Hillula

Judd just sent out his regular "what’s-up" email with information about his works being performed and premiered (sign up to receive it here), and I was thrilled to see that our collaboration has been given a name! Read his description from the email below:

Finally (for now), there's a big premiere at Gallerie Icosahedron on the 17th: Hillula, my new work for the amazing soprano, Anne-Carolyn Bird. This is a setting of text from the Zohar, a central text of the Jewish Kabbalah, and it was commissioned to be the central part of a concert and recording project that Anne-Carolyn has founded, called The Bhakti Project. This work will be the centerpiece of a program devoted to spiritual music from multiple traditions; I sought out the Zohar as a Jewish text with a tone that was far from that which is typical of most Jewish religious writing. The piece is a celebration of a "wedding" that is also a death, both standing as metaphors for the relationship between people and the Divine. I think that this spirit comes through in the music, and I know that Anne-Carolyn (and Jocelyn Dueck, the amazing pianist who is the third part of this collaboration) will bring even more energy and life into the work, and to the rest of their terrific program. Please come join me for this event!

Isn’t that beautifully exciting?!?!

Judd and I are meeting this evening to talk about progress and go over the work. More from this front soon… For now, please consider making a donation, however small, to help further bring Hillula into the world.