In September 2019 this companionship of composers gave their final performance at Powell Symphony Hall in St. Louis, the city where they began their collaboration. In the magnificent space that just the night before had echoed the symphony of Mahler, Bob Dufford, John Foley, Tim Manion, Roc O’Connor and Dan Schutte, offered nearly three hours of their beloved music. But it wasn’t a normal concert in any sense of the word. The music they’d created over a span of fifty years was meant for communities to sing and pray. From the very first strains of “Lift Up Your Hearts” and “City of God” the symphony hall resounded with the voices of not just five but of two thousand. It was truly a holy moment and a fitting farewell.
The Coming Home two CD set memorializes the music they presented at this final event. The set contains all the music they presented at this concert in the same order they presented it at Powell Hall. To be clear, it is not a recording of the live performance as the live recording would never have the same quality as what is heard on these two CDs. The music has been re-mastered for this recording. The above banner photo is from that final concert.