CLose and Apart

September 12 at 7:00pm

Matthew Jaskot, composer
Susan Elizabeth Sweeney, poet
Jennifer Ashe, soprano
Brian Church, baritone
Kevin Nolan, guitar
Matt Nolan, percussion
Verdant Vibes New Music Collective

Close and Apart is a concert-length (approximately 75 minutes) song cycle that was inspired by Eric Gregory’s memoir, All My Tomorrows: A Story of Tragedy, Transplant and Hope (Word Association Publishers, 2017), which evokes the playful, generous spirit of his son who died from a brain aneurysm at nineteen. In the book, Eric traces the process of donating Christopher’s organs and shows how forming friendships with the recipients helped the family heal. This piece conveys the memoir’s narrative arc while exploring themes of grief, healing, community, temporality, memory, empathy, and interconnection. The score includes musical adaptations of ten poems by Susan Elizabeth Sweeney, and synthesizes different musical traditions, including classical, New Orleans jazz, folk, and chant, among others. 

Note: Before the concert, a panel on Collaboration, Connection, and Community features author Eric Gregory, his wife Grace, and the poet and composer. 4:30pm in Rehm Library. Open to all.

For more information, visit closeandapart.wordpress.com.

The Creative Writing Program and the Department of Music