The Reader's Chorus

Robert Lax and John Beer's Black and White Oratorio 

Sunday, March 1, 2015 - 7:00pm

The Reader's Chorus consists of composers and musicians, visual artists and filmmakers, writers and poets. Poets Anthony McCann and Joshua Beckman initially brought us together to perform Robert Lax and John Beer's rarely performed Black and White Oratorio. Inspired by this hallucinogenic poem and the possibilities of sound in a group of speaking voices, Sara Roberts and Jordan Biren recruited a dedicated corps to experiment with timbral combinations, rhythms, and the spatialization of voices. Since then members have been creating new works for the Chorus to develop and arrange in laboratory rehearsal.

The Reader's Chorus is pleased to present Robert Lax and John Beer's Black and White Oratorio with new spirited works commissioned for the Chorus personnel: Casey Anderson, Jordan Biren, Kate Brown, John Burtle, Clay Chaplin, Tuni Chatterji, Corey Fogel, Morgan Gerstmar, Jen Hutton, James Klopfleisch, Todd Lerew, Manuel Lima, Heather Lockie, Sara Roberts, Mady Schutzman, Haruko Tanaka, Christine Tavolacci 

ORGANIZERS: Jordan Biren, Heather Lockie, Sara Roberts 

SPECIAL THANKS TO THE ROBERT LAX LITERARY TRUST 

$12 General Admission/$10 Current VPES Members

http://thereaderschorus.brownpapertickets.com/

 WEBSITE OF THE READERS CHORUS: https://www.readerschorus.com/

~Documentation from the Event~

 

 

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Audio recording of  "The Black/White Oratorio"

 "The Black/White Oratorio" is an epic minimalist poem by Robert Lax that is comprised entirely of the names of colors, and is meant to be read aloud by a chorus. It takes about 35 minutes to read, and there's an intense interplay between soloists, small groups, and the whole group in unison. It is a highly repetitive, cadenced, hypnotic, and - some say - hallucinogenic experience.

Written by Robert Lax & John Beer
Performed by The Readers Chorus
March 1, 2015
Velaslavasay Panorama, Los Angeles

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Audio Recording of "The Letter"

An epistolic reflexion
from the center of film
and
The harmonic images
of voice and viola
and
The resonance of a voice
with choric voices
and
Speaking to a letter received
that speaks to a voice ringing

Text by Jordan Biren
Score by Heather Lockie
Performed by The Readers Chorus
March 1, 2015
The Velaslavasay Panorama, Los Angeles

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