J.A. Devor: dear delightful hollow square, Clarinet in A (doubled Eb soprano), amplified double bass, live electronics

About the Composition

Inspired by traditional shape-note or Sacred Harp singing, dear delightful hollow square gets its title from physical set-up of the four vocal parts: trebles, altos, tenors, and basses.

The piece literally places the audience inside the middle of the hollow square with the four encircling speakers passing off live modulation of prerecorded vocals, text, and instrumental textures. The Sacred Harp tradition, originating in New England, became increasingly more popular with the 1844 publication of the tunebook, The Sacred Harp, collected and edited by Benjamin Franklin White and Elisha J. King, who both lived in Georgia at the time.

The hymn text, The cross of Christ inspires my heart, is combined with poetry of Sidney Lanier, Georgia native, and are interspersed between selections of On moving into the hollow square, a contemporary narrative essay by Deborah Robson which details her experience and the emotions felt at her first Sacred Harp meeting. The resultant musical story attempts to challenge the audience’s expectations between sacred and religious while creating my own modern interpretation and representation of the hallowed hollow square.

Jointly commissioned by the Georgia Music Teachers Association and Music Teachers National Association in 2024

Duration: 10 minutes

About the Composer

James A. Devor (b. 1998) is an American composer and double bassist who genuinely believes classical music needs to be made available for everyone. His music draws on a wide-ranging stylistic background inspired by growing up in central Pennsylvania. Always blending ‘high’ and ‘low’ music, James pushes to view all genres as equally valid and is tired of the prevailing elitism in the contemporary classical music scene. His work responds to the struggles facing neurodivergent individuals and conflicts between social classes.

His works have received awards from NACUSA, the Festival of New American Music, the American Prize, ASCAP, and the Red Jasper Award. James completed graduate work at The Hartt School – University of Hartford and received his Artist Diploma from OAcademy as a 2024 cohort member of the Gabriela Ortiz Composing Studio.

Find more on James's website.