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Composer Jake Runestad's new music inspired by wolves

Photo by Michael Markowski.
Composer, Jake Runestad.

Jake Runestad and Todd Boss, an Emmy-winning, Grammy-nominated team known for creating magical musical spaces, will be bringing that magic to San Antonio this weekend, for a free San Antonio Chamber Choir concert at the Chapel of the Incarnate Word — it's all part of the Chapel's Caritas Concerts Series.

The concert includes a world premiere, commissioned by the choir, and it's ... not quite human. In fact, it's based on the language of wolves.

"What we know about wolves is the howling. Can we look at wolf-howling and say, This is a beautiful, elevated language?" Runstead explained. "Todd wrote these existential questions as if posed by a pack of wolves. Todd gave me wonderful words that have howling sounds in them, like 'how'll you know' and 'Are Our Hours Ours Alone?'"

Knowing Runestadand Boss, the music will be innovative but affably listenable — they have a knack for fresh and unusual sounds that please even the most conservative classical ears. Exacting conductor/showman Rick Bjella and the superb San Antonio Chamber Choir should provide some spine-chilling moments.

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Barry Brake is a composer, jazz and classical pianist who has been a part of San Antonio's music scene for decades. You can find his musings and musical exploits online here: http://barrybrake.com/