Zephyr Cathedral Concert Promises To Be Truly Inspiring

“A Spiritual Odyssey” is a phrase that might have a faintly medieval ring. For Spokane musician Kendall Feeney, the phrase transcends any connection with the distant past.

“For me,” Feeney says, “it suggests a tour of spiritual possibilities in music. The whole history of Western music finds its roots in the church, and composers continue to be drawn to religious themes.”

Feeney is the artistic director of Zephyr, a series that presents 20th-century classical music. Feeney and the musicians of Zephyr will embark on their “Spiritual Odyssey” Sunday afternoon at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist with a concert of recent music written for or inspired by religion.

This marks the second year Zephyr has presented a “Spiritual Odyssey” program under the auspices of the Cathedral and the Arts Association.

“I like very much to perform a program like this every year,” Feeney says. “In times past, religion defined all of social experience, including music. Even today there is that ‘searching’ and most of our 20th-century composers have explored religious themes in at least some of their works.”

Sunday’s program includes Arvo Part’s “Trivium” for solo organ, Gardner Read’s “De Profundis” for horn and organ, Leonard Bernstein’s “Two Meditations” for cello and piano, Olivier Messiaen’s “Dieu parmi nous” for solo organ and his “O sacrum convivium” for soprano and organ as well as Dmitri Yanov-Yanovsky’s “Lacrymosa” for soprano and string quartet.

Many of those composers’ names are familiar to concert-goers. Yanov-Yanovsky’s is not. He is a 32-year-old Uzbekistani composer who has not yet found his way into standard reference books.

“I discovered his ‘Lacrymosa’ on a recording of the Kronos Quartet with Dawn Upshaw and was immediately taken with it,” Feeney recalls. “After some searching, we were able to rent the parts from his publisher in Europe.”

In addition to Feeney, who will play both viola and piano Sunday, Spokane musicians for the performance include organist Charles Bradley, soprano Darnelle Preston, hornist Margaret Wilds, and violinists Kelly Farris and Jane Blegen. These Zephyr regulars will be joined by New York cellist Darret Adkins.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color Photo

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: “A Spiritual Odyssey” with Zephyr will be held at 4 p.m. Sunday at St. John’s Cathedral, 127 E. 12th. Tickets are $12, with seniors, $10; students, $8; children 12 or under, $6. Available at G&B Select-a-Seat outlets or by calling (325-SEAT or 1-800-325-SEAT).