To dramatize a town’s flight from forest fire, Todd collaborated with composer Jake Runestad to develop One Flock, a dramatic choral stage-work. The text traverses three movements—before, during and after—with solos, duets, and ensembles establishing the town’s couples, families, and fabric first rent asunder, and then recovering. The work explores themes of community, trauma, and diaspora.
[Excerpt]
This is where your mother is buried,
all she carried lifted free …
The 11-minute work for choir, piano, and percussion was commissioned and premiered by Schola Cantorum on Hudson. Dr. Deborah King, conductor, May 21, 2016 in New York.
You can listen, read the score, and order copies here.
Commission Todd and Jake via the contact form on the About page of this site.
I love working with Jake because he shares my interest in reimagining how choral music is made and performed. This piece, in concert, doesn’t look like a traditional choral performance, but instead uses the entire space as a townscape, putting the audience in the heat of the fire itself.
