The natural beauty of the Shenandoah Valley will take musical shape in this spring鈥檚 premiere of a new four-movement suite composed for and dedicated to the 草莓社区 Chamber Orchestra.
The orchestra鈥檚 performance of composer 鈥檚 鈥淢usic of the Land: Portraits of Rural America鈥� will be conducted by EMU music director and professor Joan Griffing during the spring orchestra concert at 7:30 p.m. on March 22, 2018, in Lehman Auditorium, with Walker in attendance.
Walker composed the suite last year after visiting Virginia鈥檚 Blue Ridge Mountains. The New England Quaker鈥檚 earlier work 鈥淎bout Leaves,鈥� inspired by the poems of Robert Frost, had been heartily received by the EMU community, she said, and she wondered if 鈥渟omething based on Shenandoah-area poetry might not be even more relevant.鈥�
Griffing responded enthusiastically to the idea 鈥� Walker鈥檚 music is accessible to and loved by listeners and performers alike 鈥� and EMU writing professor suggested that Walker use as inspiration the poetry of Robert Morgan, a North Carolinian who writes about rural America.
鈥淪o, I followed through,鈥� Walker said.
The performance will include four of Morgan鈥檚 poems 鈥� 鈥淐logging,鈥� 鈥淔rom the Distance,鈥� 鈥淪inging to the Corn,鈥� and 鈥淭ime Passing鈥� 鈥� as read by Roman Miller, a farmer and professor emeritus of biology.
鈥淭he poetry speaks of the music heard in everyday, rural life,鈥� Walker writes: 鈥淎 community clogging dance; the church bells ringing out over the fields in the evening; a farmer 鈥榮inging鈥� to encourage his crop to grow; and an old family clock, filling the silence with the tempo of time passing. This is the music of the land.鈥�
Griffing said she was 鈥渉onored鈥� by Walker鈥檚 鈥渆specially meaningful鈥� dedication of the work to the EMU orchestra. Performing a new work composed for and dedicated to them is an 鈥渆xciting opportunity鈥� for students, who will receive feedback from the professional composer at the dress rehearsal.
As part of her visit to EMU, Walker will also speak to students in the senior seminar 鈥淧eacebuilding in the Arts: Our Stories, Our Selves.鈥�
鈥淪he makes a living as a composer,鈥� Griffing said of Walker. 鈥淭here are not that many people who are able to do that, and so that鈥檚 something very unique that she will share about with our students.鈥�