Full circle!  Long before I became a DJ, composer, and all-around West Coast düde, I was a robe-wearing choirboy at St. Christopher’s School in Virginia.  So I’m thrilled to hear the upcoming premiere of Stable of Grace, for chorus, organ, and chamber orchestra, on the magical and legendary Christmas concerts at Grace Cathedral.

 

This commission is a key part of my artist-in-residency at Grace Cathedral, which has hosted luminaries from Bobby McFerrin to Alonzo King as part of their incredible GraceArts program.

 

Stable of Grace is the first piece I’ve composed to my own text.  In considering a fresh angle to bring to a Christmas concert, I found myself searching for texts about the stable itself – the sights, sounds, smells of the ‘room where it happened.’  The humble birth in a stable, surrounded by shepherds and livestock, is (to me) the most badass part of Luke’s account.  

 

I wanted a detail-rich text that focused entirely on this simple space, with the ‘reveal’ of baby Jesus at the end – which would allow me to write earthy, folk-informed music that unfolded into a magical ending.  Well, I couldn’t find exactly that, so I channeled my long-lost wordsmithing to create Stable of Grace.  

 

It’s an honor to write for the Grace Cathedral Choir of Men & Boys, led by music director Jared Johnson.  The piece is dedicated to Rev. Malcolm Clemens Young, the Dean of Grace Cathedral who has become a friend and mentor.