The VOCES8 Foundation Presents: Eric Whitacre - The Sacred Veil
Help to create a brand new, intimate recording of The Sacred Veil with choral powerhouses Eric Whitacre and VOCES8.
We are no longer accepting donations on this campaign, but there are other ways for you to support us today!
A Transatlantic Dream Team presents one of today's most poignant choral works.
VOCES8 was recently joined by one of the world's most performed living composers, Grammy-winner Eric Whitacre, to record The Sacred Veil, his most recent work. Conducted by the composer himself, the piece was performed by VOCES8, featuring pianist Christopher Glynn and cellist Ashok Klouda. This long-awaited, first in-person collaboration has been incredibly exciting for the VOCES8 Foundation, and we are delighted to share this remarkable journey with you.
We are presenting our enthusiasts with an opportunity for a front-row seat to this outstanding collaborative production. The project took place at the VOCES8 Centre and included a detailed rehearsal period, creating an audio recording of The Sacred Veil for an album release, and filming a live performance of the work to be shared through our online concert platform, LIVE From London. Originally presented in April 2022, the concert will be made available again to project donors for a limited on-demand viewing period in September 2022.
We are excited to offer a list of event-specific mementos for our donors in celebration of this superb musical experience. A $25 donation grants you access to the online concert performance (September 2022). For another $25, you also receive a signed copy of the album. Donate $150 to claim the aforementioned and a signed octavo of Child of Wonder -- the final movement of The Sacred Veil. At $10,000, our highest giving level, you'll receive each listed memento and a bespoke package with your wishes in mind.
When you make your gift, we want you to receive something you'll be proud of and value as you help us create something of enduring beauty, art, and legacy. You are advancing our shared goals and the VOCES8 Foundation sincerely thanks you.
Inquiries can be directed to Kirby Richards, Development Coordinator, kirby@voces8.foundation. Please note that some items may have limited availability; we will update this page with those changes as they come!
$25: Single LIVE From London webcast ticket
LIVE From London concert on-demand access period will be in September 2022.
$50: the above + Signed album (CD) and access to behind-the-scenes content
Album signatures by Eric and VOCES8. The album will feature "The Sacred Veil", Eric's first composition "Go, Lovely Rose", and "Sing Gently" from Virtual Choir 6.
'Behind the scenes' content will be released ahead of the on-demand access period.
Planned delivery Easter 2023 (or before if possible).
$150: all of the above + Signed octavo of Child of Wonder
Scores signed by Eric with dedication.
Planned delivery Spring 2023 (or before if possible).
$250: all of the above + Workshop/Q+A with Charles Anthony Silvestri
Poet/lyricist Charles Anthony Silvestri will lead a workshop on his writing process, followed by a Q+A session.
Planned delivery June 4, 2022. After this date, an on-demand recording of the session will be offered to donors at this level.
$350: all of the above + Signed manuscript excerpt
Eric will handwrite an excerpt of one of his pieces, along with dedication, onto manuscript paper (11"x17"). Select one of the following from Eric's music catalog: 'Sing Gently', 'Sleep', 'Lux Aurumque' or 'October'.
Planned delivery Spring 2023 (or before if possible).
$1,000: all of the above + Dedicate a movement of The Sacred Veil on the album to a beloved individual or charitable organization
Donors at this level are entitled to dedicate a movement of The Sacred Veil to a loved one, a friend, a community, or a non-profit/charity of their choosing.
Dedications will be recognized on the album.
Planned delivery Spring 2023.
$5,000: all of the above + "Associate Producer" title
Donors will be recognized on the album.
Planned delivery Spring 2023.
$10,000: all of the above + "Executive Producer" title and a bespoke VIP Experience
VOCES8 and Eric are delighted to offer a one-of-a-kind opportunity to supporters. The VOCES8 Foundation and Eric Whitacre's management will work one-on-one with you to create a customized, personally meaningful selection of encounters and mementos that will transform this recording of The Sacred Veil into the treasured experience of a lifetime.
Planned delivery to be agreed with the donor.
About Eric Whitacre and The Sacred Veil
Eric Whitacre is a Grammy Award-winning composer, conductor, innovator, and speaker. His compositions are performed worldwide and his ground-breaking Virtual Choirs have united more than 100,000 singers from 145 countries over the last decade. An alumnus of New York’s renowned Juilliard School of Music, he stands among the Top 10 most frequently performed contemporary composers and recently joined the illustrious roster of Yamaha Artists, an accolade held by some of the world’s finest musicians.
As a guest conductor, he draws capacity audiences to the stages of Carnegie Hall (New York) and Walt Disney Concert Hall (Los Angeles) through the Royal Albert Hall (London) and Opera House (Sydney). Most famed for his choral and orchestral works, he’s also written for feature film and collaborated with diverse artists including Hans Zimmer, Annie Lennox, Imogen Heap, Laura Mvula, and John Powell.
Eric’s keynote addresses include TED.com mainstage presentations, the United Nations Leaders program, World Economic Forum (Davos), Apple, and Google. Global corporations and educational institutions across the world have hailed his addresses as “life-changing” and “inspirational”. His innovative choral library created with Spitfire Audio combines core musical values and great performances with mind-bending technology. Eric is currently working with Jack Trip Labs developing low-latency, high-quality audio connections to allow musicians to perform together online, in real-time. A passionate supporter of the importance of music and the arts in education, his commitment to the ‘noble art' of teaching is well documented and supported by his extensive pro-bono work in schools and colleges.
The Sacred Veil is a 12-movement work and the most recent collaboration between Eric Whitacre and poet/lyricist Charles Anthony Silvestri telling a story of life, love, and loss. Silvestri's wife, Julie, died of ovarian cancer at age 36 in 2005, leaving two young children. Including texts from Silvestri, Whitacre, and Julie herself, the intimate, compelling score tells a story of courtship, love, loss, and the search for solace. Although inspired by this extraordinary and moving friendship, the piece does not mention Julie by name and shares a very human journey – one that so many of us can relate to.
"The
Sacred Veil may be the single most important musical contribution in
our time, perhaps in any time, to a non-religious, as well as
non-political — perhaps we might say non-teleological
understanding of death and loss. Its length and difficulty may preclude
it from inclusion in your average funeral, but to experience it in
performance with 40 singers, or perhaps in recorded form, may be
transformative for those whose grief, recent or deep-seated,
has never completely found closure."
— PeoplesWorld.org
About VOCES8
The British vocal ensemble VOCES8 is proud to inspire people through music and share the joy of singing. Touring globally, the group performs an extensive repertory both in its a cappella concerts and in collaborations with leading orchestras, composers and soloists. In a busy 2021-2022 season it will give concerts around the world including 4 tours of the USA, release its new Decca Classics album “Infinity”, and publish new sheet music arrangements with Edition Peters. It also continues 2 exciting initiatives borne out of the pandemic: the ground-breaking online global festival ‘LIVE From London’ from its home at the VOCES8 Centre, and the VOCES8 Digital Academy – an online choral programme featuring live interaction and video resources for choirs and individual singers around the world. The ensemble is proud to be working with its Composer-in-Residence Roxanna Panufnik, and Arranger-in-Residence Jim Clements.
VOCES8 is passionate about music education and is the flagship ensemble of the music charity the VOCES8 Foundation. Engaging in a broad range of outreach work that reaches up to 40,000 people a year, the group runs an annual programme of workshops and masterclasses at the Foundation's home in London, the VOCES8 Centre at St Anne & St Agnes Church. Dedicated to supporting promising young singers, the group awards eight annual choral scholarships through the VOCES8 Scholars initiative. These scholarships are linked to the annual Milton Abbey Summer School at which amateur singers of all ages are invited to work and perform with VOCES8. Through the separate VOCES8 USA Foundation there is another set of 12 talented Scholars.