10/16/26. Choral Arts Society and poet Regie Gibson

Thank you, Greg.

Thank you.

Thanks.

Good to have you here.

So Jim, first of all, uh, when a, an ensemble reaches a landmark like, uh, 40 years, uh, that is sort of a tall order in terms of figuring out how to celebrate such a, a landmark and milestone.

Uh, talk about the discussions that went on in terms of how to properly celebrate that and to kick off this special anniversary season.

Well, we were kinda handed a slow pitch over the plate here, to use a baseball analogy.

Um, as America's celebrating its, uh, uh, 250th anniversary of the Constitution.

Um, and, uh, so that, that seemed like something to, to follow up with.

And, uh, it's also, uh, oddly enough, the 25th anniversary of 9/11.

And so, uh, those two things kinda came together in my mind.

Um, always thinking of my friend Glenn Burleigh and the opportunity to keep his music alive in, in the, uh, b- in the public consciousness.

And so, uh, here we are, uh, again, uh, presenting Lamentation and Celebration, uh, I think one of Glenn's finest classical works, uh, for chorus and brass and choir, uh, to, uh, take us on that journey through, uh, an emotional journey through what it would've, uh, been to experience, uh, 9/11.

The work [clears throat] was originally published to, uh, uh, to s- to c- memorialize the, uh, the Murrah Building bombing in, in Oklahoma City-

Mm-hmm

...

in 1995, and was then rededicated, uh, uh, again to the victims of 9/11.

So, um, having conversation with our city partners and our, uh, uh, committee of which Pat's a part, it, it just seemed like this was the way to open the 40th season.

Yeah.

Pat, do you have anything to add about, uh, the, the sort of the emotional weight of this 40th anniversary season and the, the role that you think this, uh, opening concert serves in all that?

I think any 50-year, 100-year, 40th-year, um- celebration of marking time, um, holds all kinds of, um, outward significance and inner significance, and all those kinds of things including the 250th.

Um, there are so many stories inside those events.

And, and so this concert, um, in a way paints those stories.

It's not a chronological sort of concert, but it's, it's the palette of, it's the colors of all our stories-

Hmm

Thank you, Greg.

Thank you.

Thanks.

Good to have you here.

So Jim, first of all, uh, when a, an ensemble reaches a landmark like, uh, 40 years, uh, that is sort of a tall order in terms of figuring out how to celebrate such a, a landmark and milestone.

Uh, talk about the discussions that went on in terms of how to properly celebrate that and to kick off this special anniversary season.

Well, we were kinda handed a slow pitch over the plate here, to use a baseball analogy.

Um, as America's celebrating its, uh, uh, 250th anniversary of the Constitution.

Um, and, uh, so that, that seemed like something to, to follow up with.

And, uh, it's also, uh, oddly enough, the 25th anniversary of 9/11.

And so, uh, those two things kinda came together in my mind.

Um, always thinking of my friend Glenn Burleigh and the opportunity to keep his music alive in, in the, uh, b- in the public consciousness.

And so, uh, here we are, uh, again, uh, presenting Lamentation and Celebration, uh, I think one of Glenn's finest classical works, uh, for chorus and brass and choir, uh, to, uh, take us on that journey through, uh, an emotional journey through what it would've, uh, been to experience, uh, 9/11.

The work [clears throat] was originally published to, uh, uh, to s- to c- memorialize the, uh, the Murrah Building bombing in, in Oklahoma City-

Mm-hmm

...

in 1995, and was then rededicated, uh, uh, again to the victims of 9/11.

So, um, having conversation with our city partners and our, uh, uh, committee of which Pat's a part, it, it just seemed like this was the way to open the 40th season.

Yeah.

Pat, do you have anything to add about, uh, the, the sort of the emotional weight of this 40th anniversary season and the, the role that you think this, uh, opening concert serves in all that?

I think any 50-year, 100-year, 40th-year, um- celebration of marking time, um, holds all kinds of, um, outward significance and inner significance, and all those kinds of things including the 250th.

Um, there are so many stories inside those events.

And, and so this concert, um, in a way paints those stories.

It's not a chronological sort of concert, but it's, it's the palette of, it's the colors of all our stories-

Hmm