Houston Chamber Choir performs A Measure in Trance

The Houston Chamber Choir and Musiqa collaborated on an April 13th concert featuring “Mass Observation” a powerful, large-scale work by Tarik O’Regan, Also on the program were works by Marcus Maroney, Augusta Read Thomas and a performance of my 2001 piece for a cappella choir A Measure in Trance, with Brian Cook conducting. The work is based on six short poems by the Arab classical poet Ibn Al-Mutazz (861–908 C.E.). Each evokes a single poignant image: the colorful new moon signaling the end of Ramadan; a mysterious performer singing to the accompaniment of a lute; a love-crazed young man; the advent of spring; a woman enjoying a guilty pleasure in music-making. A review of the concert appears in the Texas Classical Review.