This weekend marks the second Festival of American Song presented by TCU. If there’s one thing Fort Worth isn’t running a deficit on its festivals, but let’s not get caught up with the “f-word.” The real question is: What does this event have to offer our already bountiful classical music scene?
Song form is all too often the filler between dance sequences in musicals or the auditory sorbet between love scenes in cinema. It has become the glue that every part of the entertainment industry uses to grab eyes and ears for profits. Festival of American Song cuts through the noise and focuses a spotlight on this omnipresent yet often misunderstood art form.
In choosing a guest composer, TCU music faculty member and festival founding director Angela Turner Wilson said she listened to the audience.
“Our audience demographic trends young, and the TCU vocal music student community is very connected to the music of Jason Robert Brown,” she said. “As a TCU voice faculty member, my students [and colleagues] are constantly asking to study and perform his songs. Mr. Brown’s songs are current, emotionally charged, intelligent, highly melodic, and relevant additions to the canon of American song in the 21st century.”
Additionally, Wilson said she is looking for composers, young and old, who will pass the test of time.
Last year’s festival featured the music of Ricky Ian Gordon in two separate concerts. Feedback from TCU students and audiences led to a change in this year’s lineup, which will include a moderated conversation with Jason Robert Brown on Saturday.
“Our audiences wanted to hear more directly from the composer,” Wilson said. “Composers are inherently storytellers, and their music provides an outlet to express these stories. This new format affords an opportunity for the composer to tell his or her stories in a conversational setting. This will most likely be the format for future festivals.”
The interview will be moderated by FWSO pianist and Cliburn artistic advisor Shields-Collins “Buddy” Bray who will also be performing Brown’s works with TCU students on Sunday.
Bray said he has been a long-time fan of the composer.
“What I love so much about his work is its honesty,” he said. “I think his lyrics speak with immediacy and that that is no accident. It’s obviously important to him that his songs not merely suggest, but actively tell, and actively stir. Like all the best composers working today, his work is uniquely his. Its energy, urgency, and honesty make his work unmistakable.”
The festival opens Saturday 1 p.m. with a free public master class taught by Brown. The class and all subsequent events will be held in PepsiCo Recital Hall (2800 S. University Dr.). Saturday also features a conversation with Brown at 7 p.m. Admission to that event is $10 or free with valid student ID. A performance of Brown’s works by TCU students concludes the two-day event 2 p.m. Sunday. Admission is also $10 or free with student ID.
To purchase tickets or for more information, visit the event’s website.
