Hear and see Fire & Ice...in surround sound

When I composed my piece Fire & Ice in Paris last year, I wrote it for three voices: Me, Ann and Sara (a.k.a. Prima Vox). Performing it with them, and with the harp, has always been so gorgeous, so fulfilling.

But in the back of my mind, I've always wondered what it would sound like with more voices on the "Ann" and "Sara" lines. Like, with a whole choir of women singing with me. A girl can dream big, right?

That dream came true last Sunday. Dr. David Dickau, conductor of Minnesota State University, Mankato, concert and chamber choirs, invited me to perform at their holiday concert. He'd asked me to accompany the choir on a couple of pieces (I broke out the metronome to rehearse those...tick, tock, tick, tock...) and also to play a solo set. One of the pieces I proposed to him was my Fire & Ice...with all the women's voices singing with me.

He agreed. (He's a composer, too, and understands these things, I'm sure.) The rehearsal was a total overwhelm of sound and clash and release and just complete soul fire for me. And the concert...well, you can see and hear for yourself right here.

Ann (of Prima Vox fame) was at the concert and agreed to be my videographer. God bless her for capturing everything I'd wanted to see: my hands on the harp, the candles lit in that icy cold, blue-lit church, the girls surrounding the sanctuary and singing, the audience listening with eyes closed, Dr. Dickau's smile at the end. (I cut out the part of the video where I come back to my seat after my composed bow and put my head on my Aunt Sheila's shoulder and cry.)

But I think you'll get the idea. Enjoy.