Sigma Alpha Iota

sai-national.org • WINTER 2016 • PAN PIPES 21 AMERICAN COMPOSERS tion, and a humble petition. I allowed this inher- ent division to influence the form of the work, the first stanza set to the most dramatic writing, and the second cast in a more serene mood of supplication. While composing, I thought of this prayer's special place at the conclusion of the Ro- sary, which is not merely a long series of prayers but also a meditation on various Divine "myster- ies" (Joyful, Sorrowful, Luminous, and Glorious). I had an absolutely fantastic experience at the Sigma Alpha Iota National Conference and work- ing with the Saint Louis Chamber Chorus. e opportunities SAI provides for young composers and musicians are exceptional and unique. I'm immensely proud to be associated with the orga- nization." Excitement had been growing in anticipation of the 2015 IAMA world premieres in St. Louis, which would include not only Tim's Salve Regina, but also the two additional new works created for the occasion by the composer-judges, as per the mission of IAMA. As the three new IAMA works were acknowledged to be particularly challeng- ing, a select group from the outstanding St. Louis Chamber Chorus was engaged to bring these compositions to life in their first-ever perfor- mances on Friday, July 24 th . On the day of the IAMA concert–and in a departure from tradition–the three composers and St. Louis Chamber Chorus conductor Mary Ongjoco Chapman came to a consensus that in lieu of the usual pre-concert "open rehearsal" they would hold a round-table discussion session. e composers could then interact one-on-one with session attendees and each other, and all could gain insight into their creative process, along with hearing the performers' perspective to learning and interpreting each piece. Although the speci- fied format for this triennium was a choral work for SATB adult choir, each composer was free to select his or her own text. Dr.León's choice was "En el sender ancho" ("On the wide path"); Dr. Brewbaker selected e.e. cummings' "i carry you in my heart". In the deeply moving pre-concert Q&A, Dr. León and Dr. Brewbaker spoke can- didly with a small but rapt group, revealing their inspiration and personal connection to their se- lected texts. is disclosure led to an emotional expansion on that theme by Dr. León and Dr. Brewbaker during the concert itself, which occurred before a large and spellbound assembly of SAIs. Unbe- knownst to each other, both composer-judges had independently dedicated their works to the mem- ories of their mothers, who were both recently deceased, in a profound and unexpected inter- twining of their compositions with the text of the winning work, Salve Regina ("Hail Holy Queen"). Upon hearing their parallel descriptions of love and loss which led to the creation of their IAMA pieces, it was hard not to feel an inexplicable shiver of resonance — whether one chose to call it coincidence or kismet. e St. Louis Chamber Chorus gave exquisite and nuanced performances of all three premieres under the skilled direction of Ms. Chapman, in a varied and highly satisfying program which also featured additional, well- chosen selections from their repertory. Another unexpected confluence was provided by the St. Louis Chamber Chorus, which had incorporated into their performance two pieces by another former IAMA composer-judge, Howard Helvey. e enthralled audience of SAIs and friends was further delighted to learn how many of the St. Louis Chamber Chorus's members were them- selves SAIs — including conductor Mary Ongjoco Chapman! Despite the expanse of the ballroom and the size of the audience, the distance between per- formers and listeners vanished as the gathering was united in strains of musical intimacy. Rarely have IAMA composers, performers, and their au- dience partaken jointly in such a powerful shared experience, which embodied in every way our convention theme "Voices of experience, Voices of the future", and reminded all of us of the healing power of music. aaaTo extend the connection between our sister- hood and IAMA during Convention, special IAMA reading packets were made available for purchase at a below-cost price of $4.00 per packet. ese contained a selection of five popular choral octavos by previous IAMA composers: e Music in the Rainbow (for treble voices) by Michael Braz; Sing On! (for treble voices) by Betty Bertaux; e Drenched Land (for SATB a capella) by Richard Willis; In Te Domini Speravi ("In ee, O Lord, have I put my trust") (for SATB with organ or piano) by Halsey Stevens; and Out of the Depths (for SATB, soprano solo, and piano) by Alan Ho- vhaness [a small quantity of the choral packets are still for sale by contacting National Headquar- ters]. Our deepest gratitude goes to Gene Caprio- glio and C.F. Peters for their continuing support of IAMA. e irony of memory is that its effects oen last infinitely longer than the moment it captures. e many facets of music capture life's infinite reflections, in moments committed to memory. And sometimes, what is captured, and simultane- ously reflected, is magic. IAMA Director Sara Bong, an initiate of Rho Chapter, served as Vice President/ Director of Program Devel- opment for New York-based MidAmerica Productions for 26 years. She received her Bachelor's cum laude in Applied Piano from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and her Master's in Arts Administration from the University of Cin- cinnati College-Conservatory of Music. A workshop held the IAMA concert featured, from left, Saint Louis Chamber Chorus director and Nu initiate Mary Ongjoco Chapman, IAMA-winning composer Timothy Roy, and composer-judges Tania León and Daniel Brewbaker, both National Arts Associates. FOR MORE INFORMATION on the IAMA composer-judges, visit tanialeon.com and sai-national.org/home/ ComposersBureau/ BrewbakerDrDaniel/tabid/628/ Default.aspx

• Cover