Nkeiru Okoye: Voices Shouting Out
J. Strauss: Voices of Spring
Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 "Choral"
Amber Sudduth Bone, soprano
Kathryn Weld, mezzo-soprano
Stephen Rumph, tenor
Barry Johnson, bass-bartone
Tacoma Symphony Chorus
Geoffrey Boers, director
A native New Yorker of African American and Nigerian descent, Nkeiru Okoye has had her music performed on four continents. Okoye
wrote Voices Shouting Out in 2001 to
commemorate those lost in 9/11 and as an affirmation of freedom and the human
spirit. It is written in three sections, with moods ranging from "wildly percussive and
energetic" to "sweet and tender." (Gerald Cochran)
The
greatest of all classical-Romantic symphonies, Beethoven’s “Choral” Symphony
features the famous “Ode to Joy,” based on a text by Friedrich Schiller. It has been recently adopted as the European Anthem. The entire symphony was famously performed by an international orchestra,
led by Leonard Bernstein, in 1989 to mark the destruction of the Berlin
Wall. It is so central to world culture that it actually
influenced the development of Sony’s compact disc; CD inventor Norio Ohga
insisted that CDs be made long enough to accommodate the entire 74-minute work. The TSO is joined in this performance by our
60-piece volunteer chorus and four vocal soloists, all featured during the
final movement. Those who have
experienced Beethoven’s Ninth live never forget it!
