Timothy Corlis · River of Life
“The world premiere of Timothy Corlis’ newly commissioned work for choir, orchestra and soprano soloist, entitled River of Life came next. Using the river metaphor to suggest the stages of life as well as its eternal wonder and beauty, Corlis takes us on a spiritual ride down the ‘river’ to celebrate the joy of life as experienced through love. The text is taken from a 13th century mystic poet Mewlana Jalaluddin Rumi, Biblical passages from the Psalms and Jesus’ Beatitudes, and the 20th century spiritual Guru Sri Chinmoy. The music is uplifting throughout. Corlis’choral writing has the intuitiveness of one whose life has centred around singing since childhood. Indeed, among all of his eclectic studies and world travels is the consistent thread of the choral tradition. At the same time, Corlis has a thorough mastery of orchestral technique. The orchestra mirrored the stages of the river’s journey with expressive clarity. “(David Richards, Toronto Concert Review, July, 2016)
