Steven Errante

Michigan-born Steven Errante received degrees in conducting and composition from the University of Michigan and the Juilliard School before teaching at the University of Michigan, Northern Michigan University, and the University of Richmond. Since 1986, he has been conductor of the Wilmington Symphony Orchestra and teaches in the Department of Music at University of North Carolina at Wilmington.

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Expanded biography: Wilmington Symphony website

Sing to the Lord a New Song - Vanguard Premieres Commission 2003

Sing to the Lord a New Song was commissioned by Vanguard Voices for its 10th Anniversary Season using Psalm 96 as the basis for the text. The accompaniment is scored for brass quintet, two percussionists, and piano. I chose three verses from the psalm and cast the work in three contrasting sections. The beginning strikes a celebratory mood with the words “Sing to the Lord a new song” set to an energetic five-beats-to-the-bar rhythm. The middle section “Great is the Lord” is more subdued and quietly fervent, reaching a climax on the words “Give Him all glory.” The tempo picks up and the congas introduce the Latin-tinged third section “Let the heavens rejoice.” After both the choir and the brass quintet have had a chance to develop the themes, “Sing to the Lord a new song” returns, and once again, the high point of the celebration occurs at the words “Give Him all glory.” (Notes by the composer, 2003)