The Kalamazoo Children’s Chorus will perform its spring concert at 4:00 PM on Sunday, May 4 at First Congregational Church. Titled “Bound Together,” it concludes a season focused on music connected to famous stories, poets and authors. In an interview with Cara Lieurance, KCC director Taylor Gudbrandson says she’s excited for a first in her tenure: the world premiere of a new piece of music by Richard Jennings, commissioned by Fred and Darlene Sang.
Jennings, who grew up in Lawrence, MI and now lives in California, tells Lieurance about his long-standing friendship with Fred Sang. "Fred and I started off when we were in our 20s. And we performed a lot together. We were great friends. We'd get together and make music all night." Jennings studied composition at the University of Michigan before moving to the west coast, where he became a successful composer for theater, film, TV and other projects.
Jennings says his talks with Gudbrandson helped him find an inspiring text. “I found this poem. It's stunning," Jennings says, of Amanda Gorman’s “In This Place (An American Lyric).” Gorman gained national attention reciting her inaugural poem at President Biden’s inauguration.
Expressing his appreciation to the Sangs and Gudbrandson, Jennings adds, “I'm really looking forward to meeting the kids, talking to them, hearing their thoughts about this and hearing them sing."
For more information and tickets, visit the Kalamazoo Children’s Chorus website.
