I just learned from composer Kile Smith that The Crossing’s performance of his composition “The Arc in the Sky,” a choral arrangement based on Lax’s poetry and other writings is a finalist for a 2020 Grammy Award!
Here’s what Smith wrote about the news on his website this morning:
“When The Arc in the Sky was thrown into the Grammy hat a couple of months ago, I thought the chances were slim of its advancing, just because of how large the pool is at that stage. And since The Crossing won Grammys the last two years in a row, those chances, to me, felt even slimmer. But now The Arc is one of the finalists, it’s up against all worthies, including great friends of mine, and so here we go. See you January 26th!”
January 26 is the date the Grammy Awards will take place and the winners will be announced.
Here’s a full list of the finalists in Best Choral Performance:
- Boyle: Voyages, Donald Nally, conductor (The Crossing)
- Durufle: Complete Chroral Works, Robert Simpson, conductor (Ken Cowan; Houston Chamber Choir)
- The Hope of Loving, Craig Hella Johnson, conductor (Conspirare)
- Sander: The Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, Peter Jermihov, conductor (Evan Bravos, Vadim Gan, Kevin Keys, Glenn Miller & Daniel Shirley; PaTRAM Institute Singers)
- Smith, K.: The Arc in the Sky, Donald Nally, conductor (The Crossing)
You can read all about Smith’s composition and The Crossing’s recording of it (under the direction of conductor Donald Nally) here.
You can buy the recording here.
You can see the complete score at MusicSpoke here.
And here it is at Navona Records, and on Spotify.
Congratulations to Kile Smith, Donald Nally, and the entire ensemble of The Crossing!