The Fredösphere

A Midsummer's Night's Dream:  it's on tonight, and we will be there!  With incidental music by some young, up-'n'-coming composer named Felix Mendelssohn.  It's not clear whether this performance will feature sock puppets.

Speaking of young composers, many choral directors are talking about Joshua Shank, a 20-something kid who already has several pieces published.  He was mentored by the magisterial Weston Noble of Luther College.  Word in the choir loft is that Joshua is not only talented, but humble and likable too -- how disgusting.  He admits to being one of The Artists Formerly Known As The Dale Warland Singers.  Follow the links from here for scores and sound files, or just listen to "Musica animam tangens."

Other contemporary choral composers I should mention include Frank La Rocca and Ian Moss.  Both have sound files available from their websites.  Both are moody neo-tonalists who have been compared to Arvo Pärt and Eric Whitacre (the last being the winner of the composer's slick webpage award).  Start your listening with La Rocca's Exaudi and Moss' We Kindle This Fire This Day.