The Latin pieces for the Soundings Middle & High School Ensembles: Tu es Petrus (HS Men), Ave Maria (HS Women), & Non est masculus, neque femina (MS), comprise a set entitled “Liturgia Feminae et Masculae.”
They will premier at the Soundings Studio concert on Monday, December 17th at Trinity Presbyterian Church, at 7:30 PM
Pleased,
Nathan Hathaway Adams
This morning I was alerted to the fact that it was not only Election Day (Vote!), but also John Philip Sousa’s birthday! How apropos.
So in honor of the occasion, here are some of the works of the American March King, in some very informative videos by the Marine Band. God bless our troops.
Digital high five if you can’t listen to “The Washington Post” without hearing lyrics by Sondheim.
A funny story about marches and birthdays: A beloved professor of mine’s birthday occurred on the same day we were learning about Sousa and his marches in Music History. We asked our instructor why the trio section was so named. He jokingly replied that it was in 3. Well, we believed him, and the Trio section of the March I wrote for the other professor’s birthday, was, and is, in 3!
The Wonderly Fanfare, by Nathan Hathaway Adams, performed by Dr. Anthony Moore
A Romantic Era composer, while famous for his military band marches, he also wrote operettas and was a fan of the work of Gilbert & Sullivan. He wrote an orchestration of the team’s H.M.S. Pinafore, and composed a march using the themes of Gilbert & Sullivan’s The Mikado, which is particularly interesting to me as I just auditioned for a local production of said operetta.
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg! I plan to keep reading about and listening to this uniquely American composer. Are you a fan of Sousa? Interested, like me, in learning more? Then drop me a line and let’s talk sometime.
Marching,
Nathan Hathaway Adams
1. The cast is incredible. The supporting players include many talented friends of mine, and the titular character is played by Magnetic Theatre stand-out, Tracey Johnston-Crum.
2. Lucia Del Vecchio thrilled me with “The Evolution of Woman,” and I can’t wait to see what she’s cooked up here. The housewife scene was one the funniest parts of “Evolution,” and seems very natural to choose that environment for this new musical story. ( I unfortunately I am not familiar with the work of Holiday Childress, but if you are and like his work, consider that reason 2b.)
3. But wait a second Nathan, are you saying you haven’t seen this yet? Then why are you recommending it?
This last reason is slightly selfish. I want to see more musicals happen in Asheville. And maybe if people go and spend money on this, musicals (especially original ones) will start to gain more traction. Because as Cabaret taught us, money makes the world go ’round. But what that means is a lot of good can come from it having a successful run. I would love to see more (especially original) musicals produced, more people introduced the form (in all it’s forms), and less of an “other” attitude when we think about the idea of telling stories with song.
So go see it!
Nathan Hathaway Adams
I have recently began the quest of reading “The Lord of the Rings,” and I know I’m a bad member of the western world for not having finished it earlier. But honestly, I’m glad I didn’t. I wasn’t ready for it in High School. I am now far enough removed from High School to admit all of the things I did not understand and was not ready for.
Like this movie.
Now that I am older and more mature Now that I am not in High School, what was once an arduous task is now a joy and treasure. I warned my friends when I restarted the books that I was very likely to become one of those Lord of the Rings fans. And it’s very quickly becoming true. I have used the word “mathom” in conversation more times than I can recall, and I can’t wait to start reading the appendices.
I love how much music is in the books. It is further contributing to my desire to see more spaces made for the communal making of music. The sharing of songs and the telling of tales. I think it’s so important to make music corporately, which is part of the reason I love writing hymns. This aspect has also pushed my interest in the stage version of the epic which has played to audiences outside the U.S.
Which includes music by A. R. Rahman.
But one thing that has been bothering while reading the books is the fact that they’re in copyright. I have heard it said over and over again that Tolkien wanted to created a mythology for the English speaking world. But what good is a mythology if it doesn’t belong to the people? A mythology is at it’s richest when many voices are contributing to it creating new variations and threads. This is something that frustrates me about many of our Western mythos. It’s very hard for the layman to contribute to them in an area much larger than fan fiction. I crave for the day when society’s great icons will truly belong to society.
In Fangorn,
Nathan Hathaway Adams
How do I begin? It was beautiful. I don’t think I can express to you exactly how wonderful it all was, or how much it meant to me. I have only begun to understand that myself! I have gotten such wonderful feedback from the whole experience, and I’m sure I’ll continue to get more as I process the evening and the work that led up to it.
So far the only pictures from the evening, I hope my friend won't mind my sharing them!
And my work is still yet to be performed this semester! The College Choir will be singing my setting of “Psaume 23″ at their concerts, and my dear friend Stephen Long will be singing my setting of “Sonnet de l’Absinthe” by Raoul Ponchon at his Senior Recital!
Stephen Long, Baritone, Senior Recital
Saturday, April 28th, @ 7 PM
Chapel of the Prodigal, Montreat College
Montreat College Choir Concert
Friday & Saturday, May 4 & 5, @ 7 PM
Chapel of the Prodigal, Montreat College
Giddy,
Nathan Hathaway Adams
Today is the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the RMS Titanic. Many people will probably be marking today by interacting with some sort of media based on one of the most tragic stories of the century. It tugs at our heart strings, it fills us with dread, and challenges our intellect as we attempt to understand why it happened. It seems so natural we should turn to the arts to help us process this, for as librettist Peter Stone said, “It’s one of those rare moments in history which has a beginning, middle and end.” And while many of you may be familiar with the James Cameron movie (which I must admit I’ve never seen all the way through, but seen lots of bits on the telly), I want to introduce you to a musical version of the tale that debuted in the same year as that colossal film, music & lyrics by Maury Yeston, book by Peter Stone.
Announcing the Senior Recital of
Nathan Hathaway Adams, Composer
Featuring the world premieres of all original music performed
by the faculty and students of the
Montreat College Music Department
Including
*Hymn Suite for Montreat, String Quartet
*The Call of Cthulhu, Dramatic Cantata
And more!
Chapel of the Prodigal / April 17th / 7 PM / Reception to Follow
This Saturday (which was technically Holy Saturday), I spent some time down at The Magnetic Field and saw some wonderful theatre. I spent all night there and I would highly recommend both shows that I saw there.
A series of short plays by Lucia Del Vecchio, it was a delightful evening. The acting was wonderful, the sets were simple and really effective, and the writing kept me very engaged. It only has one more weekend, (and no Sunday shows) so if this piques your interest, time is counting down!
Mezzo The Happy Medium (A Haunted Comedy)
I wasn’t expecting to see this, but I stuck around for the late show after “The Evolution of Woman” and was very glad I did. I didn’t know what I was going to see, but it was a really incredible show with amazing acting and a lot of pathos. Go see it! Also one more weekend.
Also, if you’re reading this today, and you don’t have anything to do tonight, check out “8′ The Play in Asheville.” I wish I could go, but I have rehearsal for my Senior Recital tonight. So go and tell me how it is! (Gavin Creel!)
Yours,
Nathan Hathaway Adams
On Friday, I had the distinct privilege of seeing FIGHT GIRL BATTLE WORLD at North Carolina Stage Company. A co-production with Clusterf**k Productions, this play is a wonderful example that genres like Sci-Fi can & should be done on stage. It was a delight to watch, and I would highly recommend it.
P.S. You can buy one ticket & get the 2nd for half off with code DURK-HOLE. (For Wednesday shows ONLY!)
You’re welcome!
Nathan Hathaway Adams
A Film By Vanessa Gould
I seem to have tremendous luck with watching documentaries on the most seemingly bland subjects. (My previous luck was with a documentary on a font, “Helvetica.”) I watched “Between The Folds” on netflix last night with friends and was blown away. This film beautifully shows the intense and focused world of origami. I was particularly please with how often they referenced the world of music, with one paper folder going so far as to mark his creations by opus number. But I think the thing that intrigued me the most was the fact that origami has a fairly short history as a “legitimate” art form, and it set me off thinking about the wonderful prospects for art as the result of globalization. The hyper-connected age we now live in allows people to from all corners of the world to build what might otherwise have been a niche area. And for that, our culture is enriched.