Eric Whitacre responds to UAB

To my "hip" choir from their "genius" blog creator:

Updated: It's true, composer Eric Whitacre has responded to one of our posts (see lux below).

From Mr. Whitacre:

Hey gang,

First off, let me begin by saying that you are by far the hippest choir I've ever seen. The blog is genius, and to read the way that all of you have connected through it is inspiring and heartwarming.

Delia wrote to me to let me know that you were performing my "Lux", and I just wanted to drop a note aand tell you all thank you. Thank you for bringing such obvious passion and artistry to the music, and thank you for giving so bravely of your souls.

She had asked me to talk about why I had written the piece, and I'm afraid that I don't have an answer. Everytime I try and put my process into words, it breaks down and becomes something else. All I can tell you is that the music SOUNDS to me exactly the way I FEEL.

Warm regards to all of you, and again, many thanks for singing Lux. And if the Carnegie thing doesn't work out(bravo, Maestro!), I'd like to personally invite you all to come and sing some of my music and the Mozart Requiem with me at my festival in China in summer 2006. You are EXACTLY the sort of souls with whom I would love to make music.

Cheers, and word up,
Eric Whitacre

Major KUDOS to Delia.

and . . . uh . . . word up. (translation needed for the approaching age 40 conductor)

Delia's email that prompted the Whitacre visit:

Dear Mr. Whitacre,

My name is Delia Charest and I am a senior at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Our choir at UAB loves you and your amazing music. Last year we performed “Water Night” and this semester we are working on “Lux Aurumque.” We will be performing and competing with this awing song this May at the Florilège Vocal de Tours, in Tours, France. Our choir is a very close group who share what they feel about the music; one of the ways we do this is through our Blog. The last post that our director Dr. Philip Copeland made contained a lot of these feelings, especially about “Lux Aurumque”. I invite you to read these interpretations, and to feel comfortable to respond with your ideas at the time you were writing “Lux Aurumque.” I know that the choir and I would be extremely interested in knowing what such an amazing composer’s thoughts are on his wonderful piece of music. Thank you for everything that you to contribute to our wonderful world of music, I know that the uab concert choir will continue to perform your music for as long as you graciously give it to the world.

With deep respect,

Delia M Charest