The 2019 National Association of Composers USA (NACUSA) Mid-South Chapter New Music Through The South Tour was a whirlwind of 5 performances that spanned 3 states in 3 days!
Thursday, May 16th, 2019
The first performance on the tour was hosted at Mississippi University for Women (a.k.a. The W) on Thursday, May 16th at 7:30 p.m. in the Connie Sills Kossen Auditorium in Poindexter Hall.
Dr. Alan Goldspiel performed Prelude No. 1 and Prelude No. 5 from his composition Five Preludes.
Other composers having their pieces presented that night were Olga Harris, Valentin M. Bogdan, Joe L. Alexander, Hannah E. Heaton, Biraj Adhikari, Richard Montalto, Judy and Ken Davies, and David Peoples.
In addition to the instrumental performances, there were also sound file/pre-recorded electronics pieces, and performances that mixed live performances with pre-recorded sound files.
Other performers included Bonnie Oppenheimer, Julia Mortyakova, James Zingara, Benjamin Schoening, and Diana Peoples.
Friday, May 17th, 2019
The second performance on the tour was hosted by the University of Montevallo Department of Music on Friday, May 17th at 7:30 p.m. in the LeBaron Recital Hall.
This concert saw Dr. Alan Goldspiel perform Preludes No. 1 and No. 5 from his Five Preludes on his home turf. Dr. Goldspiel is the Department Chair of Music and Professor at the University of Montevallo.
Other composers’ pieces performed that night were Ken Davies, Biraj Adhikari, David R. Peoples, and Joe L. Alexander.
Performers included Ken Davies, Alan Goldspiel, Joe L. Alexander, and Diana Peoples.
Saturday, May 18th, 2019
Day Three of the NACUSA New Music Through The South Tour presented three concerts in two different locations.
12:00 p.m.
Performance number three of the tour was hosted by Spout Springs Library in Flowery Branch, Georgia for a noon concert.
Composers Alan Goldspiel, David R. Peoples, Joe L. Alexander, Biraj Adhikari, and Ken Davies all had pieces performed at the event.
Alan Goldspiel performed Preludes No. 1 and No. 5 from his Five Preludes, while Joe L. Alexander performed his composition Traveling Down a Lonely Road.
Other compositions performed were David R. Peoples‘ Appalachian Exile (Benjamin Schoening – voice, Bart Walters – alto Saxophone) and Goodbye Song (David Peoples – toy piano, electronic playback), Biraj Adhikari‘s Deep in Dream, Lost Again, and In The Woods (Joe L. Alexander – tuba), and Ken Davies‘ Variations on a Pitch Set and In Memorium: Sondra (Ken Davies – trombone).
3:00 p.m.
Performance number four of the tour was hosted by the University of North Georgia Department of Music in the Gloria Shott Performance Hall.
This concert was part of the SoundsNEW section of the tour and was an Electronics Recital where all selections were presented acousmatically with the audience listening to the pre-recorded electronic compositions without any visual stimuli or performers.
Alan Goldspiel’s electronic composition, Midnight Glowing on Horseback, was among the pieces presented during the afternoon concert. In this piece, which is Goldspiel’s first foray into composing electronic music, listeners were taken on a ride with a surrealist twist.
The program notes state:
Midnight Glowing on Horseback juxtaposes surrealist ideas and classical formal structures within its left to right time-based electronic playback. The audio events combine and mix samples of ordinary objects, instruments, synthesized sound, and Salvador Dali discussing his mustache.
This slightly bizarre mix of elements, rarely all that jarring, and maybe nonsensical combine to conjure a mental image – midnight glowing on horseback? – or perhaps to merely create an awake dream.
Other composers who’s electronic pieces were played during this concert were Valentin M. Bogdan, Biraj Adhikari, Tianyi Wang, Douglas Hedwig, Joe L. Alexander, Mickie Willis, Richard Montalto, David R. Peoples, and William Price.
4:30 p.m.
The final performance of the tour was again hosted at the University of North Georgia Department of Music in the Gloria Shott Performance Hall.
This time, however, although there were performances with electronic feedback such as David R. Peoples‘ composition Goodbye Song (David Peoples‘ on piano with electronic playback), the majority of the pieces were live performances.
Alan Goldspiel performed Preludes No. 1 and No. 5 from his Five Preludes. During the course of the concert there were performances of pieces by composers Ken Davies, David A. Drewke, Joe L. Alexander, Pam Asberry, David R. Peoples, Biraj Adhikari, and Hannah E. Heaton.
Additional performers were Diana Peoples, Benjamin Schoening, and Bart Walters.
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