
achievement in American music that             Culture Council, Oregon Humanities         ensemble presents annual
vividly traces a journey from despair to       Center, and Massachusetts Council for      concert series in Portland,
transcendence.”                                the Arts and Humanities.
                                                                                          Oregon, Seattle, Washington,
Five compact discs of Kyr’s music are          Kyr holds degrees from Harvard (Ph.D.),    and San Francisco, California,
currently available: Songs of the Soul         University of Pennsylvania (M.A.),
                                               and Yale (B.A.). He has held teaching
                                                                                          in addition to touring nationally
(Conspirare); A Time for Life (Cappella
Romana); Violin Concerto Trilogy               positions in composition and music         and internationally, most
(Third Angle New Music); Unseen Rain           theory at Yale, UCLA, Hartt School of      recently to Hungary, Serbia,
(Ensemble Project Ars Nova), and The           Music, Aspen Music School, and the         and the UK. Critics have
Passion according to Four Evangelists          Longy School of Music. Currently, he is    consistently praised Cappella
(Back Bay Chorale). In addition, his           Philip H. Knight Professor of Music and    Romana for their unusual
music is featured on two Conspirare            Chair of the Composition Department
                                               at the University of Oregon School
                                                                                          and innovative programming,
discs on Harmonia Mundi: Samuel
Barber—An American Romantic (his               of Music and Dance. In addition to         including numerous world and
chamber version of The Lovers) and             teaching, Kyr directs the Oregon Bach      American premieres. Cappella
Sing Freedom! (his original spiritual,         Festival Composers Symposium, the          Romana has released more
Freedom Song), as well as several other        Music Today Festival, and the Vanguard     than 20 recordings.
compilation discs, including Faces of          Concert Series. Robert Kyr’s website
a Woman (MDG 344-1468), Celestial              is www.robertkyr.com and he can be
Light: Music by Hildegard von Bingen and       contacted at kyrcomposer@yahoo.com.              cappellaromana.org
Robert Kyr (Telarc CD 80456), and The
Fourth River: The Millennium Revealed
(Telarc CD 80534).                             CAPPELLA ROMANA                            ALEXANDER LINGAS
Over the past three decades, Kyr               Its performances “like jeweled             Alexander Lingas, Music
has received commissions from                  light flooding the space” (Los             Director and Founder of
numerous music organizations, and              Angeles Times), Cappella                   Cappella Romana, is a
from choruses and vocal ensembles
                                               Romana is a professional                   Professor of Music at City,
in particular, including Cappella
Romana (Portland/Seattle), Conspirare          vocal ensemble dedicated                   University of London, and a
(Austin), Chanticleer (San Francisco),         to combining passion with                  Fellow of the University of
Santa Fe Desert Chorale, Austin Vocal          scholarship in its exploration             Oxford’s European Humanities
Arts Ensemble (Chorus Austin), Yale            of the musical traditions of
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Research Centre. He completed     the St. Romanos the Melodist               never know what is going to happen next.
his doctorate on Sunday           medallion of the National                  Third Angle. It’s anything but ordinary.
matins in the rite of Hagia       Forum for Greek Orthodox                   Third Angle New Music String Quartet
Sophia at the University of       Church Musicians (USA).                    has received rave reviews for its
British Columbia and then,        In 2018 His All-Holiness,                  performances of contemporary music.
                                                                             Following its recent tour of China, the
with the support of a SSHRC       Bartholomew I, Archbishop                  quartet performed the epic four-hour
postdoctoral fellowship,          of Constantinople-New Rome                 String Quartet No. 2 by Morton Feldman
moved to Oxfordshire              and Ecumenical Patriarch,                  and received the following accolade from
to study theology with            bestowed on him the title of               Asymmetry Music Magazine in February
Metropolitan Kallistos Ware.      Archon Mousikodidaskalos.                  2012, “I cannot imagine it [Feldman
His present work embraces                                                    String Quartet No. 2] played any more
                                                                             beautifully or perfectly than Third Angle
not only historical study                                                    played it. Rich tone, perfect intonation,
but also ethnography and          THIRD ANGLE NEW MUSIC
                                                                             razor-sharp ensemble, and a palpable
performance. His awards           Third Angle New Music pushes the           love for this lovely music. No praise can
include Fulbright and Onassis     boundaries of the expected with            be too high for this performance.” Learn
                                  the creation and performance of            more at thirdangle.org.
grants for musical studies in     contemporary musical events, works,
Greece with cantor Lycourgos      and collaborations. New music is
Angelopoulos, the British         a form of musical storytelling that
Academy’s Thank-Offering to       works in harmony or dissonance with
Britain Fellowship, research      its environment. It’s an opportunity
leave supported by the Stavros    to rethink the conditions of the
                                  performance itself. Being new music, you
Niarchos Foundation, and

                                 Learn more about the whole series at

                                    animamundiproductions.com

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