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Contemporary music ensemble Alarm Will Sound has released Shadows Uplifted, a new work by composer Christopher L. Thompson, on its YouTube channel. Thompson was one of eight composers selected to participate in the 2025 Mizzou International Composers Festival.
The piece was recorded at Columbia’s Missouri Theatre during its world premiere performance in July, as part of the 2025 MICF. Alarm Will Sound is the MICF Resident Ensemble and includes two University of Missouri School of Music faculty members, Stefan Freund and Bill Kalinkos. Freund is a Professor of Music Composition, the Artistic Director of the Mizzou New Music Initiative, and Director of the Mizzou New Music Ensemble. Kalinkos teaches clarinet and co-directs the Mizzou Creative Improvisation Collective.
Inspired by the line “They were shadows, not because they were too small, but because the world built walls too tall…”, Shadows Uplifted merges contemporary chamber orchestra with notated rap, hip hop, jazz, film scoring influences, and modern percussion traditions. The result is a powerful, deeply personal musical statement that dissolves the boundaries between genres.
Across three vivid episodes, Thompson leads listeners through shifting rhythmic landscapes and authentic intersections of musical style. His spoken word illuminates the injustices and overlooked histories of the past while honoring figures whose voices shaped our understanding of resilience, including Missouri native Maya Angelou, whose words inspire kindness, love, and freedom.
Watch the new video on YouTube.
Alarm Will Sound’s next appearance in Columbia will be at 7:30 p.m. January 20 in 130 Sinquefield Music Center.
More information on Christopher L. Thompson can be found here.
A brief interview with the composer for the 2025 MICF can be found here.
To stay up to date with all Mizzou New Music Initiative announcements, follow them on Instagram and Facebook: @MizzouNewMusic