My article previewing Saturday’s performance of Eric Houghton’s “Pioneer Songs” runs for a second time, in a somewhat expanded form, in this week’s U.S. 1 Newspaper – PrincetonInfo, out today.

Among other things, you’ll find some interesting info (if I do say so myself) on the history and architecture of the Trenton War Memorial that had to be cut in order for the piece to be able to fit into the Trenton Downtowner last week.

Houghton’s historical oratorio is an epic meditation on the courage and resilience of those Americans who blazed the western frontier. The work will be presented in its entirety at Patriots Theater at the War Memorial in Trenton this Saturday at 7:30 p.m. The cycle of fifteen symphonic songs, for vocal soloists, choir, and narrator, celebrates the first successful passage of wagon trains to California in the 1840s.

Ruth Ochs will conduct the Westminster Community Orchestra and a hundred voice choir, including the Westminster Community Chorus, prepared by Sinhaeng Lee, and the Ewing-based Glassbrook Vocal Ensemble, directed by Chaequan Anderson.

Houghton, a resident of Ewing, has been on the faculty of Westminster Conservatory of Music for 34 years. Ochs is in her fourteenth year as conductor of the Westminster Community Orchestra.

Here’s the article as it now appears online:

https://princetoninfo.com/pioneer-songs-arrive-in-the-capital-city/

You’ll find more information on the music and Saturday’s performance at pioneersongs.com.

PHOTO: Ochs and Houghton flank yours truly, during an on-air conversation that took place yesterday afternoon at WWFM – The Classical Network.