Just heard from some of my friends in Cap Haitian on the north coast of Haiti. They connected me to some musicians from that area that have been preserving a musical tradition that goes a long way back to other Caribbean nations and also to West Africa. When West Africans were brought to the Caribbean…
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FROM: Choeur classique de l’Outaouias, http://www.choeurclassiqueoutaouais.ca and McClure Productions, www.artforbrains.com The Choeur classique de l’Outaouias under the direction of Tiphaine Legrand has commissioned composer Glenn McClure to write The Missa Kreyol/Messe créole. This commission is made possible by the New York State – Quebec Artist in Residence Program that is co-sponsored by the…
Concert masses often end with the movement “Agnus Dei” (“Lamb of God”), however, I have been looking over the Latin words for the “Benedictus” and they seem to offer some opportunities for a strong, joyous rhythmic punch for the end. I will start playing around with this text within a Caribbean rhythmic environment.
I mentioned in an earlier posting that this project has opened up some new connections between the members of the choir and members of the Haitian community in Quebec. I just experienced the same thing here in New York. Last year, I met some wonderful musicians on my trip to Haiti and I learned much…
The “Kyrie” is often the first movement in a concert mass. Unlike the rest of the mass written in Latin, this text is Greek. Kyrie Eleison, Christe Eleison, Kyrie Eleison (“Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy, Lord have mercy”). Greek was the lingua franca of the Mediterranean at the time Jesus was born. Furthermore, the…