Forrest Pierce

Forrest Pierce composed an architecture-specific piece, Resonant Vessels, for an a cappella large chorus. His composition drew on a thousand-year history of Western music’s interaction with great spaces through seven movements presented in symbiosis with historic and newly-constructed buildings and locations on the University campus. The work took place as a progressive musical afternoon of discovering campus on foot, culminating in the final movement's presentation in the Spencer’s recently renovated exhibition spaces, incorporating several galleries on multiple levels. Texts for the work were drawn from the treatise De Architectura by Roman architect Vitruvius, translated by Stanley Lombardo.  The fifth book of this ancient work concerns itself primarily with music and the interaction of intervals and voices with interior spaces. Resonant Vessels was presented by Dr. Paul Tucker, Dr. Mariana Farah, and the University Chamber Singers and Concert Choir, with graduate student tenor soloist Neal Long.