New choral works by O’Shea, Heukeshoven to premiere

Two new compositions for choir by music department faculty members Dr. Patrick O'Shea and A. Eric Heukeshoven will be premiered by the La Crosse Chamber Chorale next week through the group’s “Words to Music” commissioning project.

Words to Music is a project in which poetry written by local students is set to music by regional composers. La Crosse area students in 4th through 8th grade literature and writing classes submitted poems based on the theme “It’s Magic!” in early 2011. The poems were coded to preserve anonymity. Five area composers each chose one to become the text of a new musical work.

O’Shea’s setting of Melanie Klemond’s poem “Gravity Defied” conjures up images about birds, such as cages, wings, flying and gliding. The work is accompanied by violin and cello.

Heukeshoven’s work is based on Sophia Nystrom’s poem, “Just Believe.” The young poet begins her poem with the words, “Most people don’t believe in the existence of magic, but I do, and you do.” The music is playful and contains fragments of melody that will at once remind us all of what it was like to be a child. Flute, clarinet, cello, and triangle accompany the choir. The SMU Music Department is further represented by Dr. Janet Heukeshoven on flute, Derek Clark on cello, and Jim Knutson with percussion.

Three performances of the new works are scheduled:

Tuesday, Nov. 8 — 7:30 p.m.
La Crosse New Music Festival
University of Wisconsin - La Crosse
No admission charge

Saturday, Nov.12 — 7:30 p.m.
Prince of Peace Lutheran Church
La Crescent, Minn.
Tickets $16 (adults), $10 (students/seniors)

Sunday, Nov. 13 — 3 p.m.
Our Savior's Lutheran Church
La Crosse, Wis.
Tickets $16 (adults), $10 (students/seniors)

For more information, go www.chamberchorale.org/index.html or contact Eric Heukeshoven at Ext. 7292.