Annual American Composers Update

Margaret Shelton Meier's Millennial Magic was played first by the Claremont (CA) Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of James Fahringer, at the Garrison Theater, on Nov. 26, 2000. Mass for the Third Millennium was presented on June 8, 2000 by the Ars Brunensis Choir, Roman Valek, conductor, at the Brno (the Czech Republic) Cathedral. For an Ecumenical Advent Service at La Verne (CA) Church of the Brethren, God with Us: 2000 Years was sung first on Dec. 3, 2000 by the combined choirs of six churches under the composer's direction. Thomas Goetz introduced Fountains Water the Garden, for organ, at the Caldwell Chapel in Louisville, KY, July 3, 1999. Sense and Nonsense, Five Songs on Words of Lewis Carroll, revised for vocal solo, was premiered by Elizabeth Sanford, mezzo-soprano on Mar. 22, 1999 at the Mount San Antonio College Recital Hall. Organist Frances Nobert toured with the first performances of Romantic Passacaglia on a Twelve Tone Theme, in Whitter, CA, May 25, 1999; at the International Congress on Women in Music, held in London, England, July 11, 1999; at the United Church of Christ -- Congregational, in Claremont, Oct. 1, 2000; at Marylhurst University, in Portland, OR, Oct. 30, 1999; and on the world's largest church organ, at the First Congregational Church of Los Angeles, Jan. 18, 2000.

The passacaglia also was performed by organist David Hatt at St. Mary's Cathedral in San Francisco, Feb. 13, 2000; and in its piano version, by Geraldine Keeling, Mar. 23, 1999 on a Musicians' Club of Pomona, CA recital. Under Fahringer, Claremont Symphony, a "violin symphony," with Elise Doran, violin soloist, was played by the Claremont Symphony Orchestra, at the Garrison Theater, Nov. 26, 2000. Celebration, Sorrow, Strength, a set of art songs for soprano and piano about Biblical women, had performances with Deborah Kavasch and Stephen Thomas at the Hildegarde Festival in Turlock, CA, Mar. 5, 1999; and with Kavasch and Deon Nielson Price on the In Praise of Music series at the Church of the Lighted Window, in La Ca-ada, CA, Jan. 21, 2001. Laura Greenwald, soprano, and Barbara Rogers, piano, presented a recital as part of the After Noon Concert Series at the Princeton University Chapel, Apr. 7, 1999, including Celebration, Sorrow, Strength and the song cycle Three Marys in Four Songs.

Mass for the Third Millennium; Ars Brunensis Choir, Roman Valek, conductor; Vienna Modern Masters CD, winter 2000-2001.

• 1997-1998 American Composers Update
• SAI's Composers Bureau Online.
• SAI's Music for Young People section.