Western Reserve Chorale Sings 'I Want to Die Easy' of H. Leslie Adams at Case Western Reserve University 7:30 PM April 20

[H. Leslie Adams]

H. Leslie Adams sends:

Composer's Inside Story

Dear Friends,

There's a saying that behind every song there's a story.  In the case of
my special setting of the traditional minor mode spiritual, "I Want to
Die Easy," it was part of my grad final exams at Ohio State.

My professor gave me a single staffed melody with lyrics on a small
sheet of paper.  This was at noon one day.  The assignment was to do a
setting for mixed chorus and piano, due the next day at noon, completely
finished. 

Fortunately, I fell in love with the  melody's beautiful flow, and I
loved doing the assignment.  The work was completed for soprano, alto,
tenor, bass with  incidental solo (on second  verse) and piano, and
turned in by noon the following day.  Since then it's been performed
frequently by choral groups, and a performance is taking place tomorrow
evening in University Circle, and you're cordially invited.  That's the
"inside scoop" on this work.
_____________

H. Leslie Adams: "I Want to Die Easy," for SATB/incidental solo/piano.

The Western Reserve Chorale, Devon Gess, conductor; Harkness Hall; Case
Western Reserve University; 11200 Bellflower Road; Cleveland, Ohio.
Friday, April 20, 2012 at 7:30 p.m.