Kicking off a veritable cornucopia of events this month celebrating Steve Reich, Trinity Church presented an ambitious program of Reich’s music last Wednesday (10/7), less than a week following the composer’s 90th birthday. The concert, which was free and streamed live on Trinity’s YouTube Channel, was the centerpiece of a five-concert mini-Reich festival which began in September and will conclude next month with a complete performance of Steve’s “Drumming.” Here, members of the Trinity Choir and Trinity’s new music ensemble NOVUS were joined by veteran percussion quartet Sandbox Percussion, who are spending this year as Trinity’s first-ever artists-in-residence.
The performance began with a haunting performance of “Proverb” (1995), which sets a single line of text that seems to sum up Reich’s music: “How small a thought it takes to fill a whole life!” Following that, Sandbox performed “Music for Pieces of Wood” (1973), which is exactly as described: each of the four members striking a differently shaped piece of wood with a mallet, creating a surprising range of tones and colors.
That was followed by a pair of newer works setting biblical texts in Hebrew for mixed vocal quartet and orchestra, led by Trinity’s Director of Music Melissa Atterbury. First was “Jacob’s Ladder“, premiered only three years ago by the NY Philharmonic, followed by 2021’s “Traveler’s Prayer”, premiered by the Collin Currie Group. Both works appear on a recent release from Nonesuch, as well as on Nonesuch’s latest box set of Steve’s music. (I’m sure Nonesuch CEO Bob Hurwitz doesn’t mind reissuing these sets as long as Steve keeps writing music.)
At intermission, I and most of the audience were flabbergasted to see Reich himself appear onstage in his his trademark ballcap, jacket and dark shirt. He seemed unchanged from the last time I saw him, save for some well-groomed facial hair and a slender black cane. After posing for pictures with the musicians, Steve quietly returned to his seat near the front of the nave where he was addressed directly by Trinity’s Director of Artistic Planning – and NOVUS flutist – Melissa Baker.
“I think I can speak for everyone on stage when I say how grateful we are, not only for the music and beauty you’ve put into the world, but the possibilities you’ve opened up for all of us. Your music has changed the way generations of artists think about rhythm, harmony, repetition, pulse, ensemble, and the very experience of listening. But, perhaps just as importantly, it’s given us performers an extraordinary world to inhabit: music that demands precision and deep listening, but also creates a profound sense of connection. Especially in today’s times, that connection has been so healing for all of us over these past few weeks.”
The concert ended with a rousing performance of Tehillim (1981): a festive setting of Psalms for four female voices (sopranos Madeline Apple Healey and Elizabeth Bates, altos Elisa Sutherland and Pamela Terry) and ensemble. With the high-register voices overlapping and growing increasingly louder throughout the work’s half-hour duration, it brought the evening to an appropriately joyful close, nearly shouting the final “Hallelujah!”
The Steve celebration moves uptown this week to the Park Avenue Armory, where conductor Alan Pierson has put together what promises to be an extraordinary staging of Steve’s classic “Music for 18 Musicians” in the Wade Thompson Drill Hall, featuring the original Steve Reich Ensemble, Alarm Will Sound and the Manhattan School of Music’s new music ensemble Tactus. All five performances (10/14-10/18) are currently sold out, but check with the box office for possible returns and/or standby tickets.
Full video of Wednesday’s concert below. More pics on Instagram.