Young People’s Chorus of NYC Commission from 2019 Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Ellen Reid to be Premiered May 19

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On Sunday, May 19, the Young People’s Chorus of New York City (YPC) in partnership with the Shallaway Children’s Choir from Newfoundland presents “Balancing Bubbles,” curated by 2019 Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Ellen Reid and YPC Artistic Director/Founder Francisco J. Núñez on the theme of balance.The 7 p.m. concert, to take place at the Gerald W. Lynch Theater of John Jay College (524 West 59th Street), will be highlighted by the world premiere of Ms. Reid’s "So Much on My Soul," a YPC commission, to be premiered by both of the evening’s choruses, and incorporates poetry on the theme by several choristers.

 

In addition to individual sets by YPC and Shallaway, the program also features Ms. Reid’s percussion work "Fear | Release" performed by Mantra Percussion, as well as a YPC/Mantra Percussion performance of her cover of The Books’ "Take Time" – all related to the concert theme and an example of the scope of her musical ideas.

 

This concert culminates YPC’s third annual, weekend-long Vocal Resolutions summit, a program that explores issues of social relevance, this year devoted to how today’s young people can achieve balance in their lives despite the many pressures facing them.

 

About working on this YPC commission, Ms. Reid comments:

 

“When Francisco Núñez asked me to write a piece about ‘balance’ for YPC, he was quick to specify that the lyrics for my piece could come from anywhere and that I could interpret the words however I saw fit. After meeting with the YPC musicians, it became clear that the most compelling texts were the choristers’ own personal stories. I worked with a small group of singers who wrote poetry about their journey to self-acceptance, and I excerpted these poems and set them to music. It felt important for the piece to have cycles and repeating gestures, as the journey to self-acceptance and balance is both cyclical and endless.”

 

More information is available from www.ypc.org.