The Crossing Gives World Premiere Of New Work By Jennifer Higdon At American Choral Directors Association Conference
ACDA performance followed by concerts at the University of Chicago, Ithaca College, and Dartmouth College.

Grammy Award-winning choir The Crossing, led by conductor Donald Nally, makes its Cincinnati debut with the world premiere of a new work by Jennifer Higdon at the national conference of the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) on Friday and Saturday, February 24 & 25, 2023 at 8:00 p.m. at the Aronoff Center for the Arts.
The new work titled The Absence, Remember is the 2022 Raymond W. Brock Memorial Commission by the ACDA for The Crossing and Donald Nally and is based on a poem by Athena Kildegaard - the mother of The Crossing singer, Anika.
The Crossing's full program explores themes of extinction, loss, absence, and our relationship to the Earth, hope, and responsibility leading with SHIFT by The Crossing's inaugural Composer in Residence, Ayanna Woods. The program also includes Edie Hill's Spectral Spirits, most recently featured on The Crossing's current Grammy Award-nominated album, Born: The Music of Edie Hill and Michael Gilbertson. Works by Shara Nova, singer/songwriter from the band My Brightest Diamond, are featured throughout including selected movements from Titration - which were premiered by The Crossing in August 2022 and performed at NPR's Tiny Desk Concert in October 2022 - and Resolve and Urgency from her Carols After a Plague, recently released on The Crossing's latest album of the same name. Several moments of Caroline Shaw's new work Ochre are also featured, a work that was given its northeast premiere during The Crossing @ Christmas 2022 in Philadelphia. All works on the program were commissioned by or for The Crossing.
After singing for nearly 4,000 choral musicians at the ACDA conference, The Crossing takes the program on tour to the University of Chicago, Ithaca College, and Dartmouth College. They first perform as guests of the Neubauer Collegium and UChicago Presents at the University of Chicago on Sunday, February 26, 2023 at 4:00 p.m. at Friedman Hall at The Rubenstein Forum. On Tuesday, February 28, 2023 at 8:15 p.m. they sing the program at Ford Hall at the Whalen Center for Music at Ithaca College, followed by a performance on Thursday, March 2 at 8:00 p.m. at Rollins Chapel at Dartmouth College.
Performance Details
The Crossing @ ACDA
The Crossing
Donald Nally, conductor
Friday, February 24, 2023 at 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, February 25, 2023 at 8:00 p.m.
Aronoff Center for the Arts | 650 Walnut St. | Cincinnati, OH 45202
Program:
Jennifer Higdon - The Absence, Remember (World premiere)
Ayanna Woods - SHIFT
Edie Hill - Spectral Spirits
Shara Nova - two movements from Titration; two movements from Carols After a Plague
Caroline Shaw - two movements from Ochre
The Crossing on Tour
The Crossing
Sunday, February 26, 2023 at 4:00 p.m.
Friedman Hall at The Rubenstein Forum | 1201 East 60th Street | Chicago, IL 60637
Tickets: $10
Ticket Link: https://www.crossingchoir.org/events/2022-23/chicago
Program:
Jennifer Higdon - The Absence, Remember (World premiere)
Ayanna Woods - SHIFT
Edie Hill - Spectral Spirits
Shara Nova - two movements from Titration; two movements from Carols After a Plague
Caroline Shaw - two movements from Ochre
This event is organized by the Neubauer Collegium for Culture and Society and UChicago Presents in partnership with the Humanities Division, the Provost's Office, and the Music Department at the University of Chicago.
The Crossing on Tour
The Crossing
Tuesday, February 28, 2023 at 8:15 p.m.
Ford Hall at Ithaca College | 953 Danby Road | Ithaca, NY 14850
Tickets: Free
Ticket Link: https://www.crossingchoir.org/events/2022-23/ithaca
Program:
Jennifer Higdon - The Absence, Remember (World premiere)
Ayanna Woods - SHIFT
Edie Hill - Spectral Spirits
Shara Nova - two movements from Titration; two movements from Carols After a Plague
Caroline Shaw - two movements from Ochre
The Crossing on Tour
The Crossing
Thursday, March 2, 2023 at 8:00 p.m.
Rollins Chapel at Dartmouth College | 29 College St. | Hanover, NH 03755
Tickets: $18-$30
Ticket Link: https://www.crossingchoir.org/events/2022-23/dartmouth
Program:
Jennifer Higdon - The Absence, Remember (World premiere)
Ayanna Woods - SHIFT
Edie Hill - Spectral Spirits
Shara Nova - two movements from Titration; two movements from Carols After a Plague
Caroline Shaw - two movements from Ochre
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