“At the Forks” by Libby Larsen
Libby Larsen’s major work entitled “At the Forks” honors and celebrates the shared narrative created by the many cultures that make up the Lehigh Valley. It was premiered in April 2019 by tenor soloist Emmet Cahill of Celtic Thunder, Concord Chamber Singers of the Lehigh Valley, Lafayette College Chamber Singers, and a professional chamber orchestra.
Larsen writes “I hope I’ve gained a feel for and possibly an understanding of how 300-plus years’ many waves of immigration to land that retains its original, indigenous spirit, are shaping Easton’s vibrant, diverse, ongoing narrative of becoming. Coming away after listening to the performance of At the Forks I hope the audience feels the strength and beauty of diverse peoples creating one narrative made of many narratives. There’s a depth and a universality and timelessness that I am looking for. That’s what I call the heart.”
“Hope Swale” by Beth Anderson
Beth Anderson’s composition “Hope Swale” was premiered by the Lafayette College Chamber Singers with conductor Jennifer Kelly on April 28, 2018 at Lafayette College’s Williams Center for the Arts in Easton, Pennsylvania. Anderson writes “Professor Kelly commissioned Hope Swale on the topic of either hope or reconciliation. I chose hope. Hope is eternal. Hope outlasts the storms of torment. Hope is the same everywhere. Hope Swale moves from despair to hope, from silent great herons to the sweet song of a little bird.” Listen to the first performance by the Lafayette Chamber Singers.