It’s early summer 2015. I’ve decided to stay in grad school for another year to complete a composition major on top of my conducting major. I’m thinking about what I want my thesis project to be. A choral piece, that much is obvious. And I’ve basically bought myself the year to write something big, the piece I’ve always wanted to write but haven’t.
The “Te Deum” text comes to my mind at the time. I’ve sung it, analyzed settings of it, conducted it, but never set it. And I’ve always felt drawn to it. I’ll write more about the text later, but it’s a very ancient, very exuberant Christian statement of praise and unity.
But it’s summer 2015. I, along with the entire country, am watching a toxic presidential campaign begin to unfold. I’ve watched cracks form in American society over who should have what rights. I’m living in a blue city in a red state. Unity seems very far from anybody’s mind.
This is the environment in which my setting of the Te Deum took shape. It’s not a statement of unity. It’s a statement of questioning, of whether this ancient prayer has any meaning in 21st century America. And five years later, I’m still wondering the exact same thing, maybe more intensely. And maybe now, you’re wondering it, too.
Over the next month or so (it’s only apt that this should spill into November and the election) I’m blogging about this setting that I composed in the 2015-2016 academic year. I’ll talk about what was on my mind then. I’ll talk about some history. I’ll talk about what my piece evolved into. And most importantly, I’ll talk about why it still matters in 2020. I hope you’ll join me.
Speaking of music, 