Whitacre's music frequently uses secundal harmonies, where the interval of a second (like two adjacent notes) functions as a consonance rather than a dissonance.
Compositional Technique
The harmonic interval of the major second, which creates tension through tone proximity, is a key element in Whitacre's music, similar to its use in Impressionistic works like Ravel's Daphnis and Chloe.
Compositional Technique
Whitacre's music often creates an organic growth of tones that move out from and return to a source of rest, limiting harmonic contrasts to a small number of interval combinations.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Eric Whitacre, the composer, states that his primary responsibility as a choral composer is to the poem, working to understand its meaning and letting the music emerge from the words.
Performer Biography
Noel Edison, the conductor, is also the artistic director of the large-scale Toronto Mendelssohn Choir and co-founded the Elora Festival and Elora Festival Singers.
Performer Biography
The Elora Festival Singers, a professional chamber choir, was founded in 1980 by Noel Edison and is known for its rich, warm sound and clarity of texture.
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