KICKSTARTER

Canticle In Praise of the Divine Feminine

in fourteen movements for Chorus & Orchestra

This is a revision of the piece which premiered
in the Southern Theater, Minneapolis. in 1992
and was presented again
in The O’Shaughnessy Auditorium, Saint Paul in 1994

“The performance was met with high praise, with reviewers calling it a "gorgeous, sumptuous sensual experience" and highlighting David Whetstone’s libretto and dramatic musical score as "first rate."
––Minneapolis Tribune

I decided just today to actually do this. I have been thinking about it, planning and preparing for it, for thirty years. Why so long you may ask? Well I will tell you alllll about it. Stay tuned!

From my experience with Ragamala Music & Dance Theater, I know what we can reasonably expect to happen. And also, what we can expect not to happen. I have been preparing for this for a long time.

I feel that Canticle is of value. I want to share it, to tell its own story of gestation, and most importantly of course, to tell the stories that Canticle tells. Selling and what goes along with it should be the comet’s tail. It is not entirely a natural thing for me to do. The work and the meaning of the work is the important thing. If it is of value, and I hope and believe it is, I need to sell it as best I can.

Prior to the beginning of the Kickstarter, I will be revising and preparing the piece one more time. This means a new orchestra rendition, and some revisions to the score, and a new paper score for the singers. I expect that to take four months. I hope to attract folks here to follow as the pre-campaign progresses.

Sancto Numini Spiritus, gratias. We give thanks to the Holy Will of the Spirit. [d]

On this fine day, this morning
of all our race still new,
we thank You who hear us
for all your kindnesses.
For this body wondrous we thank You.
We thank You for our eyes,
to hold dear those who refresh the heart,
for ears to hear music sweet to hear,
for feet to dance, and for hands to touch,
we thank You. [d]

Dear God see us here
webbing silken thread
chamber bluebird sing
vessel garden cell
tiny candle flame
great body of God
spirit come
come within come
in this smallness come [d]

Dies sanctificatus illuxit nobis The sacred day has dawned upon us.
renite gentes et adorate Come everyone and praise God,
Dominum qui hodie because a wonderful light
descendit lux magna in terris; dawns upon the Earth;
haec dies quam fecit Dominus. This is the day God has made.
Exultemus et laetemur in ea!  Let us rejoice and be glad in it! [Hildegard]

❂

The orchestra for the performance will be my beloved gizmo. This will save an enormous amount of money and make performance possible. This recording below is my old gizmo orchestra. I have a new state of the art gizmo orchestra and it sounds much better! Moving it on to the new orchestra is a huge job.The never ending “ooh” sound is of course the vocal solos and chorus parts that will be sung by singers.

The lyrics, will change a bit.