“A piece of music like Sanctuary Road holds the potential to carry a story into the culture in unique and meaningful ways.” And so, as April 29, 2023 approaches, Cincinnati Vocal Arts Ensemble music director Craig Hella Johnson shares some thoughts about the ensemble’s upcoming concert of composer Paul Moravec and librettist Mark Campbell’s critically acclaimed oratorio Sanctuary Road. The performance takes place at the Jarson Kaplan Theater.
Sanctuary Road is directly based on the writings of American historic figure William Still — the son of a former slave, a Philadelphia-based businessman, writer, philanthropist, historian, abolitionist and a conductor for The Underground Railroad — who chronicled the stories of the many persons who travelled along the path to freedom. The 45-minute choral work was commissioned by the Oratorio Society of New York who premiered it in May 2018 at Carnegie Hall, led by Kent Tritle. The following season, Rossen Milanov conducted the second performance with the Columbus Symphony and Chorus, as part of the orchestra’s American Festival. In 2021, Naxos’ premiere recording of Sanctuary Road (Naxos 8559884) received a Grammy nomination for Best Choral Performance. In March 2022, the work received a fully-staged operatic production at the North Carolina Opera directed by Dennis Whitehead Darling. This year, in February, Sanctuary Road received its second staging – directed by Scott Drackley – at the Penn Square Music Festival in Lancaster, PA.
Johnson continues. “My colleagues and I at Cincinnati Vocal Arts Ensemble are proud and honored to present the first performances of the [new] chamber ensemble version of Sanctuary Road. When I first heard this important work by Paul Moravec and Mark Campbell, I had the thought that I so wish this work and this story could find a way to become a part of the repertory of the thousands of school and community choirs across the country. I was delighted when my colleagues at VAE shared this vision, to create a version of the work that could indeed carry this work these many ensembles and their audiences; and, I was especially thrilled when Paul jumped right on board for this opportunity. I sincerely hope that William Still’s story can become known to so many more people through the words and music of Paul and Mark. We are eager to share this premiere with the wonderful music lovers of Cincinnati.
Composer Paul Moravec adds, “The success of Sanctuary Road in the choral music world owes much to the power of William Still’s landmark 1873 Underground Railroad Records, so intelligently adapted and dramatized by librettist Mark Campbell. The Carnegie Hall premiere recording made by Kent Tritle and the Oratorio Society of New York for Naxos makes the best possible case for its inclusion in the American choral canon. The notated score for any musical work is essentially only an elaborate set of instructions for realization in performance, but not the realization itself. It is thrilling to observe this work’s evolution through its many performed iterations so far and going forward. Every ensemble contributes its own special character to the growing performance practice.”