U. choir brings Tan's 'Passion' to Salt Lake

Brady Allred, the U.'s director of choirs, likes to be challenged. And he likes to challenge his choirs — as well as his audience.

When Allred and the University of Utah Singers and A Capella Choir perform Tan Dun's "Water Passion" this weekend, it will certainly test the mettle of the performers, as well as how accepting the audience will be to a new work on a sacred subject.

In any case, Allred hopes it will be a positive experience.

"It's such a beautiful work and full of hope," he told the Deseret News. And that's how he would like the audience to perceive it, too, although he is fully aware he's taking a calculated risk performing the piece in Salt Lake City.

Tan's "Water Passion" is a contemporary setting of the St. Matthew Passion. It was commissioned by Helmuth Rilling and the Bach Academy of Stuttgart to commemorate the 250th anniversary of J.S. Bach's death in 2000. It was one of four such commissions. (The other composers commissioned were Sofia Gubaidulina, Osvaldo Golijov and Wolfgang Rihm.)

"Water is the universal symbol for birth, rebirth and resurrection," Allred said. "And the 'Water Passion' starts with the baptism of Jesus."

While it's only one aspect of the work, water plays a major role in the overall structure of the piece, both musically and dramatically, Allred said.

Tan requires performances to use clear plastic bowls filled with water and placed on lighted stands in the shape of a cross. And there are also some other effects using water gongs.

The work clearly pays hommage to Bach, but it also embraces Eastern traditions. "It contains elements that are meaningful and spiritual to him," Allred said. "I hope to bring a perspective to the piece because of my religious background and weave it with Tan Dun's Buddhist culture."

Allred admitted that rehearsing it has been quite a stretch for him and the choirs.

"It's a difficult piece because of some of the things the singers have to do," he said. "They do overtone singing and lip trills. They have to speak and chant at times. They have to play stones and also Tibetan finger cymbals."

All which is far out of the realm of what a choir is normally expected to do.