The Crossing to Premiere New Animated Film for Michael Gordon’s ‘Anonymous Man’

By Logan Martell

On August 31, 2020, Grammy Award-winning choir, The Crossing, will premiere a new animated film, featuring a movement from Michael Gordon’s “Anonymous Man.”

The work, which premiered in July 2017, explores themes of history, home, and homelessness; the animation is done by longtime collaborator Brett Snodgrass, and the film was conceived by Choir Director Donald Nally.

“Anonymous Man” is scored for 24 unaccompanied voices, and draws upon Gordon’s compositional approach which layers minimal vocal lines to create a sense of incantation. Gordon describes the work as one of great personal importance, inspired by his time in lower Manhattan around 1981.

“When I moved into my loft on Desbrosses Street, the streets were empty, since few people lived there,” writes Gordon. “But both then and now, there were the homeless. Over time the neighborhood changed from an industrial warehouse district to a residential area. Anonymous Man is a memoir about my block. The piece is built around my memories of moving in, meeting my future wife for the first time there, and conversations I have had with two homeless men who made their home on the loading dock across the street.”

The film will be available to stream from The Crossing’s website, as well as the organization’s Facebook and YouTube pages, where it will remain available after premiering.

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