Hands

2019 | SATB a cappella

Poem by Robinson Jeffers (1887-1962)

Poem "Hands" by Robinson Jeffers @1938, renewed 1996 by Donnan Jeffers and Garth Jeffers, from The Collected Poetry of Robinson Jeffers Volume 2, 1928-1938, edited by Tim Hunt. All Rights Reserved. Used by permission of Stanford University Press.

Commissioned by the Grant Park Music Festival to honor Carlos Kalmar's 20th anniversary as Principal Conductor of the Festival.

Premiere: with the Grant Park Music Festival Chorus under the direction of Christopher Bell, July 18, 2019 at the Columbus Park Refectory, Chicago IL, with a repeat performance July 22, 2019 at the South Shore Cultural Center, Chicago IL.

approximately 6 minutes in length.

Hands

2019 | SATB a cappella

Poem by Robinson Jeffers (1887-1962)

Commissioned by The Grant Park Music Festival to commemorate the 20^th anniversary of Carlos Kalmar as Artistic Director and Principal Conductor.

The Grant Park Chorus, under the direction of Christopher Bell, premiered this work on July 18, 2019, at the Columbus Park Refectory in Chicago, IL. This particular poem was written in response to Jeffers' visit to the ancient Esselen people's "Cave of the Hands" near Tassajara, CA. To Jeffers, the multitude of hands painted inside the cave was a reminder that we are part of a continuing chain of humanity and that artistic expression is central to the human experience.