Minnesota Chorale
Kathy Saltzman Romey, Artistic Director
Allegro Choral Academy, Bel Canto Choir
Gregory Douma, Conductor
Metropolitan Chorus of Tokyo
Ko Matsushita, Conductor
Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra
William Schrickel, Music Director
Minneapolis Youth Chorus
Patrice Arasim, Conductor
Mu Daiko
Rick Shiomi, Director
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| In October, 2008, the Minnesota
Chorale and partnering artists, all under the direction of Kathy
Saltzman Romey, presented the world premiere of Ah Nagasaki:
Ashes into Light, by the American composer Robert Kyr. Joining
the Chorale were 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. The Metropolitan Chorus of Tokyo
(comprising singers from the Gaia Philharmonic Choir and Yokohama
Chamber Choir "Kai") and conductor Ko Matsushita traveled
from Japan to take part in the most ambitious Bridges program
ever.
Bridges: Ashes Into Light was presented
by The
O'Shaughnessy and
planet Ordway. Nearly 3,000 people attended presentations associated
with the program, which included a Saturday evening concert, a Sunday
afternoon performance at Hennepin
Avenue United Methodist Church in Minneapolis, and a
daytime performance for students on Monday.
 The
centerpiece of the program was the premiere of Ah Nagasaki,
a three-movement, half-hour cantata for chorus, vocal soloists,
and orchestra. 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, was a collaboration
between Mr. Kyr and the Japanese writer Kazuaki Tanahashi. The musical
forces included: four soloists (soprano, alto, tenor, and baritone),
boy and girl soprano, Noh
chanter, mixed (adult) choirs, children's choirs, taiko drum
ensemble, and orchestra.
Composer Robert Kyr describes Ah Nagasaki as "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." For more information about this and similiar
efforts, click
here.
  
Photos by Diane Schroeder. Artwork by Kazuaki
Tanahashi
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 |
Ashes Into Light