Westminster Williamson Voices Will Present Music of the Human Spirit at The Philadelphia Cathedral April 22.

The Westminster Williamson Voices, conducted by James Jordan, will present a concert entitled Music of the Human Spirit at The Philadelphia Cathedral Friday, April 22 at 8:00 p.m.

Centerpiece of the evening will be a performance of Eric Whitacre’s Leonardo Dreams of His Flying Machine with the Spiral Q Puppet Theater of Philadelphia.  The text for this spectacular piece of choral music includes fragments from Leonardo da Vinci’s notebooks.  It has been widely performed throughout the United States since its commission by the American Choral Directors Association in 2002.  Some of its highlights are moments when the music sounds like flying through minimalist repetition, spoken sound effects like "whhh" and "shhh," and the use of Latin American dance rhythms to represent the exhilaration of flight.

The program will also include three works by John Tavener, including the hauntingly beautiful Song for Athene, which was sung at the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales.  In addition, the ensemble will perform works by Mozart and Duruflé, as well as contemporary works by Pärt and Tarik O’Regan.  Accompanists will be Marilyn Shenenberger, piano, and Robert Ridgell, organ.

Composed of students at Westminster Choir College of Rider University, the Westminster Williamson Voices is a select ensemble of 35 singers whose mission combines choral performance with educational outreach, artistic collaborations and partnering with other art forms.  Emphasizing world music and the music of our time, it is named for Westminster’s founder, John Finley Williamson, who believed that choral music performed at the highest level should be accessible to all so that it might communicate the human essence that is at the heart of choral singing.

The repertoire and performances of the ensemble cover a broad spectrum, with special emphasis upon music commissioned for the choir.  Artistic collaborations with other art forms-- dance, theater, and the visual arts--are at the core of the performances of this ensemble.  The Westminster Williamson Voices serves as a living choral laboratory.  Its primary musical mission is to explore new methods of teaching and rehearsing and to be at the forefront of choral education pedagogy.  The teaching and learning of literature for performance utilize contemporary ensemble methods involving groundbreaking Aural Immersion Solfege™ and movement pedagogy emphasizing both the philosophies of Dalcroze and Laban..

The Spiral Q Puppet Theater seeks to mobilize communities, empower marginalized people and illuminate the victories, frustrations and possibilities of living in the neighborhoods of Philadelphia and similar urban settings through the construction of full-scale giant puppet parades, toy theater and neighborhood pageantry.  It has performed Leonardo Dreams of His Flying Machine with Singing City of Philadelphia.

James Jordan is recognized as one of the nation’s pre-eminent conductors, writers and innovators in choral music.  He has been called a “visionary” by The Choral Journal.  His career and publications have been devoted to innovative educational changes in the choral art.  A master teacher, Dr. Jordan’s pioneering writing and research concerning the use of Laban Movement Analysis for the teaching of conducting and movement to children has dramatically changed teaching in both of these disciplines.

One of the country’s most prolific writers on the subjects of the philosophy of music making and choral teaching, he has produced 10 major textbooks and several choral series bearing his name as well as contributing to four other textbooks.  In 2004, four new books authored by him will be published: The Use of the Swiss Ball for the Teaching of Conducting, Eartraining Aural Immersion Exercises for Choirs, The Choral Ensemble Warm-Up and The Musician’s Walk.  His books on the subject of vocal technique for choirs are considered an essential for the education of conductors around the world.  His choral conducting book, Evoking Sound, was named as a “must read” on a list of six books by The Choral Journal.  His newest book, Ear Training Immersion Exercises for Choirs details the first comprehensive approach toward aural literacy for choirs using solfege and a unique system of score analysis that focuses upon what is aurally perceived by the choir.  His books, The Musician’s Soul and The Musician’s Spirit, acclaimed by both instrumental and choral conductors alike, have been credited with beginning a transformation on how music is taught both in ensembles and the classroom through a process of humanizing and loving. 

Dr. Jordan also serves as executive editor of the Evoking Sound Choral Series published by GIA Publications in Chicago.  Dr. Jordan teaches and conducts at Westminster Choir College of Rider University.

Tickets for this performance are $15 for adults and $10 for students/seniors.  They will be available at the door or can be reserved through Westminster’s box office at 609-921-2663.  The Philadelphia Cathedral is located at 3723 Chestnut Street in Philadelphia.