Adonai Ro’i:

“Pieces like Michael Horvit’s “Even When God is Silent” and Judith Shatin’s “Adonai Ro’i” were beautifully shaped and provided a calm relief from the cheery folk styles. The best composition and performance of the night was probably “There Will Be Rest,” Frank Ticheli’s extended setting of two stanzas by Sara Teasdale.” – Timesunion.com

“Adonai Roi (Psalm 23) for a cappella SATB chorus was composed by Judith Shatin. It was written during the week after November 4, 1995 which marked the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin, then Prime Minister of Israel. The text of Psalm 23 is sung in Hebrew with simplicity of texture and harmonic language. While the words of the text attempt to provide comfort to those morning this tragedy, there is an undercurrent of sadness and loss. There are many nice moments of texture and register contrasts in this accessible work.” – Journal of the IAWM Volume 9, No. 2, 2003

“Adonai R’oi (1995): A short four-minute statement for mixed voices written in reaction to the 1995 assassina- tion of Yitzhak Rabin, Prime Minister of Israel. Adonai R’oi is the Hebrew text of Psalm 23. This remembrance is pre- sented in simple, homophonic fashion meant to comfort. Written as a lament, the close harmony in parallel move- ment keeps the text in the foreground.” – The Kapralova Society Journal

 

Alleluia:

“The composer’s notes on this piece, a three-and-a-half elaboration of the word “Alleluia,” associate it with the September 11 terrorist attacks, saying that her intent is “to express a blend of comfort and defiance, to sing against the dark, but in knowledge of it.” – The Journal of the Association of Anglican Musicians

Although the tempo indication is “Gently,” I find the effect of the piece to be more in the direction of “relentless,” or at least, “inexorable,” but I don’t mean that pejoratively. The voices, frequently yoked in pairs (especially SA/TB), move in and out of various ostinato patterns, the rhythmic texture well-leavened with triplets. If performing forces are a worry, it may help to know that the soprano solo lasts only five  bars. This is not musical comfort-food, but it does have something powerful to say that is not necessarily out of place amid the C major of Eastertide, particularly in war-time” – The Journal of the Association of Anglican Musicians

 

COAL:

“The chorus and conductor were impressive, with especially sweet tones achieved by the sopranos. My guess is that this is a work they will live with a long time, and as they get to know the more complex choral parts better, they will be able to be more aggressive in places that call for crisp rhythmic emphasis and unhesitating forward motion, such as in the dramatic climax or in such parts as “What Coal Makes.” – IAWM

 

Carreno:

“In Judith Shatin’s monodrama Carreno (not to be confused with Pamela Ross’s one-woman show of the same name running Off Broadway), Ms. Innerarity took the stage by storm. Teresa Carreno (1853-1917), a famous Venezuelan pianist, singer, conductor and composer, was something of a dynamo herself, and Ms. Innerarity, an accomplished actress and soprano and a passable pianist (reasonably convincing even in snippets of virtuoso concertos on a battered out-of-tune spinet), gave a gripping portrayal of the solitary older woman, reliving her public conquests and personal failures and misfortunes.” – The New York Times