Let us plant our gardens now
Choral Music
chorus with chamber ensemble
work detail
instrumentation: TTBB, piano, and percussion
completion date: july 2016
duration: 5 1/2 minutes
texts: Original poem, "Habitat" by Megan Levad
events
OUR STORY IS NOT OVER
Mendelssohn Chorus of Philadelphia - Dominick DiOrio
Suzanne Roberts Theater - Broad Street - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
7:30 pm
We grieve, we process, we begin to rebuild
Loss moves from pain into healing. Oppression moves from pain into resilience and power. Anguish moves from pain into hope. In March, we bring together music and poetry for a program of resilience, hope, and affirmation to take us beyond our current state to a new vision of being and belonging.
Featuring GRAMMY Award Winning baritone soloist Dashon Burton in both art song and choral music interwoven with poetry by Elizabeth Scanlon. Also featuring music of Reena Esmail, Dale Trumbore, Joel Thompson, and a world premiere by Philadelphia composer Melissa Dunphy. Plus… excerpts of major works by Paul Moravec (Sanctuary Road) and Ralph Vaughan Williams (Five Mystical Songs), and also featuring my original works Walking to the Sun and Let Us Plant Our Gardens Now. Learn more and purchase tickets.
OUR STORY IS NOT OVER
Mendelssohn Chorus of Philadelphia - Dominick DiOrio
Suzanne Roberts Theater - Broad Street - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
7:30 pm
We grieve, we process, we begin to rebuild
Loss moves from pain into healing. Oppression moves from pain into resilience and power. Anguish moves from pain into hope. In March, we bring together music and poetry for a program of resilience, hope, and affirmation to take us beyond our current state to a new vision of being and belonging.
Featuring GRAMMY Award Winning baritone soloist Dashon Burton in both art song and choral music interwoven with poetry by Elizabeth Scanlon. Also featuring music of Reena Esmail, Dale Trumbore, Joel Thompson, and a world premiere by Philadelphia composer Melissa Dunphy. Plus… excerpts of major works by Paul Moravec (Sanctuary Road) and Ralph Vaughan Williams (Five Mystical Songs), and also featuring my original works Walking to the Sun and Let Us Plant Our Gardens Now. Learn more and purchase tickets.
GALA FESTIVAL 2024: PEACE OF WILD THINGS BLOCKBUSTER CONCERT
Multae Voces Festival Chorus - Dominick DiOrio, guest conductor
Central Lutheran Stage - Minneapolis, MN
7:15 pm
Multae Voces, conducted by Dominick DiOrio (he/him) and Trans Chorus of LA Artistic Director Abdullah Rasheen-Hall (they/them), is an SATB chorus for all singers and we especially welcome singers at Festival who are not performing with a home chorus. Our first performance is for the Festival Opening at Peavey Plaza stage so singers must arrive at Festival for morning rehearsals on July 10. This chorus also performs in the Peace of Wild Things Blockbuster, July 11th from 7:15 to 8:30 PM on the Central Lutheran Stage. More information here.
This concert also features the San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus performing my work Let Us Plant Our Gardens Now.
ALL WE NEED IS LOVE
San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus & San Francisco Symphony - Jacob Stensberg, conductor
Davies Symphony Hall - San Francisco, CA
7:30 pm
On June 18, the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus (SFGMC) presents All We Need is Love, a concert tribute to love songs. Led by Artistic Director Jacob Stensberg, the SFGMC will showcase their full musical range by performing classical works like Ralph Vaughan Williams’ “Five Mystical Songs,” San Francisco composer David Conte’s “Elegy for Matthew,” and a new commission for chorus and orchestra by Dominick DiOrio. The program also features contemporary selections including “True Colors,” “What a Wonderful World,” and “Cut to the Feeling.” The concert marks SFGMC’s third annual concert with the San Francisco Symphony since 2022, building on the success of two sold-out engagements. The SFGMC has collaborated with the Symphony several times since making their Symphony debut in 1995, including performing most recently on the Orchestra’s annual Holiday Gaiety concert in December. Tickets here.
audio
Let Us Plant Our Gardens Now
Eugene Rogers, director
Preceded by a reading of Megan Levad's original poem "Habitat"
videos
Let Us Plant Our Gardens Now
performances
University of Michigan Men's Glee Club
Eugene Rogers, conductor
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor, MI
Miami University Men's Glee Club
Jeremy Jones, conductor
Ambassadors of Song International Male Chorus Symposium
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor, MI
Miami University Men's Glee Club
Jeremy Jones, conductor
ACDA Central/North-Central Regional Conference
Harris Theater - Chicago, IL
Oakland East Bay Gay Men's Chorus
William Sauerland, conductor
Lafayette Christian Church - Lafayette, CA
Oakland East Bay Gay Men's Chorus
William Sauerland, conductor
Montclair Presbyterian Church - Oakland, CA
Oakland East Bay Gay Men's Chorus
William Sauerland, conductor
First Congregational Church of Alameda - Alameda, CA
Amherst Glee Club
Arianne Abela, conductor
Buckley Recital Hall, Amherst College - Amherst, MA
Mendelssohn Chorus of Philadelphia
Heather Mitchell, conductor
Suzanne Roberts Theater - Broad Street - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Mendelssohn Chorus of Philadelphia
Heather Mitchell, conductor
Suzanne Roberts Theater - Broad Street - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
recordings
Miami University Men's Glee Club - Jeremy D. Jones, cond.
Featuring a recording of *Let Us Plant Our Gardens Now*
commission and dedication
Commissioned by and dedicated to the University of Michigan Men's Glee Club and their director, Dr. Eugene Rogers.
text
Habitat
by Megan Levad
“[Justice] does not allow that the sacrifices imposed on a few are outweighed by the larger sum of advantages enjoyed by many.” -John Rawls
Neighbor, let us find nature.
Near us, in us. Nurture
the wild freedom of the human creature.
No longer sacrifice some among our numbers
to a twisted idol, exiled from clear, cool water,
wholesome earth, sun-warmed air,
and bees, and time enough to grow. No longer offer
gilded alibis as we make whole communities canaries,
whose silence has until now been their
song. Neighbor, we are kind, kin, ken. We will all enter
a commons, this only earth and air and water,
in the end. Let us plant our gardens now, together, where we live.
© Megan Levad, 2016
program note
I remember the first time I heard Eugene Rogers conduct the University of Michigan Men’s Glee Club. The musical connection and immediate sense of communication from the singers was powerful and palpable. Here is a conductor who knows how to make music for the enrichment of his students and for the betterment of our communities. I knew I wanted to write a work for Eugene and his students.
Let us plant our gardens now is that work. When we were trying to decide on a text for the commission, I knew I wanted to write music that spoke to an important need in our time. I had been reading about the terrible water crisis in Flint, Michigan, and I came to Eugene with this idea. He connected me with the poet Megan Levad. Megan has created an incredibly moving text that speaks to our need for neighborhood: not simply a place, but a people. What does it mean to be a neighbor to someone? We are all searching for a way to be connected with the people around us. We all impact others. We all have a responsibility to do what we can to better our fellow human beings. As Megan says: “Nurture the wild freedom of the human creature.”
While the Flint crisis has certainly been politicized, it was not my goal to create a political work. My music instead is grounded in the ideas, symbols, and threads of songs that have been born out of adversity. You might hear the influence of South African freedom songs, or perhaps the deep slow 6/8 of a Gospel anthem. While the music is mine, it is without question influenced by the needs, desires, and strength of these powerful movements and communities.
Dr. Eugene Rogers and the University of Michigan Men’s Glee Club commissioned this musical work from me and the original poem from Megan, and I am proud to offer this moving and vital work to all of them. I humbly dedicate it so.
information
events
OUR STORY IS NOT OVER
Mendelssohn Chorus of Philadelphia - Dominick DiOrio
Suzanne Roberts Theater - Broad Street - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
7:30 pm
We grieve, we process, we begin to rebuild
Loss moves from pain into healing. Oppression moves from pain into resilience and power. Anguish moves from pain into hope. In March, we bring together music and poetry for a program of resilience, hope, and affirmation to take us beyond our current state to a new vision of being and belonging.
Featuring GRAMMY Award Winning baritone soloist Dashon Burton in both art song and choral music interwoven with poetry by Elizabeth Scanlon. Also featuring music of Reena Esmail, Dale Trumbore, Joel Thompson, and a world premiere by Philadelphia composer Melissa Dunphy. Plus… excerpts of major works by Paul Moravec (Sanctuary Road) and Ralph Vaughan Williams (Five Mystical Songs), and also featuring my original works Walking to the Sun and Let Us Plant Our Gardens Now. Learn more and purchase tickets.
OUR STORY IS NOT OVER
Mendelssohn Chorus of Philadelphia - Dominick DiOrio
Suzanne Roberts Theater - Broad Street - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
7:30 pm
We grieve, we process, we begin to rebuild
Loss moves from pain into healing. Oppression moves from pain into resilience and power. Anguish moves from pain into hope. In March, we bring together music and poetry for a program of resilience, hope, and affirmation to take us beyond our current state to a new vision of being and belonging.
Featuring GRAMMY Award Winning baritone soloist Dashon Burton in both art song and choral music interwoven with poetry by Elizabeth Scanlon. Also featuring music of Reena Esmail, Dale Trumbore, Joel Thompson, and a world premiere by Philadelphia composer Melissa Dunphy. Plus… excerpts of major works by Paul Moravec (Sanctuary Road) and Ralph Vaughan Williams (Five Mystical Songs), and also featuring my original works Walking to the Sun and Let Us Plant Our Gardens Now. Learn more and purchase tickets.
GALA FESTIVAL 2024: PEACE OF WILD THINGS BLOCKBUSTER CONCERT
Multae Voces Festival Chorus - Dominick DiOrio, guest conductor
Central Lutheran Stage - Minneapolis, MN
7:15 pm
Multae Voces, conducted by Dominick DiOrio (he/him) and Trans Chorus of LA Artistic Director Abdullah Rasheen-Hall (they/them), is an SATB chorus for all singers and we especially welcome singers at Festival who are not performing with a home chorus. Our first performance is for the Festival Opening at Peavey Plaza stage so singers must arrive at Festival for morning rehearsals on July 10. This chorus also performs in the Peace of Wild Things Blockbuster, July 11th from 7:15 to 8:30 PM on the Central Lutheran Stage. More information here.
This concert also features the San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus performing my work Let Us Plant Our Gardens Now.
ALL WE NEED IS LOVE
San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus & San Francisco Symphony - Jacob Stensberg, conductor
Davies Symphony Hall - San Francisco, CA
7:30 pm
On June 18, the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus (SFGMC) presents All We Need is Love, a concert tribute to love songs. Led by Artistic Director Jacob Stensberg, the SFGMC will showcase their full musical range by performing classical works like Ralph Vaughan Williams’ “Five Mystical Songs,” San Francisco composer David Conte’s “Elegy for Matthew,” and a new commission for chorus and orchestra by Dominick DiOrio. The program also features contemporary selections including “True Colors,” “What a Wonderful World,” and “Cut to the Feeling.” The concert marks SFGMC’s third annual concert with the San Francisco Symphony since 2022, building on the success of two sold-out engagements. The SFGMC has collaborated with the Symphony several times since making their Symphony debut in 1995, including performing most recently on the Orchestra’s annual Holiday Gaiety concert in December. Tickets here.
audio
Let Us Plant Our Gardens Now
Eugene Rogers, director
Preceded by a reading of Megan Levad's original poem "Habitat"
videos
Let Us Plant Our Gardens Now
performances
University of Michigan Men's Glee Club
Eugene Rogers, conductor
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor, MI
Miami University Men's Glee Club
Jeremy Jones, conductor
Ambassadors of Song International Male Chorus Symposium
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor, MI
Miami University Men's Glee Club
Jeremy Jones, conductor
ACDA Central/North-Central Regional Conference
Harris Theater - Chicago, IL
Oakland East Bay Gay Men's Chorus
William Sauerland, conductor
Lafayette Christian Church - Lafayette, CA
Oakland East Bay Gay Men's Chorus
William Sauerland, conductor
Montclair Presbyterian Church - Oakland, CA
Oakland East Bay Gay Men's Chorus
William Sauerland, conductor
First Congregational Church of Alameda - Alameda, CA
Amherst Glee Club
Arianne Abela, conductor
Buckley Recital Hall, Amherst College - Amherst, MA
Mendelssohn Chorus of Philadelphia
Heather Mitchell, conductor
Suzanne Roberts Theater - Broad Street - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Mendelssohn Chorus of Philadelphia
Heather Mitchell, conductor
Suzanne Roberts Theater - Broad Street - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
recordings
Miami University Men's Glee Club - Jeremy D. Jones, cond.
Featuring a recording of *Let Us Plant Our Gardens Now*
published
commission and dedication
Commissioned by and dedicated to the University of Michigan Men's Glee Club and their director, Dr. Eugene Rogers.
text
Habitat
by Megan Levad
“[Justice] does not allow that the sacrifices imposed on a few are outweighed by the larger sum of advantages enjoyed by many.” -John Rawls
Neighbor, let us find nature.
Near us, in us. Nurture
the wild freedom of the human creature.
No longer sacrifice some among our numbers
to a twisted idol, exiled from clear, cool water,
wholesome earth, sun-warmed air,
and bees, and time enough to grow. No longer offer
gilded alibis as we make whole communities canaries,
whose silence has until now been their
song. Neighbor, we are kind, kin, ken. We will all enter
a commons, this only earth and air and water,
in the end. Let us plant our gardens now, together, where we live.
© Megan Levad, 2016
program note
I remember the first time I heard Eugene Rogers conduct the University of Michigan Men’s Glee Club. The musical connection and immediate sense of communication from the singers was powerful and palpable. Here is a conductor who knows how to make music for the enrichment of his students and for the betterment of our communities. I knew I wanted to write a work for Eugene and his students.
Let us plant our gardens now is that work. When we were trying to decide on a text for the commission, I knew I wanted to write music that spoke to an important need in our time. I had been reading about the terrible water crisis in Flint, Michigan, and I came to Eugene with this idea. He connected me with the poet Megan Levad. Megan has created an incredibly moving text that speaks to our need for neighborhood: not simply a place, but a people. What does it mean to be a neighbor to someone? We are all searching for a way to be connected with the people around us. We all impact others. We all have a responsibility to do what we can to better our fellow human beings. As Megan says: “Nurture the wild freedom of the human creature.”
While the Flint crisis has certainly been politicized, it was not my goal to create a political work. My music instead is grounded in the ideas, symbols, and threads of songs that have been born out of adversity. You might hear the influence of South African freedom songs, or perhaps the deep slow 6/8 of a Gospel anthem. While the music is mine, it is without question influenced by the needs, desires, and strength of these powerful movements and communities.
Dr. Eugene Rogers and the University of Michigan Men’s Glee Club commissioned this musical work from me and the original poem from Megan, and I am proud to offer this moving and vital work to all of them. I humbly dedicate it so.
