CFAMC LISTENING PAGE #38: Frank Felice

A monthly musical offering by a composer memberof the Christian Fellowship of Art Music Composers. Both your listening and comments are encouraged.

DECEMBER 16, 2007

Frank Felice: "Charismata" for Clarinet in B-flat, Alto Saxophone, Violoncello and Percussion.

Wisdom - Prophecy - Miracles - Knowledge - Speaking in Tongues (Glossolalia) - Discernment of Spirits & Interpretation of Tongues - Faith (performed largely without pause between movements)

Performed by Ronen Chamber Ensemble

Score and parts are available from the composer.

PROGRAM NOTES

The term charismata, along with pneumatikon, usually refers to the gifts of the Spirit as listed in 1 Corinthians, chapter 12.  Since this piece was originally composed with the 2007 Indianapolis Spirit in Place Festival in mind, it seemed that charismata would tie in well with this year’s festival theme of “Living Generously.” The gifts of knowledge, faith, wisdom, healing, and miracles are ones that benefit everyone in the community, while the more arcane and mysterious gifts of prophecy, discernment of spirits along with pairing of glossolalia and interpretation of tongues also serve the community as well, although in more specific and sometimes less obvious ways. All of these gifts have been generously given over the millennia, and continued to be given from the Spirit, but are then continuously and generously shared and redistributed with each other:  encouraging, building, teaching, healing and comforting. Musically, this plays  throughout the piece with each instrument sharing materials and language developed from the interval of a major third, building into augmented triads and whole tone scales. Each movement (or episode) reflects a possible facet of that gift:  prophecy is often unexpected and abrupt, healing is a warm redirection of focus, and faith is often an underlying insistent strength against contrary events.

Charismata was composed for and is dedicated to the Ronen Chamber Ensemble.  I have lived in Indianapolis for almost a decade now and the musical work of this group, especially David Bellman and Ingrid Fischer, has always been a wonderful thing to experience.  As Ingrid and David have lived “generous” musical lives here in Indianapolis, I have been the recipient of their many gifts to this community:  from the symphony, from the Ronen Ensemble, and from various performances of theirs as soloists as well.  This piece is part of my thanks to them -- thank you.

This commission was funded by a generous Butler Awards Committee Grant.

STATEMENT OF FAITH

Much of what I've previously written as a spiritual statement still holds: I know that I love Jesus, and that the less I make of myself, the more the Holy Spirit is able to mold me into something God can use for his glory.  As a composer I do not write a lot of strictly sacred music, but everything I write comes from a deep seated knowledge, conviction and acceptance that I have been bought, and this life of mine is no longer my own: it is Christ's.  Having said that however, I find that much of my recent music is Biblical in topic, or based in my own working-out-of-faith issues, both good and bad.  I guess that I'm becoming more comfortable writing sacred music, which is perhaps a more honest reflection of the first sentence of this paragraph than when I originally wrote it! It's good to be working with the knowledge of Christ's hand as creator and the gifts of the spirit in everything, informed by my relationship with the triune God through Christ, consciously and unconciously.  Even if I wished to do otherwise (and I do NOT!), I don't think I could write anything without Him being a part of the whole creative process.  J.R.R. Tolkien describes these creative roles under God as Sub-Creation -- I believe that to be an apt label.  Hopefully all that I do will honor Christ, and then I might be found to be worthy of being called Sub-creator.

BIO

A composer of many styles and genre, Frank Felice's works have been performed extensively in the U.S. as well as garnering performances in Brazil, Argentina, Japan, the United Kingdom, the Russian Federation, Austria, the Phillipines, the Czech Republic and Hungary. His commissions have included funding from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Omaha Symphony, the Indiana Arts Commission, The Indiana Repertory Theatre, Dance Kaleidoscope, Music Teachers National Association, the Wyoming State Arts Board, the Indianapolis Youth Symphony, Kappa Kappa Psi/Tau Beta Sigma as well as many private commissions. A recording of electronic and electro-acoustic music entitled "Sidewalk Music" is available on Capstone Records. Scores and other performance materials can be obtained from MMB Music or Mad Italian Bros. Ink Publishing.

Frank began his musical studies in Hamilton, Montana, singing, playing piano, guitar and double bass. His interest in composition began through participation with a number of rock bands, one of which, Graffiti, toured the western United States and the Far East in 1986-1987. He attended Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota, the University of Colorado, and Butler University, studying with Michael Schelle, Daniel Breedon, Luiz Gonzalez, and James Day. Most recently he has studied with Dominick Argento, Alex Lubet, Lloyd Ultan, and Judith Lang Zaimont at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, where he completed his Ph.D in 1998. Frank currently teaches as an associate professor of composition, theory and electronic music at Butler University in Indianapolis, Indiana.

He is member of  the Society for Electro-Acoustic Music in the U.S., the American Composers Forum, the American Music Center, The Society of Composers Inc., and the Christian Fellowship of Art Music Composers.  Residencies include those with the Wyoming Arts Council, and the Banff Centre for the Arts and a number of mini-residencies in universities and high schools in the west and mid-west. In addition to musical interests, he pursues his creative muse through painting, poetry, cooking, home brewing, paleontology, theology, philosophy, and basketball. He is very fortunate to be married to mezzo-soprano Mitzi Westra.

SOLI DEO GLORIA!

For comments, e-mail Frank directly at: pastatech@comcast.net
Visit Frank's website at: http://www.frank-felice.com/

If you are a member composer interested in submitting a composition for an upcoming monthly CFAMC listening page, please contact Bill Vollinger at: williamvollinger@aol.com

For recent CFAMC Listening Pages, go to the following links:

November 2007: Greg Pascuzzi
"Aria and Allegro"
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/cfamc/message/1744

October 2007: Jacob Nevill
"Mary's Gift"
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/cfamc/message/1720

September 2007: Jesse Ayers
"Jericho"
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/cfamc/message/1708

August 2007: Carol R. Daggs
"Loveable"
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/cfamc/message/1704