April 8, 2015 marked a unique occasion as some of Broadway’s greatest composers got together in a showcase of their chorale pieces conducted by the one and only Judith Clurman of Essential Voices USA. The Di Menna Space for Classical Music turned into a sacred temple in which legends like Maury Yeston, Stephen Schwartz and Sheldon Harnick joined modern composers Andrew Lippa, Georgia Stitt and Joshua Schmidt, all of whom introduced and discussed their pieces. It was a “master class” as host Midge Woolsey commented, and a night unlike any other New York will see for a very long time.

Seated to the left of the stage, the composers all looked at piano player Tedd Firth as he accompanied the beautiful sounds emanating from Ms. Clurman’s choir. Most important of all were the insights provided by each composer, who revealed how the pieces were created, what their intentions were and even confessed their level of dissatisfaction with some of their work had turned out in the past. One of the most moving moments of the night came when the choir performed the world premiere of Ralph Waldo Emerson’s poem “Music”, which was musicalized by the late Marvin Hamlisch. Schwartz commented on how Hamlisch “made people aware of the importance of music on a scene” and praised his adventurous nature. Maury Yeston then added he wanted to hear the piece again with a flute.

A section called “Sing Out Mr. President” featured three short pieces written by American Presidents Woodrow Wilson, Thomas Jefferson and Barack Obama, musicalized by Yesto, Larry Hochman and Stitt respectively. The union of music and politics was inspiring to say the least, especially in Stitt’s piece which featured the Obama moniker “yes we can” but had new life when sang by a choir. Other wonderful moments in the concert included Lippa taking over from Firth on the piano to explain his fascination with A Chorus Line and Schwartz delivering the rousing finale, an ode to LGBT youth called “Testimony” which turned the confessionals of bullied teens into art.