Carillonneur Geert D’hollander was recently selected by the King’s Singers as a 2020 New Music Prize Award Winning Composer. You can read about the contest in our blog posted on January 18.
His award-winning composition was performed live by the King’s Singers at the Washington National Cathedral on February 28 as part of the Sacred Choral Music Online Festival.
Often viewed as the globe’s top carillon musician, D’hollander has won numerous competitions for his carillon competitions. However, this choral honor shows his diversity and skill as a leading vocal composer.
The King’s Singers worked with historian, poet, and leading choral lyricist, Charles Anthony Silvestri, to identify five texts for use in the New Music Prize. The poem, When All Falls Silent, was written especially for the New Music Prize by Silvestri. D’hollander selected this poem and set Silvestri’s beautiful words to music.
The King’s Singers beautifully performed D’hollander’s moving composition making the lines of Silvestri’s poem come to life. Here are the lyrics to When All Falls Silent.
When all falls silent,
And the breath of life
Flows from the source
And calms the stormy sea,
My heart-song,
Always sung but seldom heard,
Rises from the mist,
Calling, calling…
Then, slowly,
I turn my gaze,
Drawn toward beauty
And the song’s amber light;
I open my soul,
And I am at peace,
I am in harmony,
Listening, listening.
D’hollander has received much praise since the contest’s award announcement including comments from fans across the United States including these words of praise from Celilia of NYC, “I heard your piece When All Falls Silent performed by the Kings Singers yesterday. It brought me to tears. The work stood above all the rest in simplicity and beauty, and lived out the text. It is a gift. You are blessed.”
And, indeed we are blessed to have D’hollander’s talents in the Gardens each Wednesday through Sunday as he performs live at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. You can show Geert some love and support by leaving a comment below.
Photo by Mike Potthast of Potthast Studios.