Two Modern Requiems Help To Reflect After Sandy
French twentieth-century organ composer Maurice Duruflé and contemporary American composer Gregory Spears seem like an odd pair. But on November 14, 2012, works of the two composers were on exhibition, showcasing two modern settings of the requiem at the French-gothic inspired Park Avenue Christian Church in New York City. In this case, both composers were inspired by something ancient while sustaining their own ability to creatively innovate. As I entered the church, the sanctuary was half filled with darkness. The other half was lit by candles flickering against the stone window frames and stained glass that lined the nave. The whole setting seemed to be an appropriate (yet completely unplanned) meditation, in light of the devastating damage by Hurricane Sandy that had ripped through the New York region just a couple of weeks before.
Organist David Enlow (photo credit: davidenlow.com)
Twitter has surprised me. I initially was one of the skeptics, assuming that the 140 character limit would lead to a further degradation of the English language and perpetuate the epidemic that is our declining attention span. I joined at the request of my wife almost three years ago and, much to my dismay, realized I was entirely wrong. I’ve had serious conversations through this medium and met people for drinks in cities around the world. The connections I’ve made have been remarkable, and I once again find myself indebted to a twitter algorithm for suggesting I follow Adrian Knight (