Schott EAM: World Premiere of Alvin Singleton's "Prayer" at the Cincinnati May Festival May 22 with James Conlon leading Cincinnati S.O. and May Festival Youth Chorus

Schott EAM

May 5, 2016

The 2016 Cincinnati May Festival, North America’s premier choral festival, features the world premiere of Prayer, a new work for tenor soloist, chamber choir and ensemble by Alvin Singleton. Prayer was commissioned by the Cincinnati May Festival in honor of James Conlon’s final season as Music Director. The premiere takes place on May 22 at the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption, with James Conlon leading the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and the May Festival Youth Chorus.

Carman Moore, composer and long-time colleague and collaborator of Singleton’s writes of the piece: 

In Prayer, Alvin Singleton takes the listener deep into the essence of the spiritual, both as a metaphysical force and in the literal meaning of the song form. The choir often sings a cappella and the instruments – set in solo, duo, and trio passages – only occasionally play together. Singleton infuses the work with gestures typical of an African-American church service, while avoiding overt imitations of gospel music. The piece sets a poetic ‘Christian Prayer’ that, like a modern-day Kyrie, calls to ‘save us … teach us’ and extols the importance of humility and the defeat of violence. 

Also this month, the SEM Ensemble gives a performance of Singleton’s Be Natural at Roulette Intermedium in Brooklyn, NY as part of the Darmstadt Institute New York: 70 Year Anniversary Celebration.

For more details on the performances, visit mayfestival.com, roulette.org.

More information on Alvin Singleton can be found at schott-music.com.

Alvin Singleton

Prayer (2016)

for tenor solo, chamber choir, organ, harp, trumpet and cello

text (Eng) based on three spirituals and a traditional prayer

21’

Be Natural (1974)

for any combination of three bowed strings

10’

Comment by email:

Thanks Bill! All best to you, Alvin [Alvin Singleton]