Resurrection, a new choral piece based on a poem by Aurora Levins Morales, premieres this Sunday

We are honored and excited to present the world premiere of Resurrection, a new choral work by composer Nancy Galbraith, based on a poem by Aurora Levins Morales. This piece was commissioned by Grant Wareham, Director of Music at First Unitarian Church of Dallas, specifically for this occasion. Scored for choir, piano, and string quartet, Resurrection explores themes of hope, renewal, and spiritual awakening—central to both the text and the musical language of the work.

Nancy Galbraith (b. 1951) has been composing music since the late 1970s, creating instrumental and vocal works praised for their rich harmonic texture, rhythmic vitality, emotional and spiritual depth, and wide range of expression. With major contributions to the repertoires of symphony orchestras, concert choirs, wind ensembles, chamber groups, and soloists, Galbraith plays a leading role in defining the sound of American contemporary classical music. She resides in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where she is Chair of Composition at Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Music and holds the Vira I. Heinz Professorship of Music at the College of Fine Arts. She is published by Subito Music in Verona, New Jersey.

Of Resurrection, Galbraith writes:

“In recent years I have composed a series of songs that celebrate the hope and renewal found in nature by a number of poets, including Emily Dickinson, Robert Frost, William Browning, Pablo Neruda, E. E. Cummings, and Langston Hughes. Most recently, I set a poem written for the Hanukkah season, titled Rededication, by Pittsburgh poet Sara Stock Mayo, that sings of ‘light hidden in the darkness/silently waiting to burst forth.’ Resurrection, by Aurora Levins Morales, speaks to me in that same spirit, and it was a joy for me to add her verses to my list of songs with those uplifting themes.”

We are deeply grateful to Nancy for her collaboration and for bringing such a meaningful new work to life with our community. To learn more about her music, visit nancygalbraith.com.