Thom Mariner, composer, gets a gig

In the shameless self-promotion category, I got an e-mail from Thom Mariner today (remember VoiceBox??) who says he is now a composer and his first composition is a Christmas spiritual. Spiritual?

"Man, that's scary for a nice Presbyterian boy like me," says Thom. The text is Langston Hughes' "Shepherd's Song at Christmas." The title is "What Shall I Bring?"

Thom writes that he actually got someone to perform it -- the Vocal Arts Ensemble of Cincinnati, no less. "And to top it off, I'm conducting the thing! Can you believe it? I'm going to chew off every fingernail I have left..."

Sounds like this is something we don't want to miss. Earl Rivers conducts the other music on this Holiday Concert, 8 p.m. Friday, at St. Timothy's in Anderson Township; 8 p.m. Saturday at St. Boniface Church in Northside and 3 p.m. Dec. 10, St. Peter in Chains Cathedral, downtown. For info and tickets, go here.