Five works composed for Buckner by some of the most distinguished composers of late 20th Century music: Jon Gibson’s Running Com

Commissioned works dealing with contemporary social and spiritual concerns: Jon Gibson’s Running Commentary (Arbitrary Excerpts), Annea Lockwood’s The Angle of Repose, Leroy Jenkins’ Dream of Dreams of Home (with a text by Ann T. Greene), Brian Smith’s The Panther, and Robert Ashley’s The Producer Speaks.

Renowned baritone Thomas Buckner, one of contemporary music’s celebrated voices, is featured on Lovely Music’s newest compact disc recording, Sign of the Times. The disc includes five new works composed especially for him by some of the most distinguished composers of late 20th Century music: Jon Gibson’s Running Commentary (Arbitrary Excerpts) consists of words and phrases gathered in a capricious fashion; The Angle of Repose by Annea Lockwood is an evening song that incorporates an Ojibwa Indian text; Leroy Jenkins’ Dream of Dreams of Home, featuring a text by Ann T. Greene, describes the anguish of being homeless; The Panther, by Brian Smith, is set to a poem by Rainer Maria Rilke; and Robert Ashley’s The Producer Speaks tells the story of two great American jazz pianists touring in France, as told from the producer’s point of view.

In recent years, Buckner has created and sustained a vocal new-music tradition by championing experimental composers and commissioning them to create new vocal works. Buckner says, It is not my practice in commissioning a piece to choose a text or even a subject, even when asked to by the composer. Rather, I enter into a dialogue with the composer to discover an area of mutual concern.

A man of many accomplishments, Buckner has been active in the contemporary music scene for over 25 years not only as a performer, but as a producer and presenter as well. He founded 1750 Arch in Berkeley, California, which gained an international reputation in the 1970s for its prolific chamber concert series, its 1750 Arch Recordings, and the activities of the 23-piece Arch Ensemble. Since 1989 he has curated and co-produced the World Music Institute’s Interpretations, a series exploring the relationship between creative artists and their interpreters which features leading figures in contemporary music and multimedia arts.

Thomas Buckner’s long association with Robert Ashley has included principal roles in the operas Atalanta (Acts of God) and eL/Aficionado, which was written specifically for his voice. He also works regularly in the Roscoe Mitchell New Chamber Ensemble. Buckner’s singing has been recorded on numerous labels, including Musical Heritage, Nonesuch/Elektra, Black Saint, Mode and 1750 Arch. Sign of the Times is his second release on the Lovely Music label; Full Spectrum Voice (LCD 3021) was released in 1991.