This interview first aired on KCUR 89.3's Up to Date.
In their new album, “The Mirage Calls,” The Kansas City Chorale has recorded a diverse selection of works, including the very first recording of a mass by a Spanish Renaissance composer not heard in nearly 500 years. It is also a continuation of an ongoing project by the group to trace the explorer Marco Polo’s journey from Italy to China.
“Can you imagine the hardships that he must have gone through” says artistic director Charles Bruffy, “that was pretty adventurous.” The album includes works ranging from ancient whirling-dervish style melodies from the Muslim tradition to Chinese works by UMKC Conservatory composition professor Chen Yi. “One of the things I am most proud about the Kansas City Chorale is their skill in creating different cultures through the voice and different colors and different ways of using the instrument.”
Chen Yi worked with the choir prior to the recording sessions, attending rehearsals and demonstrating the distinct vocal techniques for her works. “She would sing them,” Bruffy says, “and she's a lovely kind of folk singer, which is what these pieces are.”
The Kansas City Chorale has won multiple Grammy Awards, but for Bruffy, the music is its own reward. “You never do anything to win a Grammy. You just try to do the work, and then it's a delight when somebody likes it.”
Information about the Kansas City Chorale, their albums and upcoming performances can be found at kcchorale.org.
