Torke reveals secret David Gates influence

Modern composer Michael Torke reveals a guilty pleasure in a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel piece about two new compositions, by Torke and Kamran Ince, which will premiere at Present Music's annual Thanksgiving concert. Torke admits that he likes sentimental pop. "People say, 'Oh, you can't be serious,' but I love David Gates of Bread," Torke said. "And The Carpenters -- I love them!" The new Torke is a Christmas oratorio, with the text taken from the King James Gospel of Luke.
The Journal's music critic, Tom Strini, contends that Present Music, a Milwaukee music group, could be "America's most important new-music ensemble." The show advanced by Strini's article will be Friday, Nov. 17, and Sunday, Nov. 19. More information available here.