Hello friends,

I just wanted to inform everyone here that my first commission as a composer will be performed by the Louisville Master Chorale on Sunday, February 26, at 3:00 pm, at Harvey-Browne Presbyterian Church in Louisville, Kentucky. More information here:

http://louisvillemasterchorale.org/season.htm

The piece is called "God Is in His Holy Dwelling Place," and the text is from the Entrance Antiphon for the Catholic Nuptial Mass. It is for choir, soloists, three trumpets, three trombones (including my magnificent father on bass trombone), percussion, and organ. The piece begins with the soloists singing a setting of the actual Gregorian chant in Latin, featuring parallel organum and some imitation, before proceeding to a fanfare and a setting of the English text that sounds very, well, English. Vaughan Williams is probably my favorite composer, and this is rather noticeable!

This is by far the most complex piece I have written and has consumed my every waking thought for months! I am very proud of the piece, and very grateful to Mark Walker and the members of the Louisville Master Chorale for the opportunity.

I truly enjoy composing sacred music and make it a goal to maintain a strong link to the glorious sacred works of the past while connecting with modern audiences. I believe I have succeeded in this in this piece.

I do not know if anyone here remembers, but my Anima Christi, which was the first real piece I ever wrote, was read at the new composers forum at the CMAA Colloquium in 2009. That was the first time anyone had ever sung anything I wrote, and it went over very, very well. This gave me much encouragement as a composer, and I am trying to pursue this as much as I can now.

So thank you all for your encouragement, and if you are in the area, please come! I guarantee it's about the only place that you will hear a piece including both Gregorian chant and a triple-forte timpani solo that day!

Julianna Horton