Henning's Headquarters

[jochanaan]

A Methodist church, huh?  If they hired you, they must appreciate quality music.

[Cato]

A Methodist church, huh?  If they hired you, they must appreciate quality music.

Yes, and the quality of music at that church just jumped cosmically!  0:)

[Karl Henning]

Thank you, gents!

[TheGSMoeller]

It is official: I have been engaged as the Choir Director for Holy Trinity Church.

Great job, Karl! 

[madaboutmahler]

Congratulations, Karl! They're lucky to have you!! You should do some Schnittke :p

[North Star]

Wonderful news! Congratulations, Karl! I won't disagree with Daniel's programming idea.

[Lisztianwagner]

It is official: I have been engaged as the Choir Director for Holy Trinity Church.

That's wonderful, congratulations, Karl!

[Karl Henning]

Thanks, all!

The choir's abilities are on the modest side, so I am not sure we'll get to any Schnittke this first year . . . .

[North Star]

Thanks, all!

The choir's abilities are on the modest side, so I am not sure we'll get to any Schnittke this first year . . . .

That's a pity. Still, I'm sure you have a smoking basso profundo and soon start working on Всенощное бдѣніе 

[Sergeant Rock]

The choir's abilities are on the modest side, so I am not sure we'll get to any Schnittke this first year . . . .

When I saw the Schnittke recommendation, I was going to say, you don't want to scare them off the first day on the job 

Sarge

[Cato]

When I saw the Schnittke recommendation, I was going to say, you don't want to scare them off the first day on the job 

Sarge

How appropriate is this for a Methodist church?   

[kishnevi]

Congratulations! 

BTW, for those not familiar with the name,  the original name of Danvers is Salem Village, and is the locale at which the Witch Trials began--even though the modern city of Salem, further up the road, is the place which has cashed in on the infamy/fame.  There are a few places which you can see that have direct connection with the Trials,  and a rather large monument.  Salem Village church still exists as a congregation, albeit in a modern building and, IIRC, now Unitarian/Universalist in orientation.  A number of Federalist era houses can be seen as well.   I had an uncle and aunt who lived for a number of years in Danvers. 

[Karl Henning]

I may need to write up a gospelly anthem, "To everything (burn, burn, burn) there is a season (burn, burn, burn)" . . . .

[Karl Henning]

This whole (still improbable, as it seems) enterprise is a result of a combination of Facebook, and chance meetings with a fellow composer here in the Boston area.

He and his wife (who is also a composer) will "show me the ropes" at the church tomorrow evening.

[DavidW]

Congrats Karl!

[Karl Henning]

Thanks! It's still sinking in, even if it is not the grandest, most prestigious of appointments.

[Karl Henning]

Oh! And here's a bit of near news I haven't mentioned yet.  An organist friend here in New England now has a weekly program on a local radio station, Classical Sunday, and he has a plan to interview local musicians, and play samples of their work.  He's now mentioned it thrice (of especial significance to anyone who has Hunted a Snark), so he must be in earnest about arranging to do an interview with your humble servant.

[Karl Henning]

Bringing on Plan B . . . new program for 8 Oct at King's Chapel:

Zen on the Wing, Op.114 № 2 (première)
Peter H Bloom, flute
kh, clarinet

The Angel Who Bears a Flaming Sword, Op.94a
Peter H Bloom, alto flute

Irreplaceable Doodles, Op.89
kh, clarinet

Après-mystère, Op.113 № 2 (première)
Peter H Bloom, flute
kh, clarinet

[Karl Henning]

Heinrich needs bios for the King's Chapel series, so I've gone ahead and refreshed mine:

About the Performers

Peter H. Bloom, whose playing has been called "a revelation for unforced sweetness and strength" (The Boston Globe), tours widely with leading chamber music and jazz ensembles and appears on 30 CDs (Dorian, SONY Classical, Newport Classic, others) with distribution throughout North America, Europe and Asia. His career encompasses a wide range of chamber music from period-instrument performances to the great European and American masterworks, to new music premieres. He is also a noted jazz artist, celebrating his 30th season with the internationally acclaimed Aardvark Jazz Orchestra ("a bracing walk on the wild side of the big band spectrum" — Jazz Times). Mr Bloom is historical woodwind consultant for the Boston Museum of Fine Arts; provides musical direction for museum exhibitions in the US and abroad; and lectures widely. He earned the prestigious Noah Greenberg Award of the American Musicological Society for his work in 19th century American music. A board member of the James Pappoutsakis Flute Competition, Mr Bloom received a Master of Music with Distinction from the New England Conservatory of Music and holds a BA in Philosophy from Boston University.

Karl Henning holds a B.Mus. with double major in composition and clarinet performance from the College of Wooster (Ohio); a M.A. in composition from the University of Virginia (Charlottesville); and a Ph.D. in composition from the University of Buffalo, where he studied with Charles Wuorinen and Louis Andriessen.  His music has been played and sung on three continents (North America, Europe and Australia);  and a sneaky suspicion endures that a South Dakota soy farmer has enhanced his crop with the Henning organ Toccata.  Karl has just accepted an appointment as Choir Director for Holy Trinity United Methodist Church in Danvers, Mass.  Karl recently completed an Organ Sonata, Nicodemus brings myrrh and aloes for the burial of the Christ for cello and piano, and The Mystic Trumpeter, a setting of Walt Whitman for soprano and clarinet.  Current projects include a full evening's ballet based on Dostoyevsky's novella White Nights;  and just what everyone was expecting, a bitchin' duet for clarinet and marimba.

[Karl Henning]

Thank you!