User:Mstillwater/sandbox

A documentary film about the American choral composer Morten Lauridsen, National Medal of Arts recipient and most-performed living American choral composer. The 74 minute film by Michael Stillwater, produced by Song WIthout Borders, interweaves footage of the composer's summer residency in the San Juan Islands with interviews and performances in America and Scotland. Included in the documentary are perspectives from poet and former National Endowment for the Arts chairman Dana Gioia, conductor Robert Geary, composer/conductor Paul Mealor, conductor Paul Salamunovich, and composer Alex Shapiro, along with commentaries from several other conductors, composers and singers.

Performances by the San Francisco Choral Society, University of Aberdeen Choral Society and Orchestra, Con Anima Chamber Choir and Volti, are featured in the film. Works include "O Magnum Mysterium", "Lux Aeterna", "Madrigales", "Dirait-on", and "Nocturnes", with soundtracks by Polyphony (choir) and Britten Sinfonia (conducted by Stephen Layton), The Singers/Minnesota Choral Artists (conducted by Matthew Culloton), and the Dale Warland Singers (conducted by Dale Warland).

Premiered on Feb. 7th, 2012 as a prelude event to the first American Documentary FIlm Festival in Palm Springs, the screening was followed by a choral performance by the USC Chamber Singers conducted by Jo-Michael Schiebe and accompanied on piano by the composer. Voted Best Documentary (DC Independent Film Festival, 2012), received an Honorable Mention (Los Angeles Movie Awards, 2012), and in a Wall Street Journal review (Terry Teachout, The Best Composer You've Never Heard Of', Jan 20, 2012), the musical documentary was called "a heartening rarity- a thoroughly intelligent classical-music program that strikes an appropriate balance between words and music." DVD released May, 2012.

The film director, Michael Stillwater, is co-author of Graceful Passages: A Companion for Living and Dying, published by New World Library, 2002.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204555904577169562197268518.html