On January 11, Downtown Voices, led by Stephen Sands, sang the premiere of Zachary's Spire and Shadow, an 80-minute, 17-movement work for chorus and chamber orchestra about the history of downtown Manhattan.
Watch video of the premiere performance below:
Writing for Choir & Organ, Brian Morton raved about the new CD of Zachary's The Far West:
Also, writing in The Whole Note, Vanessa Wells called The Far West:
“both achingly beautiful and horrifyingly vivid in its imagery as it paints portraits of Tim Dlugos, its posthumous librettist, and stricken friends.”
Writing in the September 2016 edition of The American Organist, Kimberly Marshall and David Yearsley raved about the Houston Chamber Choir and Mary Preston's premiere performance of Zachary's Earthquake.
““Earthquake” is an imaginative setting of the eponymous text by Thomas Merton that promotes love and unity. Wadsworth’s rhythmic sophistication and lyrical finesse are reminiscent of Benjamin Britten; his understanding of the organ’s capabilities was apparent throughout the score, beautifully executed by Preston. The textures were clear, with the organ supporting and punctuating the choral parts. Wadsworth reserved the organ’s tutti for the conclusion of the piece; after the choir sang their final chord, the organ built to a powerful climax, suggesting the unity of all people. “Earthquake” is a stunning new work that deserves a lasting place in the repertoire.”
Sono Luminus has just released Shadow, echo, memory, an album by the Northwestern University Cello Ensemble. The disc opens with Zachary's Three Lacquer Prints, arranged by the composer for cello ensemble. Click here to purchase the CD from Amazon.
Writing for the San Francisco Chronicle, reviewer Joshua Kosman praised The Far West:
During the National Choral Awards banquet on May 22, Zachary's The Far West was named the Outstanding Choral Work of the year. Click here for more information about the awards, and to read about past winners and winners in other categories.
