Water Passion After St. Matthew

In the spirit of supporting other local choral groups, let me encourage you to attend the upcoming Utah premiere of Tan Dun's "Water Passion After St. Matthew," which will be performed by the University of Utah Singers and A Cappella Choir on April 10 and 11 at Libby Gardner Concert Hall.

This is a unique work that has only been performed a handful of times in the world since it was written in 2000. It bridges Eastern and Western cultures, blending Tibetan chant, overtone singing, electronic music, and Bach, culminating in a unique shared cultural experience for both performers and audience members.

Performers and audience members of this piece will experience a remarkably wide range of vocal style, from four-part chorales to overtone singing, Tuvan throat-singing, and elements of Peking opera. Western instruments are used to produce the sounds of Chinese, Mongolian, and Middle Eastern cultures. On stage will be seventeen filled, transparent water basins lit from below that are played as instruments by percussionists, thus creating a unique auditory and visual experience, all based around the universal theme of rebirth. Don't miss this once in a lifetime opportunity to see this work performed live.

For more information and to hear a clip from the piece, check out the Singers website.

And for the legally minded out there, let me add that this work is partially funded in thanks to Fine Arts Fees.