Now we have moved into the upper rooms of the house 

     and stand at the window watching the fish flash

     through the branches of our peach tree. 

     An eel looks out from below our wheelbarrow.

An album born of complex subjects that are our daily bread. 

Lydia Davis' world decays and dissolves 

     in metaphors for aging, isolation, aloneness.

Dr. Alzheimer takes up that topic, 

    observing his patient with clinical detachment, 

    while she struggles to understand her new world. 

Whitman concedes that human invention is no match 

    for the awe and wonder of the stars.

Who believes not only in our globe, with its sun and 

 moon, but in other globes, with their suns and 

 moons;

Who, constructing the house of himself or herself, not 

 for a day, but for all time, sees races, eras, dates, 

 generations,

The past, the future, dwelling there, like space, insep- 

 arable together.

The music.

Stacy digs deep; we know these characters. We live in this play. We recognize this harmony, this dissonance. 

Rob constructs the calculated rhythm of medical observation, then plunges us into discord and a sea of thoughts, letters, names. 

Christopher soars with Walt; questioning, reaching, questioning, reaching. 

The organ. 

   Scott Dettra 

       and the Mandor organ of The Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill

The harp. 

    Elizabeth Steiner 

The Artists. 

    The Crossing.

The Album.

    Besieged.

        In a House Besieged - Stacy Garrop

        The Woman Where We are Living - Robert Maggio

        Astronomia - Christopher Jessup

Out today, October 16, 2026, on Navona Records.

Next Weekend:

TIME

Stories of Wind and Water

The first concert of our 2026-2027 season:

Sometimes I Worry

Sunday, October 25 @ 5pm

The Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill

preconcert talk at 4pm in the Chapel

Nicholas Cline, The Sea Came Up and Drowned

(East Coast premiere) based on poetry of Rachel Webster

Joshua Stamper, ’mid the steep sky’s commotion

(revised from our 2018 premiere) featuring John Grecia

and Lee Hagon on vintage keyboards

The Crossing with composers Stacy Garrop and Rob Maggio

in the Chapel of the Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill, June 2024.

The Crossing

Walter Aldrich ^J

Nathaniel Barnett ^M/G

Jessica Beebe ^{M/G, J}

Kelly Ann Bixby ^M/G

Karen Blanchard ^{M/G, J}

Steven Bradshaw ^{M/G, J}

Aryssa Burrs ^{M/G, J}

Colin Dill ^{M/G, J}

Micah Dingler ^M/G

Ryan Fleming ^M/G

Joanna Gates ^{M/G, J}

Michaël Hudetz ^J

Steven Hyder ^{M/G, J}

Michael Jones ^J

A.J. Keller ^M/G

Lauren Kelly ^M/G

Anika Kildegaard ^{M/G, J}

Chelsea Lyons ^M/G

Andrew Major ^J

Hannah Dixon McConnell ^J

Elijah McCormack ^M/G

Jenna Hernandez McLean ^J

Maren Montalbano ^{M/G, J}

Rebecca Myers ^J

Benjamin Perri ^J

Olivia Prendergast ^J

James Reese ^J

Daniel Schwartz ^{M/G, J}

Thann Scoggin ^{M/G, J}

Rebecca Siler ^{M/G, J}

Tiana Sorenson ^M/G

Daniel Spratlan ^{M/G, J}

Elisa Sutherland ^J

Daniel Taylor ^M/G

Jackson Williams ^M/G

Scott Dettra, organ

Elizabeth Steiner, harp

^M/G Maggio and Garrop

^J Jessup

Donald Nally, conductor

Kevin Vondrak, associate conductor

John Grecia, company keyboardist

Lee Hagon, guest keyboardist

Paul Vazquez, sound designer

Jackson Pierzina, summer associate (2024)

Christian Johnson, summer associate (2025)

Recording Producers: Paul Vazquez, Donald Nally & Kevin Vondrak

Recording Session Engineer: Paul Vazquez 

Assistant Recording Session Engineer: Codi Yhap (tracks 1-16)

Editing, Mixing, and Mastering: Paul Vazquez

Album artwork by Rita Quattrocchi.

Recorded June 14, 2024 & June 21, 2025

at The Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill in Philadelphia PA.
In a House Besieged was recorded on The Mander Organ.

This album was made possible through the generous support of Carol Westfall.

The Crossing with composer Christopher Jessup

in Widener Hall of the Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill, June 2025.

Come. Hear. Now.

Album artwork for Besieged is by Rita Quattrocchi.

Our season artwork is by Rocco Lombardi