Uploaded December 2022 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Mason Bates wrote about his grandiose cantata, "Children of Adam":
Children of Adam is a collection of exuberant celebrations of creation, from American poets to sacred and Native American texts. The title comes from a Walt Whitman poem that appears throughout the work in the form of brief “fanfare intermezzos.” His celebrations of sensuality, considered provocative at the time, explore the connection of the body and the soul. Between these choral fanfares, each movement of the work offers a different perspective on creation. Presented as a pair, the two Psalms offer colorful imagery of fertility, from crops to children—who are compared to olive shoots sprouting around the kitchen table. The harp is given a prominent role as the “ten stringed lyre” mentioned in the text. Later in the work, another biblical text comes in a darker vein, with the Book of Genesis’ description of the creation of the world conjured in music both frightening and, ultimately, impassioned. An interesting secular complement to these sacred texts are two poems by Carl Sandburg, who describes the creations of the Industrial Age in a highly reverent manner in “Prayers of Steel.”
COMPOSER: Mason Bates
CONDUCTOR: Steven Smith
ORCHESTRA: Richmond Symphony Orchestra
CHOIR: Richmond Symphony Chorus
SOLOISTS:
Michelle Areyzaga, soprano
Kevin Deas, bass-baritone
NOTE: This is a live performance! (WORLD PREMIERE performance, recorded in Carpenter Theatre on 5-11-2018)
TRACKLIST:
0:00 - I. From Pent-Up Aching Rivers (Walt Whitman)
2:21 - II. Psalms 144 & 128
6:45 - III. I Sing the Body Electric (Walt Whitman)
8:53 - IV. Turtle Island (Mataponi Indians of Virginia)
14:54 - V. Prayers of Steel & Smoke and Steel (Carl Sandburg)
20:02 - VI. From the Book of Genesis
25:26 - VII. To the Garden, the World
Please be aware that all of the music (and images) featured in this video belong to their respective owners, and I or this channel does not claim any right over them. I upload these solely for archiving purposes, and for the sharing and enjoyment of great music. Monetization is not enabled. If you are the rightful owner of copyrighted material used and would like the video removed from YouTube, please, instead of reporting/striking my channel, leave a comment below with your statement and I will take the video down effective immediately.
Mason Bates wrote about his grandiose cantata, "Children of Adam":
Children of Adam is a collection of exuberant celebrations of creation, from American poets to sacred and Native American texts. The title comes from a Walt Whitman poem that appears throughout the work in the form of brief “fanfare intermezzos.” His celebrations of sensuality, considered provocative at the time, explore the connection of the body and the soul. Between these choral fanfares, each movement of the work offers a different perspective on creation. Presented as a pair, the two Psalms offer colorful imagery of fertility, from crops to children—who are compared to olive shoots sprouting around the kitchen table. The harp is given a prominent role as the “ten stringed lyre” mentioned in the text. Later in the work, another biblical text comes in a darker vein, with the Book of Genesis’ description of the creation of the world conjured in music both frightening and, ultimately, impassioned. An interesting secular complement to these sacred texts are two poems by Carl Sandburg, who describes the creations of the Industrial Age in a highly reverent manner in “Prayers of Steel.”
COMPOSER: Mason Bates
CONDUCTOR: Steven Smith
ORCHESTRA: Richmond Symphony Orchestra
CHOIR: Richmond Symphony Chorus
SOLOISTS:
Michelle Areyzaga, soprano
Kevin Deas, bass-baritone
NOTE: This is a live performance! (WORLD PREMIERE performance, recorded in Carpenter Theatre on 5-11-2018)
TRACKLIST:
0:00 - I. From Pent-Up Aching Rivers (Walt Whitman)
2:21 - II. Psalms 144 & 128
6:45 - III. I Sing the Body Electric (Walt Whitman)
8:53 - IV. Turtle Island (Mataponi Indians of Virginia)
14:54 - V. Prayers of Steel & Smoke and Steel (Carl Sandburg)
20:02 - VI. From the Book of Genesis
25:26 - VII. To the Garden, the World
Please be aware that all of the music (and images) featured in this video belong to their respective owners, and I or this channel does not claim any right over them. I upload these solely for archiving purposes, and for the sharing and enjoyment of great music. Monetization is not enabled. If you are the rightful owner of copyrighted material used and would like the video removed from YouTube, please, instead of reporting/striking my channel, leave a comment below with your statement and I will take the video down effective immediately.
![Nahre Sol — Little Fishy Upstream Swimming (2020) (piano version) [w/ score]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/FGTouq-_9Uk/mqdefault.jpg "Nahre Sol — Little Fishy Upstream Swimming (2020) (piano version) [w/ score]
From Nahre Sols album of original works for keyboard, “Alice in Wonderland”, is the piano version of her short piece, “Little Fishy Upstream Swimming.” This short little jingle was written originally for two synthesizers (specifically the Arturia Minibrute 2 and a Rhodes patch of a Nord keyboard). Similar in style to her piece “Sideways”, this piece is very creative, graceful, and constantly shifting. Once again, the recording was brilliantly performed by Nahre herself.
COMPOSER: Nahre Sol
PIANO: Nahre Sol
Please be aware that all of the music (and images) featured in this video belong to their respective owners, and I or this channel does not claim any right over them. I upload these solely for archiving purposes, and for the sharing and enjoyment of great music. Monetization is not enabled. If you are the rightful owner of copyrighted material used and would like the video removed from YouTube, please, instead of reporting/striking my channel, leave a comment below with your statement and I will take the video down effective immediately.
#scorefollower #contemporaryclassical #classicalmusic")
