Cantata for the Children of Terezin
Mary Ann Joyce-Walter composer
Oxnaya Oleskaya soprano
Kiev Philharmonic Orchestra
King Singers of Kiev
CANTATA FOR THE CHILDREN OF TEREZIN, Mary Ann Joyce-Walter’s debut release on Ravello Records, features two of her works for orchestra: Cantata for the Children of Terezin, featuring the Kiev Chamber Singers and soprano Oxnaya Oleskaya, and Acaldama.
Using poems written by children incarcerated at the Terezin concentration camp during the second world war, Joyce-Walter composed the Cantata in order to evoke a universal compassion and empathy for the most innocent and vulnerable among us. By shining a light on the thoughts and poetry of children incarcerated in the Theresianstadt camp, the composer adds another layer to the global awareness of the atrocities committed during this historic period, further emphasizing the hope that these acts will never happen again. Likewise, Aceldama highlights horrors of the 21st century, serving as a meditation on human suffering occurring on such a large scale that its enormity is incomprehensible.
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Artist Information
Mary Ann Joyce-Walter
Mary Ann Joyce was born in Champaign-Urbana IL, and received her B.A. from Fontbonne University, St. Louis, and her M.A. and Ph.D. in theory and composition from Washington University, St. Louis. After graduate school, she moved to the New York City area where she has remained. She is an active composer of instrumental, choral and vocal music, and a professor of music at Manhattanville College. Her works have been performed at international festivals and concerts through the United States, Europe, and Russia. Mary Ann's works are published by Pioneer Drama, World Library of Sacred Music, Ars Nova, Scribner & Sons, and Gold Branch; her pieces are available on CDs from Navona Records, Capstone and Pioneer Drama.