BRATTLEBORO — Four years ago, a large-scale choral work with music and libretto by Paul Dedell, “Songs of Divine Chemistry,” had its world premiere as part of the gala celebrations for Blanche Moyse's 100th Birthday with two sold-out and highly acclaimed performances at the Latchis Theatre.
Performed by the Brattleboro Concert Choir under the direction of his wife, Susan Dedell, “Songs of Divine Chemistry” was based upon texts of mystic poets alternating with scientific writings on neuroplasticity.
On Feb. 16, the Centre Congregational Church will be the setting for the return of Paul Dedell's “Songs of Divine Chemistry” under the direction of Susan Dedell and featuring tenor Matt Hensrud; Winged Voices; the Jubilee Girls Choir; and the Limbic System Percussion Ensemble.
In addition, “Songs of Divine Chemistry” will be recorded that week under the production supervision of Dave Snyder from Guilford Sound.
The almost two-hour choral work is composed of 19 parts, some scored for tenor solo and others for chorus - some children's chorus and some mixed.
In “Songs of Divine Chemistry,” Paul Dedell finds an intersection of ideas of mystic poets and scientific writings on neuroplasticity, the brain's capacity to define new neural pathways under a variety of circumstances, ranging from normal human development to a response to injury.
He writes that he is “drawing on the 'renderings' by Daniel Ladinsky of the poems and writings of Hafiz, Rumi, Meister Eckhart, Rabia, Saint Francis, and others and excerpts from Dr. Norman Doidge's bestselling book, The Brain That Changes Itself.”
“I explore the realms of human and divine love. The voices of children, an adult chorus, tenor soloist, and a percussion ensemble of marimba, vibraphone, ethnic drums, bells, gongs, and a myriad of other percussion instruments combine to sing praises of the romantic life of prairie voles, compassionate monks, neuromodulators, sweet crushed angels, and all things love.”
The late Helen Daly, who sang in the Brattleboro Concert Choir and was a dear mutual friend of both Susan and Paul, strongly believed in the importance of Paul's work. She awarded the Dedells a grant so that “Songs of Divine Chemistry” could be revised, revived, and ultimately recorded.
“Helen really believed in the importance of what Paul was doing,” says Susan. “She was excited by the piece's concept as well as music, and she wanted to help disseminate the work to the public. She gave Paul the time to look over what he wrote, and re-score it for smaller choral groups to use. The original performance was quite large with the entire Brattleboro Concert Choir singing. To keep it on that scale made many other performances impractical.”
Paul made numerous small changes to the work.
“I can never stop revising,” he says. “I never know when to turn the tap off. Many of the changes were very internal. I altered a measure or two here and there, which the general public might not notice, but which made the piece more cohesive to me. I also added a new ending to the work.”
Basic animating questions
The Dedells intend to send the future recording to choral groups throughout the country to promote performances of this new work. The public will also be able to purchase the recording at their soon-to-be-completed website.
Paul Dedell is the director of Hilltop Montessori Middle School in Brattleboro. For several years he was the production manager of the People's Theater in Cambridge, Massachusetts, while continuing to write theatrical scores, choral works, and songs.
His first original theatrical score, “The Great American Hero,” won the David B. Marshall award from the University of Michigan in 1979. His scores for the theater have been heard locally and internationally, most recently in collaborations with the Sandglass Theater, Marlboro College, and the New England Youth Theatre.
His choral score “Come Life, Shaker Life,” based on Shaker texts and hymns, received the Alfred Nash Patterson Grant Award, and was the first large choral work he wrote to be directed by his spouse.
Susan Dedell studied piano with Charles Fisher and György Sándor, and was choral assistant to Maynard Klein at the University of Michigan, where - surprising to many - she also received an undergraduate degree in biochemistry and worked for a short period of time in research at the medical school there.
Upon moving to Vermont, she joined the piano faculty at the Brattleboro Music Center, was rehearsal assistant to Moyse, and subsequently became artistic director of the Brattleboro Concert Choir. She has served as director of chorus at Marlboro College and she was founder and director of both the VT Repertory Singers and the Bach Festival Children's Chorus.
The Dedells first met and worked together close to 25 years ago when Paul contacted Susan to play songs he had written for the Vermont Composers Consortium.
“Their artistic commonality, which they discovered almost immediately, is their propelling interest and curiosity about the basic motivating forces that propel artistic expressions,” they write on their website.
Susan writes that, from the beginning, Paul struck her as “someone who valued communication above manipulation. That's something that both of us seek. It doesn't matter whether the subject matter is weighty, or whether it is totally goofy, and equal valuation between communicator and recipient is important to both of us.”
With similar goals and values in hand, the couple has recently formed Winged Productions.
Winged Productions delves into what they call “these fundamental questions with curiosity, humor, and thoughtful perspective.”
Created and directed by the Dedells, Winged Productions is a series of events that the Dedells say “aims to explore these basic animating questions that lie at the heart of the human experience.”
Susan explains, “We wanted to create something to support the mutual and individual spirit in our lives, and through this new organization we hope to promote creative events exploring the sacred.”
The dream of founding Winged Productions became a reality when Paul and Susan were given another generous legacy gift from Daly. This gift was then supplemented by a grant from the Narthex Foundation.
“Songs of Divine Chemistry” is the first presentation of Winged Productions.
Nature, biology, and the brain
In conjunction with the choral concert, on Saturday, Feb. 8, from 1 to 3 p.m., Winged Productions will host a presentation and workshop offered at the Brattleboro Retreat by Dr. Lesley Fishelman.
In “The Divine Biology of Love: Best Self Practices,” the neuropsychologist will explore the nature, biology, and practical application of a variety of practices intended to improve or expand the ability of the brain in a variety of life-altering ways.
The presentation includes an experiential workshop.
Dr. Fishelman graduated from Yale University School of Medicine and trained for Psychiatry at Yale and the Institute of Living. She has served as chief of outpatient psychiatry at the Anna Marsh Behavioral Care Clinic at the Retreat.
The event will be held in the Education Conference Room at the Retreat.