Choral Arts presents world premiere work

Last summer when Darrin Hassevoort was planning Choral Arts of Chattanooga’s season-opening concert, he considered its close proximity to the presidential election and how high emotions were running on both sides of the electorate.

“I was really looking for songs of inspiration and devotion. [ That] led me to some of the old Puritan and Shaker songs, which focus on peace, humility and the need to look outside ourselves for strength and purpose in life,” says Hassevoort.

That t heme also l ed to the discovery of a new work written by Douglas Hedwig, who moved to Chattanooga from New York City in 2013. Hedwig is former principal trumpet for the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, former Juilliard School faculty member and a professor emeritus of music from Brooklyn College. He composes works for a variety of ensembles that are published through Carl Fischer Music.

Hedwig’s composition, “Gitanjali: Song of Devotion,” seemed to be the “perfect mix of new and old music focusing on spiritual inspiration and devotion,” says Hassevoort.

The world premiere of Hedwig’s a cappella work will be featured Saturday night, Oct.

If you go

MEET THE MUSICIANS OF CHORAL ARTS OF CHATTANOOGA

When: 5: 30-7 p. m. tonight, Oct. 27.

Where: The Walden Club, 633 Chestnut St.

Admission: Donations accepted. CHORAL ARTS SINGS “AMERICAN SONGS OF INSPIRATION & DEVOTION”

When: 7: 30 p. m. Saturday, Oct. 29.

Where: Second Presbyterian Church, 700 Pine St.

Admission: Donations accepted.

Website: choralartsofchattanooga.weebly.com/ concert- october-29. html 29, when Choral Arts presents “American Songs of Inspiration and Devotion” at Second Presbyterian Church. The 28-voice choral ensemble will be accompanied by John Wigal at the organ and piano. Soloists during the concert will be Dan Bruns, Lonna Williams, David Ketcherside and Stephen Hawkins.

Hedwig combined his music to a text written by Indian philosopher Rabindranath Tagore that describes the limitless nature of spirit.

“He set the poetry to a placid melody that hearkens back to ancient Indian chant, free-flowi ng, modal and expansive, untethered by traditional meter or strict harmonic structure,” Hassevoort says.

“It is set for four voice parts, and the music moves between dissonance and tension to relaxation and harmony, reaching almost traditional church harmonies by the end. It really focuses on music and how that flows through space and time.”

Hassevoort says the remainder of the program is a mixture of old and new American music. The director says the singers will perform selections from Aaron Copland’s “Old American Songs,” a set of Shaker songs by Kevin Siegfried and “Lux Aeterna,” a five-movement piece by Morten Lauridsen based on sacred Latin texts that reference light.

Members of Choral Arts are hosting a wine and cheese reception tonight, Oct. 27, at The Walden Club, to introduce Hassevoort and their new composer, Hedwig, to arts patrons.

“In conjunction wi t h building a relationship with our community, we encourage supporters to come meet the choir members, our new director and our guest composer for this concert,” says Kim Thompson, Choral Arts’ board president.

Although Hassevoort is new to Choral Arts, he is wellknown in Chattanooga’s arts community. The tenor is director of the Chattanooga Symphony & Opera Chorus, director of choir activities at Chattanooga State Community College as well as dean of the Humanities and Fine Arts Division at Chattanooga State.

According to Thompson, he is the sixth artistic director since Choral Arts formed in 1985.