Ryan Johnson : Diabelli-Contest

I appreciate choral works that take a holistic view of the human voice. The voice is easily the most flexible of all instruments, capable of imitating any piece of the orchestra and generating textures far outside the reach of any trumpet or violin. I open this piece with the white noise rush of whispers - primal and mysterious. From there we draw the listener into the psychadelic spiritual haziness evoked by the poetry. I was taken by the grandeur of the Wessobrunn Prayer, its author having reached an understanding of faith that leaped far beyond simple religious rote. This is deep and passionate poetry. I hope to do it justice.