This is the world premiere performance of the second movement (of five movements) of Aaron Alter's Earth Cantata for Chorus and Chamber Orchestra (inspired by the cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach.) The performance was done by The New Mexico Performing Arts Society, Franz Vote (shown on the right in the image above,) conductor and artistic director.

The second movement of the Earth Cantata is a Fantasy on Bach's "The Art of Fugue" theme. Bach's Art of Fugue theme provides the inspiration for a Rock-inspired musical journey.

While there are no direct quotes of Bach's music in Earth Cantata, it uses the form of Bach's sacred cantatas as a starting point and embraces their deep spiritual and emotional weight and richness, while fusing influences of Jazz, Rock and Pop music in a unique and fresh way. The text is a poetic interpretation of the biblical Psalm 66 by the Elizabethan poet Mary Sidney Herbert, from around the year 1599. The text of the second movement is below.

Tell God: 'O God, what frightful wonder
Thy works do witness, whose great might,
Thy enemies so bringeth under,
Though frown in heart, they fawn in sight!'
All earth and every land therefore
Sing to this God, this God adore!
All earth, I say, and all earth dwellers,
Oh, come, behold, oh, note beholding,
What dreadful wonders from him flow:
More height, more weight, more force enfolding,
Than Adam's earthy brood can show.

The performers were:
Sopranos: Jennifer Perez, Camille Tierney
Altos: Esther Moses, Jacqueline Zander-Wall
Tenors: André García-Nuthmann, Jordan Jones
Basses: Andrew Paulson, Tim Willson

Violins: Elizabeth Baker, Carla Kountoupes
Viola: Gail Robertson
Cello: Sally Guenther
Double Bass: Deborah Dunham
Flute: Linda Marianiello
Oboe: Amanda Talley
Clarinet: Mike Gruetzner
Bassoon: Stefanie Przybylska
French Horn: Michael Walker
Piano: Jeremy Reger
Tambourine: Aaron Alter
Conductor: Franz Vote

Text is from The Sidney Psalter, The Psalms of Sir Philip and Mary Sidney, Published by the Oxford University Press (2009)

Copyright Hannibal Hamlin, Michael G. Brennan, Margaret P. Hannay and Noel J. Kinnamon, 2009

Reproduced with permission of the Licensor through PLSclear.

Earth Cantata was named as a National Finalist Honorable Mention in the 2024 American Prize, Major Choral Works Composition division and a Silver Medalist at the 2023 Global Music Awards.

Earth Cantata is published by Universal Edition. For scores and parts, please visit:
https://www.universaledition.com/en/Works/Earth-Cantata-inspired-by-the-Cantatas-of-Johann/P0207113

For more information on the Earth Cantata and other compositions by Aaron Alter, please visit his compositions page at: https://aaronalter.com/compositions

Earth Cantata-2nd Movement (inspired by the cantatas of J. S. Bach) for Chorus and Chamber Orchestra

https://youtube.com/channel/UC0dp5xW5nOikMB6sifwAttA

IG: @KingOfMachine12

Singer songwriter composer residing in PIKEVILLE  MD recording songs in the adult contemporary, alternative pop genres

Even as a small child I wanted to learn a musical instrument...

...since there was a music school in our small town where I grew up, but it was limited to the activities of the local musicians' band, the choice was rather limited... because piano, guitar or saxophone were not offered and that's why I decided me for the trumpet, which was not used for cast-technical reasons, so the FLÜGELHORN became my instrument...
In my youth I turned my back on music and was active in sports towards the end of my teenage years.

I teach in US higher education (in a STEM field) & am a hobbyist composer writing in a few different styles. I recommend headphones. All of my music is released under a Creative Commons Attribution/Noncommercial license.

My bandcamp page is getting out of date again, but some older albums there can be downloaded for free or for a name-your-own price donation.

If anyone wants to try performing any of this stuff on real instruments please send a message and I can provide scores. Not sure how playable some of it is for human musicians though.

Unsolicited messages asking me to listen to your latest song will lead to you being blocked unless if I know you well and we've interacted a lot.

My music is written without the use of AI.

Hope you enjoy and thanks for visiting!

Aaron Alter is a composer from Carlsbad, California. His music is published by Universal Edition and Silverwinds Publishing. Aaron calls his new music his "New Beginning" because it is an exploration of a new style and energy that defies categorization.    

A native of Chicago, Aaron Alter's musical background was a product of the rich musical life that he found growing up in the Windy City. Aaron received his Bachelor of Music degree from Northwestern University, where he studied piano with Frances Larimer and Gui Mombaerts, and composition with Lynden DeYoung and David Noon. He received his Master of Fine Arts Degree from Princeton University, where he studied with Milton Babbitt and James K. Randall.  

Aaron’s new music was first performed in 2015, with the performance of “Homage to Josquin” for two flutes, piano, electric bass and drum set by The New Mexico Performing Arts Society in Santa Fe, New Mexico. “Homage to Josquin” received an Honorable Mention in the 2016 American Prize competition for Chamber Music Composition.  

Works such as "Solar Rays" and "Vanilla, Chocolate and Strawberry" defy genres and exist in Classical ensemble and Jazz Big Band versions. Both the classical piano trio (piano, violin and ‘cello) and Jazz Big Band versions of “Solar Rays” have received Silver medals at the Global Music Awards. Aaron’s Introspective Blues #1 for Flute and Harp has become his most popular work, with over 16,100 plays on SoundCloud and over 5,200 plays on Jango Internet Radio. Aaron’s music has been featured on the albums “One Minute”, “Two Minutes”, “Gimel” and “Daleth”, by the flutist Iwona Glinka on the Sarton and Phasma Music labels, all of which have won Silver Medals at the Global Music Awards.  

Aaron has received two commissions in the past two years for choral works with an instrumental ensemble from The New Mexico Performing Arts Society.  The first commission, “Together We Create and Sing! (inspired by the music of Franz Joseph Haydn”) was a semi-finalist at the 2018 American Prize competition for Choral Music Composition and received a Silver Medal at the August 2019 Global Music Awards.  The latest commission, “Lo Lanu Ha-Shem” (a setting of Psalm 115) received a Silver Medal from the March 2019 Global Music Awards.  

Aaron is a regular contributor of compositions to the repertoire of the flutist Iwona Glinka, the pianist and Steinway Artist, Susan Merdinger, the pianist Vania Pimentel, The New Mexico Performing Arts Society and Composers Concordance in New York.  

Aaron also serves as an Executive Board Member of the Carlsbad Friends of the Arts.

Neo-classical composer crafting modern interpretations of timeless musical forms on the slopes of the majestic active Kilauea Volcano on Big Island of Hawaii. Irminsul's compositions range from intimate piano etudes to sweeping orchestral works, each piece carefully constructed to balance technical mastery with emotional resonance.

His music has been performed by professional pianists and orchestras, bringing these contemporary classical works to life in concert halls and recital venues. Recent highlights include the contemplative "Etude No.6 for Piano" and the epic "Three Virtues of Zarathustra" series.

Whether you're a classical music lover, performer seeking new repertoire, or fellow composer, welcome to this musical journey.

🎵 Weekly uploads of new compositions 🤝 Open to collaborations with performers 🌺 Composing from Volcano, Hawaii

Earth Cantata-2nd Movement (inspired by the cantatas of J. S. Bach) for Chorus and Chamber Orchestra

AaronAlterComposer