Professor Rob Chafin lends his voice as the tenor soloist in the “Other Canticles,” a five-part dance film series produced to the musical canticles of British composer Benjamin Britten.
The five musical pieces were written as canticles across Britten’s lifetime with three written as memorials.
The pieces were recorded in September 2021 with the IN Series: Opera That Speaks. Theater That Sings, a series in Washington, D.C. Chafin was not only involved in singing these massively difficult pieces, but also engaged in the interpretation and meaning of the sometimes dissonant music.
"I feel that these pieces are some of the most demanding pieces I have ever performed.” Chafin said. “It is exciting to be involved with the Orange Grove Dance film project as they interpret the essence of the text and music. The haunting and deep music still resonates with me and it is fascinating watching the music being interpreted by professional dancers in unusual settings."
The dance films rouse the dynamic musical themes of each canticle and reflect the intense tone, power and spiritual elevation of those works across disparate cinematic landscapes.
Find more information and watch Canticle 1: My Beloved.
A new canticle will be released each Wednesday through Nov. 2.