The Capital Hearings

The Capital Hearings, a D.C.-based 14-member a cappella ensemble, announced 32-year old composer Charles Perryman (CWPerryman.com) as the winner of its 2016 Young Composers Competition. The Capital Hearings will premiere the piece at its sixth annual fall concert, Revolutions & Revelations: The Music of Political Change, on Saturday, Sept. 24 at First Congregational UCC in Washington, D.C.

Perryman drew language from some of history’s darkest eras to create “Demagogue,” selecting speeches and texts from Ancient Greece, post-revolutionary France, 1930s Germany, and McCarthy-era United States. These are woven together and layered upon each other in complex, pulsating rhythms. At several points, the composition instructs singers to actively ignore tempo markings—and each other—to emphasize the mayhem and disconnectedness.

“’Demagogue’ is not as much a reaction to recent political events as it is a depiction of a cycle that occurs over and over again in a democracy,” says Perryman. “By using historical documents, government slogans, and political speech, my work stands as a warning about what happens to a free society when it is taken in by a politician who manipulates people’s fears to gain power.”

Originally from northern Virginia, Perryman, an accomplished composer, arranger, and pianist, now lives in Arlington, Virginia. He teaches music theory at West Virginia University, where he received his D.M.A. in Composition. The competition is open to composers 40 years old and younger from the U.S. and Canada.

In addition to this world premiere, the Sept. 24 performance by The Capital Hearings will feature a full concert of diverse a cappella works including music from the Broadway musical “Hamilton,” classical composers Jean Sibelius and William Byrd, global rock icons U2, and jazz legend Duke Ellington and many others. Tickets are available for purchase at TheCapitalHearings.com/tickets.

Since 2010, The Capital Hearings have crafted a unique and compelling blend of cross-genre a cappella in Washington, D.C. Bringing together singers from a wide variety of musical backgrounds, they are dedicated to making exceptional music from jazz standards to Top 40 hits and classical choral favorites. Their debut album, Opening Statement, was released in 2013.

The Capital Hearings, a D.C.-based 14-member a cappella ensemble, announced its 6th annual fall concert event at 8 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 24, “Revolutions & Revelations: The music of political change.” The concert at First Congregational UCC will bring together a diverse repertoire of classical, jazz, musical theater and pop a cappella music from the U.S. and around the world.

“In a time of local and global political uncertainty, the music of Revolutions & Revelations gives us new perspectives by looking and listening both forward and backward in history,” says The Capital Hearings Music Director Dileep Srihari. “It has been a pleasure to learn the stories behind this incredible music, and to see how, in times of crisis, celebration and change around the world, these songs have acted as the glue holding people together.”

Featured music includes diverse works from the Broadway musical Hamilton, classical composers Jean Sibelius and William Byrd, global rock icons U2, and jazz legend Duke Ellington. The concert will also showcase the world premiere of the winning composition from the ensemble’s 3rd Young Composers Competition. Tickets are available for purchase online at TheCapitalHearings.com/tickets. First Congregational United Church of Christ is located at 945 G St, NW in Washington, D.C.

Since 2010, The Capital Hearings have crafted a unique and compelling blend of cross-genre a cappella in Washington, D.C. Bringing together singers from a wide variety of musical backgrounds, they are dedicated to making exceptional music from jazz standards to Top 40 hits and classical choral favorites. Their debut album, Opening Statement, was released in 2013.