Mechem: 50 Years of Harmony

1st March 2007

On 10 March, the ACDA National Conference celebrates Kirke Mechem's gift of weaving melodies, harmonies and texts with a retrospective of his choral music. Spanning a 50-year career, Mechem has produced a large body of works for chorus. The chronologically programmed concert opens with his first published octavo, Impromptu from the 1957 "Three Madrigals," which, Mechem notes, "were recommended by Henry Cowell, who had seen them at Stanford, where I was an assistant in the choral department."

The concert features the University Singers of Western Illinois University (led by James C. Stegall) and highlights nine other G. Schirmer pieces including the premiere of Papageno and The Prince, from the "Suite for Chorus." It ends with the audience joining in to sing the popular "Blow Ye The Trumpet," from Mechem's opera John Brown, which will premiere next season at the Lyric Opera Kansas City. The production is part of the company's 50th anniversary and will be directed by Kristine McIntyre and conducted by Ward Holmquist.

Another conference highlight is the launch of the new book, Composers on Composing for Choir (GIA Publications). Mechem was one of ten international composers asked to contribute.