Described as a 21st century classic, the Pulitzer Prize winning The Little Match Girl Passion by David Lang (2007) combines the Hans Christian Anderson story with form elements from Bach’s St. Matthew Passion, to create an emotional and transformational journey. Arvo Pärt’s Spiegel im Spiegel (1978) for viola and piano is a minimalist, meditative piece that gently invites us into its calm presence. Super Flumina Babylonis (2013) is a sumptuous and expressive choral setting of Psalm 137 by New York City composer Caleb Burhans, who seamlessly combines classical, ambient and post-rock styles.  The music of Eric Whitacre was hailed by the Los Angeles Times as being “of unearthly beauty and imagination”, while Cloudburst (1995) was described by the composer himself as reverent, meditative and centered, adjectives which also convey the message of this entire program:

• The Little Match Girl Passion, David Lang

• Spiegel im Spiegel, Arvo Pärt

• Super Flumina Babylonis, Caleb Burhans

• Cloudburst, Eric Whitacre