Lux to Record Holmes Commission

Amidst a flurry of snow- and Covid-related cancellations and postponements, Lux is excited to announce that they will be recording their most recent commission for a commercial album, scheduled for release from Innova Recordings in 2022. The commission, which premiered virtually in December 2020, is a piece called Night,​ by undergraduate composer Christen Holmes.

A composer and french hornist, when Lux approached Holmes about writing a piece for their fully virtual Christmas event, ​Christmas From Home, they jumped at the chance. The goal was to create an aleatoric chant melody that could be performed almost like a round or canon, with singers starting at any point. Lux recorded the melody separately during quarantine, then combined the melody with recorded bass drones, and created a platform for listeners to create their own aleatoric version of the piece, which you can find here.

This coming Sunday, Lux will record the piece once more, this time not from their homes, but at the University of Maryland's Gildenhorn Recital Hall, at the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center. The recording will be featured alongside works by more students from UMD's composition studio.

"This is a fantastic opportunity for the young composers at the University of Maryland, and we couldn't be more excited to play a role in the project," said Lux's director, Robby Napoli. "We've been lucky enough to work with a handful of UMD composers in different capacities, and I can say that this isn't a release you'll want to miss. There's some very impressive work coming from these undergrad composers, and we'll no doubt be seeing more performances and recordings of their music after they graduate."

The project is being headed by UMD Professor Robert L. Gibson, thanks to the generous donations of an anonymous donor. ​