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Brooks Concert Hall during the performance of "Falling Out of Time." Photo by Michael Quiet
Silkroad Ensemble artist Mazz Swift performs during "Falling Out of Time." Photo by Michael Quiet
Silkroad Ensemble artist Wu Tong performs during "Falling Out of Time." Photo by Michael Quiet
Silkroad Ensemble artist Wu Man plays the pipa during "Falling Out of Time." Photo by Michael Quiet
Osvaldo Golijov and artists from Silkroad Ensemble answer questions after the performance. Photo by Michael Quiet
Osvaldo Golijov and artists from Silkroad Ensemble practice in the Thomas P. Joyce '59 Contemplative Center. Photo by Avanell Brock
Osvaldo Golijov writes down notes during practice at the Joyce Contemplative Center. Photo by Avanell Brock
A few years ago, Osvaldo Golijov, Loyola Professor of Music in the music department, read David Grossman’s novel about the grief of losing a child, “Falling Out of Time.” Golijov was moved. So moved, in fact, that he was driven to compose a song cycle inspired by the book, which was originally written in Hebrew and described as half-folktale and half novel-in verse. And after much anticipation, “Falling Out of Time” had its world premiere in front of a packed crowd in Brooks Concert Hall on October 31.
From the get-go, Golijov knew who he wanted to perform the intricate piece: artists from Silkroad Ensemble, who are in their third year as artists-in-residence at College of the Holy Cross. Golijov and the artists worked together throughout the writing process, starting with work-in-progress readings and culminating in an intensive four-day workshop at the Thomas P. Joyce ’59 Contemplative Center just before the musical debut.
The premiere drew students, faculty, staff, alumni and distinguished guests together for a night that included a diverse array of instruments, including voices, pipa, sheng, kemanche, electronics and trumpet. The music’s inspiration may have been a book about grief, but the interpretation was full of life and possibility.
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