One of the composers they turned to for a commission was British folk-rock guitarist-singer-songwriter extraordinaire Richard Thompson.
Rather than dashing off a quick melody and variation, Thompson delivered an hour-plus song cycle of sorts titled Cabaret of Souls, the tale of a talent contest set in hell.
“Originally it was going to be eight to 10 minutes long," he said Friday morning from Ohio after a solo performance there, “but it just got bigger and bigger and I just couldnt help it. I thought, I could abandon this and go back to the drawing board, or follow the muse and see where it takes me."
The premiere performance of “Cabaret of Souls" was given Wednesday night by double bassist Danny Thompson (no relation to Richard) with accompaniment from the composer and a few friends, among them musician and humorist Harry Shearer (who also happens to be a bassist), his singer-wife, Judith Owen, percussionist Debra Dobkin and multi-instrumentalist Pete Zorn. The piece was written as a showpiece for Danny Thompson and to help bring more attention to the International Society of Bassists' mission to promote an instrument that's often felt more than heard.
“It came off very well," Richard Thompson said. “I'm perhaps surprised at how fluently we played it on a limited amount of rehearsal."
