World-renowned composer writes piece for Minot choir ahead of weekend music festival

MINOT, N.D. (KMOT) – A world-renowned music composer is headed to the Magic City. He’ll be directing Minot-area music groups who will perform his pieces in a special concert this weekend including the debut of a piece he wrote in honor of one of the groups.

Minot High students put the finishing touches on the piece “I Am Not Yours.” But this will be no ordinary concert. This weekend they’ll get to perform under the direction of the composer who wrote it— Z. Randall Stroope.

Students Joseph Shappell and May Nash said they’re eager to meet the man behind the notes.

“Having the chance to actually work with the composer, to see what they wanted and originally intended with the piece, to see if we’re putting our own spins on or just even see how he would change what we’re doing right now, I think is really cool,” said Joseph.

“I’m excited to be able to be in the room with him and work with him and hear his advice and his initial intentions for the piece,” said May.

Stroope will conduct several choral groups in the Magic City this weekend, but it’s not his first visit to Minot. He came here several years ago to guest direct the Minot Chamber Chorale, following efforts from then-director Bob Demke, and chorister Todd Mathistad.

“A lot of people thought that ‘No, we couldn’t do it.’ But I just thought, ‘Well, they gave me permission to try anyway.’ So I did try,” said Todd.

But Stroope took them up on his offer, and over the years, forged a relationship with the Mathistad family.

“[Todd and Janet] are really quite integrated into the arts in the city and follow up on our last visit there in Minot. And it’s just been one of those things, it’s grown over the years and they’ve kept track of me and I them,” said Stroope.

It’s a relationship that current Chamber Chorale Director Emerson Eads embraces.

“It’s not just a community benefit. It’s a community, university, high school benefit because we’re all benefiting from this relationship that’s been built over the years,” said Eads.

This time, Stroope commissioned a piece for the Minot Chamber Chorale and the Mathistads, titled “Now We Belong.” You can hear its world premiere on Sunday.

“You open a piece of music and it has a dedication, and it’s always to somewhere far away from you. So I think it’s pretty cool that we have a piece now that has Minot, North Dakota on it and we’re not just some little forgotten far-off place,” said Janet Mathistad.

Stroope and the Mathistads commented on the meaning of the piece.

“It’s really talking about immigrants, people from all walks of life that have come into an area community, whatever, and they’ve integrated into it and now they belong to the land. And I think everyone can relate to that,” said Stroope.

“It’s a song of unity, which I think we need in this state and in this country right now… I’m not naïve. I don’t think the song will change any hearts right away, but I think it’ll plant the seed, and that’s what I’m hoping that this song does for us,” said Todd.

The concert is on Sunday at 3 p.m. at Ann Nicole Nelson Hall on the Minot State University campus.

It’s free to attend, and a goodwill offering to support the arts will be collected.

The public is welcome to sit in on the rehearsal Saturday from around 9:30 a.m. to noon at the hall.

Related content: Composer Z. Randall Stroope to direct Minot choruses this weekend

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