Ars Musica to debut new piece in Ridgewood
Friday, June 7, 2013
INTERVIEW BY GLORIA GEANNETTE
MANAGING EDITOR
The Ridgewood News
Editor’s Note – Ars Musica invited contemporary composer Martha Sullivan to create a work to be included in their Stravinsky & Bruckner: A Masterworks Concert, to be performed on Saturday, June 8. Here Sullivan answers some questions about the commissioned work.
Ridgewood News: Can you tell us why Kelly Crandall requested an Armenian theme for the piece?
Martha Sullivan: I think the big picture story here is that choral music creates community. Ars Musica, being a choir, is of course a group of people, and they all do this one thing together that’s very special. This definition applies to any choir. However, there are nuances that make each group of singers unique in how they build community.
A good musical director, like Kelly Crandell, chooses repertoire according to what will actually mean something to the singers in the group. In this case, Kelly asked me to write something that would relate to Armenia or Armenian themes because Ars Musica and its board have a strong Armenian membership, and Ridgewood boasts a strong Armenian community. By choosing music that addresses what people care about, a director helps his singers feel invested in the project, shows them that the music truly belongs to them.
