Mind Out of Matter

“A tour de force on the idea of ideas.” – The Boston Globe

Alarm Will Sound, “one of the most vital and original ensembles on the American music scene” (The New York Times), presents “Mind Out of Matter” a 74-minute, eight movement suite by composer Scott Johnson that examines religion from an atheist point of view. Instead of choirs singing biblical texts, “Mind Out of Matter” uses the recorded voice of Daniel C. Dennett, talking about the ideas in his book “Breaking the Spell (Religion as a Natural Phenomenon).” Johnson brings together pop sensibilities and classical rigor with his groundbreaking work in transcribing speech into music. Musical styles as disparate as retro-funk and Baroque recitative blend to illuminate Daniel Dennett’s central claim: just as living organisms evolve in the physical environment, ideas and traditions compete within ecosystems made up of human minds and cultures. Those evolutionary forces shape the religious ideas that populate our minds, multiply within our cultures, and spread like viruses — sometimes to our benefit, sometimes not.

Called “one of the most vital and original ensembles on the American Music scene” by The New York Times, Alarm Will Sound performs cutting edge chamber music contemporary composers such as by John Adams, Aphex Twin and John Medeski. They return for their sixth “St. Louis Season” with energetic virtuosity and a sense of adventure!

Program

Caleb Burhans, Escape Wisconsin
Scott Johnson, Mind Out of Matter