This concert will be one for the memory books.
One of the things I’m most excited about for Friday’s Rockford Aces 15th Anniversary Concert is a world premiere. With the help of the Rockford Education Foundation and the Rockford Choir Boosters, The Aces were able to commission a brand new piece from the amazing composer Anders Edenroth.
Known best for his innovative a cappella arrangements and compositions for The Real Group, as well as his infinitely versatile countertenor singing voice, Anders is one of the most significant influences on the trajectory of vocal arranging and composing. I’ve long been inspired by the way he weaves lines and creates textures in pieces like “Water” “Pass Me The Jazz” and of course “Chili Con Carne” – among many others.
And now we have a brand new piece he wrote just for the Aces! What a gift.
Actually, it’s four pieces. In planning the piece, he and discussed expanding beyond the typical 3-minute octavo length piece, and settled on a set of miniatures. The four-movement suite lasts around five minutes, with movements ranging in length from 2 minutes down to just 18 seconds!
The texts speak deeply to the many joys of singing together with your friends as a teenager – they are inspired both by Anders’ own memories as well as a set of survey responses from my former students. That means I can point to lyrics and tell you which of my current or former students said that.
It’s a special blessing when great composers write music just for your group, and even more special when the pieces fit your ensemble like a glove. This piece is magnificent and the Aces love singing it! I hope you join the Rockford Aces on Friday, May 26 at 7pm for our free concert, featuring the world premiere of “A Camaraderie Ensemble Suite” by Anders Edenroth! (PS: read the initials of the piece!)