A Chorus of Poets: Conduction® No. 172, Where is Peace!

Lawrence D. “Butch” Morris conducts “Conduction® No. 172, Where is Peace!”

A Chorus of Poets, now in its 17th year, under the direction of its co-founder
Lawrence D. ‘Butch’ Morris (along with Steve Cannon), represents a neglected
yet vital tradition in the spoken word community.

Twelve vocalists conjure the spiritual and the psychic by cajoling the most marvelous void. The effect is stunning and overwhelming.

A Chorus of Poets is a powerful experience that represents how technology is shaping the culture. It is on the cutting edge of jazz and spoken word, with use of the human voice as instrument, that samples how our society is changing. It is the sound of each poet’s poem.

The density of the rhythm represents the chaos of mass information harmonized; the conductor gives voice to the city through the spoken word of poets. . The sound of the chorus becomes the city’s conciseness. Each poet’s story has meaning within the context of the city’s consciousness and therefore changes from the individualistic perspective.

Unique to the moment of occurrence, never again to be reproduced and instantly lost to the moments passed of spent last breath of poets, definitely more than acting and beyond performance. The chorus touches upon the soul of the city and possesses its inhabitance with its awareness of the rawness of being a real person in New York with real perspective; with a soul and knowledge of one’s imperfect spirit lost in the monstrosity of man made hugeness. It is the liturgy of spoken word with the despair of modernity in the naked voice.

“Nothing compares to (or prepares one for) the magnitude of Morris’ personal vision of conduction.” – “Morris brings context to improvisation.”
– Metroactive Music