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Alvin Singleton's Sweet Chariot Debuts with Astral Artists

Jan. 31, 2013

Alvin Singleton's <em>Sweet Chariot</em> Debuts with Astral Artists

The Philadelphia-based classical music presenter and advocacy group Astral Artists have commissioned a new work from Alvin Singleton which premieres on their February 16 program entitled "Inspired by the Spiritual." Singleton’s new work, Sweet Chariot, is inspired by the spritual of the same name. Carman Moore, composer and long-time friend and collaborator of Singleton’s, comments:

The work opens with a series of solo instruments, their lyrical lines piling up contrapuntally into what may sound like a choir in full voice gone a bit mad. Being Singleton, this is immediately followed by a stark contrast—a puckish staccato phrase, itself followed by some long tones blasted out. Bit by bit the composer lays out his building blocks constructed from his personally-created 9-note modal scale. Heard frequently throughout is a four-note “theme” derived from the melodic curve of the words “sweet chariot." Seeking to hear the spiritual whole-cloth won't work here..."

Alvin Singleton adds:

Human experience shows that there are images so familiar to us that they do not have to be completely defined. How much of a face does one need to sketch out (absent nose, eyes, mouth) before it is recognizable as a face?  When choosing a “Negro Spiritual” upon which to base my composition, I chose one that is universally recognizable, Swing Low Sweet Chariot.  Therefore I needed not to use it in its entirety. In fact, it is only sketchily quoted a few times here and there throughout the composition.


Astral Artists presents Sweet Chariot on February 16 at the Church of the Holy Trinity in Philadelphia, performed by flutists Julietta Curenton and Angel Hsiao, bassoonist Harrison Hollingsworth, saxophonist Doug O’Connor, and cellist Lionel Cottet. The work was commissioned by Astral Artists with generous funding provided by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage through the Philadelphia Music Project, and is dedicated to the memory of Julian Rodescu.

For more on the life and music of Alvin Singleton visit www.schott-music.com.

Details on Astral Artists can be found at  www.astralartists.org.

Alvin Singleton
Sweet Chariot (2012)
for chamber ensemble
two flutes (doubling piccolo and alto flute), bassoon, soprano saxophone (doubling tenor saxophone), and cello
16’

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