VOCE was only in its second season. Probably too early in their development for a commission. But their conductor, Carol Hunter, and staff clearly saw the value. So they reached out to a composer who had only recently started his own publishing company. According to Wikipedia, he had graduated from BYU with a Bachelor of Music degree only three years earlier.
On February 4, 1991, they premiered the work the composer had written for them. Would there be any more performances? Probably not. Many composers struggle to get second or third performances of their compositions.
But something about this piece has clearly connected with many, many musicians. A connection between composer and ensemble, or a particularly fruitful text choice, or just the right timing led to a piece that has endured and become a modern classic in the past 25 years.
If not for Carol Hunter & VOCE, we might never have gotten “Sing Me To Heaven” from Daniel Gawthrop.
Why aren’t you commissioning? What music can you help bring into the world?
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