Sequenza21.com: “Alvin Singleton’s 'After Choice' was simpler in design, but eloquently so”

[Sing to the Sun: Chamber Music by Alvin Singleton, Troy 902 (2007)]

AfriClassical has published two posts on the premiere of Alvin Singleton's After Choice by the new Orchestra of the League of Composers: “Orchestra of the League of Composers Debuts With 'adventurous music, Alvin Singleton Says” and “New York Times: 'After Choice' by Alvin Singleton 'was an engaging work for string orchestra'”. Today we present an excerpt from a review by Dr. Christian Carey at Sequenza21.com:

Sequenza21.com
League of Composers/ISCM: Concert Review
June 14, 2009
Dr. Christian Carey
"Alvin Singleton’s After Choice was simpler in design, but eloquently so. A string orchestra piece, it consisted of intertwining arco melodies and pizzicati, often in two-part counterpoint or – even starker – played in unisons or octaves. Written in homage to jazz violinist Leroy Jenkins, it didn’t feature anything so overt as jazz inflections. Rather, Singleton based the piece on string parts from a previous orchestral work that Jenkins had admired.”

Orchestra of the League of Composers Debuts With 'adventurous music', Alvin Singleton Says

[Alvin Singleton (b. 1940)]

The day after the brand new Orchestra of the League of Composers premiered Alvin Singleton's After Choice, the composer took time out for an interview with AfriClassical before returning to Yaddo, the artist colony in Saratoga Springs, New York. This post covers the first part of the interview. The Brooklyn native said “I live in Atlanta and I am currently also a resident at Yaddo. I just came down this week for my premiere. I was supposed to be at Yaddo for the whole month.” We asked about the concert. The composer replied: “It was very successful," then added "We had a sell-out crowd and a program of really adventurous music.” “My piece was the only piece that was commissioned, but it wasn't the only premiere. There was a Charles Wuorinen premiere.” Critics were in attendance. The composer said he was expecting very favorable reviews.

We asked the origin of After Choice, his commissioned work. “After Choice, I wrote a piece for the American Composers Orchestra in 2004 for their Improvisation Festival.” “The orchestra piece was called When Given A Choice.” Part of the composition was “kind of a riff”, he said, “And so because I quoted something from that I named the new piece After Choice, and it's for string orchestra.”

Singleton dedicated the piece to a late friend of many years, “Leroy Jenkins, the composer, violinist and master improviser.” “He was such a decent person too, and we were very close.” Leroy Jenkins (1932-2007) dated and then married Linda Harris, a friend of Singleton, “...and by then, Leroy and I had developed a relationship, you know, he looked at my music and I looked at his music. We looked at scores together and we listened to recordings, went to concerts." The interview also touched on Alvin Singleton's trip to Albania in the Fall of 2008; Through It All, his recent commission from the Imani Winds; and his various composer residencies

Orchestra of the League of Composers Premieres Alvin Singleton's 'After Choice' 8 PM June 10

[Alvin Singleton (b. 1940)]

European American Music Distributors

EAMDLLC.com
June 2009
“The Orchestra of the League of Composers/ISCM Performs World Premiere of Alvin Singleton's After Choice in Inaugural Concert
The newly-formed Orchestra of the League of Composers, led by conductor Louis Karchin, celebrates its inaugural concert on June 10, 2009, with the world premiere of Alvin Singleton's After Choice. This event, hosted by WNYC Radio host John Schaefer, also features works by Elliott Carter, Christopher Dietz, Julia Wolfe, and Charles Wuorinen. Singleton's piece represents the first work the 85 year-old organization has commissioned in several decades.

“Composer Carman Moore writes of After Choice: 'Commissioned by the Barlow Endowment for Music Composition at Brigham Young University for the Orchestra of the League of Composers, Alvin Singleton's 8-minute After Choice is a true gem-one of his most resourceful pieces. This extremely listenable work for string orchestra utilizes licks from the late violin master Leroy Jenkins in a manner at once austere and opulent. This work, in memory of Mr. Jenkins, juggles and juxtaposes a recurring pizzicato phrase against arco lines as it relentlessly grows. The elements of sudden silences and suspense are, of course, major players, but simply flat-out writing renders this work a true keeper.'

“Louis Karchin leads the Orchestra of the League of Composers in the world premiere of After Choice at Columbia University's Miller Theatre on Wednesday, June 10. Visit http://www.schott-music.com and http://www.alvinsingleton.com for more information on the music of Alvin Singleton. Go to http://www.leagueofcomposers.org to learn more on the Orchestra of the League of Composers debut performance.” The website of the League of Composers says: “As the longest-serving American organization devoted to new music, the League is proud serve its mission to present new music written by emerging and established living composers alongside masterpieces from the 20th and 21st centuries.”