So, why is the Te Deum text so special?
Imagine a statement of faith that drank four espressos. Or a prayer that starts out as a tiny snowball at the top of the hill and ends up an avalanche at the bottom. The Te Deum has that kind of out-of-control exuberance. It’s also old. Very old. About 1650 years old. Supposedly St. Ambrose and…
Why compose a Te Deum in 2016?
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…
A New Look at Te Deum
Five years ago, a toxic political environment around the presidential election was brewing. At that time, I wrote a composition that paired that dissonance with an ancient text associated with unity, the Te Deum. The work hasn’t changed, but in the calamity that is 2020, the world seems to be living into the irreverence and…
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Speaking of music, 