This anthem is unusual in a wonderful way... a traditional Native American folksong decorated with an instrumentation that truly paints a picture of the images of living water and Spirit winds. Based on the celebrated passage fromthe Psalm “Like a deer pants for the water ” and corresponding New Testament passages this haunting music and message would be very special for baptism Pentecost or even for a multicultural Sunday.

Composer's Note: Quilting co-commissioned by the BBC Symphony Orchestra and the Los Angeles Philharmonic is my first stand alone work fororchestra and is loosely inspired by the American tradition of quilt making. I composed Quilting while living most of last year in Paris. During my time there I thought a lot about what it means to compose symphonic music as ayoung American in the 21st century when so many of the many masterworks which are programmed year in and out by orchestras across the country are European. I considered which artistic traditions defined the American 19th-century.I began to think of the American crafts-tradition of quilting as a foil to the high-art tradition of European orchestral composition. As the score for my new work began to take shape I started thinking about themanuscript itself as an object its vertical and horizontal planes create a kind of patterned geometry of their own. Visually the way a musical score is woven together like patchwork brought to mind quilts and the great Americantradition of quilting. I imagined about how conducting an orchestra can feel like stitching a piece together or sewing together a large number of musical ideas and musicians into a coherent and transcendent whole. Quilting was an integral part of American vernacular in the 18th and 19th centuries the African-American quilting tradition is especially fascinating and the quilts tell the stories of the women and communities who made them.The names of the quilt patterns themselves can have their own sense of narrative: 'jacobs ladder' 'drunkards path' 'solomon's puzzle' and (my favorite for its relevance to this piece) 'the road to California.' -Bryce Dessner

A Cantata for Christmas-Composed in both traditional and blended choral stylings this cantata weaves the historic symbolism of both the Lion of Judah and the Lamb of God into the Christmas story. Through original songs and traditional carols singers and listeners are reminded that this story is not just an event in history but a living story that still impacts the world today. Narration solos congregational participation and optional children's voices along with gorgeous orchestrations by Keith Christopher all work together to make this service a time of both celebration and worship. Songs include: Overture/Sing Christmas! And So We Wait It Came upon a Midnight Clear Who's the Little Baby? Sleep Little Lion Sleep Little Lamb Where Is Peace Tonight? In This Moment Angels from the Realms of Glory Carol of the King. Score and Parts (fl 1-2/pic ob cl 1-2 bn tpt 1-3 hn 1-2 tbn 1-2 tbn 3/tba perc 1-2 timp hp pno rhy vn 1-2 va vc db) available as a Printed Edition and as a digital download.