Note to readers: This post was originally written in connection with a March 2016 concert by my own choir. I have left it as is, since it contains quite a bit of information about how commissions work and therefore should be of general interest.
So I started out by saying that we (that is, the Cherry Creek Chorale in the Denver area) had a number of commissioned pieces on our program for this concert, which raised the question above. So how does it all work?
Well, it depends. If I were to commission a wall hanging by a local artist to put in the stairwell of my home, that original physical item would belong to me. Beyond that ownership, though, there could be a number of permutations. I would have to spell out what other rights I wanted to purchase along with the item itself: Would I own the rights to the image or design? Could I make prints or copies of it and sell them? Would I have to give credit to the artist any time that a picture of my home was published that included the stairwell? Etc. It’s a very interesting and complicated issue.
With a piece of music things are a little more straightforward, as no composer or arranger would want to sell the ongoing rights to it and therefore make it impossible to have it performed except by or with the permission of the original purchaser. So usually the rights are for “premiere only,” with the optional right to a limited time of exclusive performance rights, perhaps for the performers to go on tour. We did three performances of our concert, so I’m assuming that our exclusive rights extended over those three dates. After that, our composers may publish and sell their works as they see fit, but the dedication headings are to be included in all future publications.
We have three commissioned composers/arrangers in our concert: K. Lee Scott, Rick Seaton and Margot Krimmel. I wrote about Scott last year when we performed our first of three commissioned works from him, “Friendship.” Now we get to perform that work again for this concert (something we must have agreed on originally), plus “Consider the Lilies” and “The True Glory.” (In case you’re wondering, the “K” stands for “Kayron.” No, I’ve never heard of it either.) I don’t have the whole backstory about how the texts were chosen for these last two, but our conductor did mention at a rehearsal that he suggested the words for “Lilies,” which are drawn from the book of Matthew, chapter 6, verses 26-29, part of the so-called “Sermon on the Mount” by Jesus. “Glory” weaves together two quotations. The first is from Sir Francis Drake, the sea captain who was the first to actually lead his fleet all the way around the globe (Magellan died on the way) from 1577 to 1580 and helped defeat the Spanish Armada in 1588. The words are from a letter he wrote while at sea in 1587, almost certainly referring to the coming battle with Spain. The second is from William H. Murray, a 20th-century Scottish mountaineer. I do wish I had the space here to give you his complete biography, as he’s a fascinating character. He wrote the words in our piece while a POW during World War II; when his first manuscript was found and destroyed by his captors he simply got to work on re-writing it. I especially admire his words “The moment one is committed, then Providence moves as well.”
Rick Seaton is the music director and organist at Bethany Lutheran Church in Greenwood Village, CO, our principle performance venue, and he has contributed to our concerts in years past with his wonderful playing. He is playing the organ again in this concert, accompanying the Chorale for two pieces which just happen to be his own work, commissioned by us. I think that’s called a Mobius strip, or recursive loop, or something like that. Anyway, both pieces are in memory of John Beardall, a Welshman who had a very close connection to two members of our group, being the father of one (Andrew Beardall) and the father-in-law of another (Margaret Beardall). When John died in 2014, friends and family were asked not to send flowers to the funeral but instead to contribute to a fund that would be used to commission Chorale music in his memory. As Margaret says, “When you see that music is composed ‘in honor of’ someone, don’t you wish you knew more about them? What a lasting way to honor someone’s memory.” When she approached Brian Leatherman for suggestions about a composer he mentioned Seaton, who has composed for piano and organ and was looking for an opportunity to compose choral music. Margaret suggested that the pieces reference Wales, that they include “Welcome/Home Again to Wales,” as that was a favorite of John’s, and that there be some sections in Welsh. Beyond that, the creative process was up to the composer. Margaret says, “Of course, when you commission music, you don’t know what you will end up with. Hopefully you will like it!” I think it’s fair to say that the Chorale does, indeed, like these pieces. They are challenging, unusual, and beautiful.
But the commission story isn’t over for this concert. The Chorale had the arrangement of our final piece, “The Parting Glass,” arranged by Margot Krimmel, one half of the duo White Birds Music. Oh, wait. We have another recursive loop here, because Krimmel and her partner Beth Gadbaw are performing with us, too. Whew! It’s almost too much to take in. So we have five world premieres, by three different composers/arrangers, two of whom are also performing with us. It’s a good thing we’re doing three performances of this concert, so as to make the most of this very special occasion.
© Debi Simons
