Tonight and This Weekend: Conspirare Premieres a New Transcription of "What If" From Paradise Lost
Conspirare, the incredible Austin-based mixed chorus led by Maestro Craig Hella Johnson, is giving the premiere tonight of a new version of “What If”. “What If” is the quintet from Paradise Lost, a pivotal tune in the show where we see our heroine, Exstasis, try to convince her friends that ‘there must be another way.’ The new choral transcription will replace the electronics with a ton of percussion, bass, and drums. And if you can’t see it this weekend, it will be featured on a national PBS special they are filming next week.
If you do happen to be in Austin, here are the times and locations:
Friday, October 3, 8:00 pm – St. Martin’s Lutheran Church, 606 West 15th Street, Austin
Saturday, October 4, 8:00 pm – St. Martin’s Lutheran Church, 606 West 15th Street, Austin
Sunday, October 5, 2:30 pm – Northwest Hills United Methodist, 7050 Village Center Drive, Austin
Tickets are available on their website, or at the door.
Here is the original demo from the show, featuring terrific performances by Marie Wallace, Juli Robbins, Daniel Tatar, Rudy Nieto, and of course my wife Hila Plitmann as Exstasis:
And here is a truly awesome transcription of “What If” by Jayson Wilson, completely rendered in Mario Paint: