Commissioned Works by the Ensemble
Are you interested in sponsoring a commission? Contact Dr. Linda Raney at info@sfwe.org.
Linda Raney shares how A Christmas Telling of St. Bride of the Isles, this year's lovely commission came about:
“I have long been fascinated by St. Bride (Bridget of Kildare), especially after seeing the painting St. Bride by artist John Duncan. Based on the legend, the work depicts two angels bearing St. Bride from the Isles of Scotland to the Nativity in Bethlehem to serve as midwife to the birth of the Savior. Knowing that we had a wonderful Irish composer this year and not finding any poems about St. Bride I set my husband Raymond to work. Sarah and Raymond collaborated magnificently and produced an energetic musical interpretation of this myth."
Thanks to Joy Ice and Ron Latimer for sponsoring this important commission.
2021-22 Commission
We are so excited to share with you the inspirational new commission for this season by Bob Chilcott, one of our favorite composers throughout our 40-year-plus history! Our Roots, with poetry by Delphine Chambers, is for women’s voices and piano. Commissioning Bob Chilcott has been one of the Ensemble's longtime dreams. One of the world’s foremost contemporary living composers, his music is always stunning, and we are so grateful to him for writing this remarkable piece for us. Using the themes of this powerful and deeply touching composition, we continue to explore throughout the concert how we are all connected, melded together by our roots, our voices and our visions.
Linda and Raymond Raney commissioned this work in honor of the Women’s Ensemble’s 40 years plus of serving the community of Santa Fe and our continuing efforts to expand and enliven the repertory for women’s voices.
2017-18 Commission
2016 – 17 Commission
Samuel Gordon'sVoice of my Song was set to a 2008 text by Scott P. Lounsbury. The exciting work for treble voices, cello and piano was premiered at the concert of May 14, 2017. The commission was sponsored by Jim and Linda Beck. Linda is a soprano in the Ensemble, a published composer and the creator of a number of past commissions herself. She and her husband are avid supporters of the Ensemble.
2015 – 16 Commission
Reina de la Noche by Z. Randall Stroope was written in honor of the Ensemble's 35th Anniversary and premiered May 22, 2016. It was made possible by a generous gift from Caroline Burnett.
List of Commissioned Works
