In a true celebration of the return of in-person performances throughout the city, KC VITAs is excited extend a special invitation to our summer concerts which feature a collaboration with Composer-in-Residence L.V. Wood. Her stunning oratorio for orchestra, soloists, and choir “On the Back of the Black” is the centerpiece of our program and speaks to the pressing environmental issues of our modern society. She describes the work as “a nuanced reflection on the myriad ways our lives are interwoven with fossil products and the challenges ahead of us as we face the consequences of global climate devastation.” The KC VITAs ensemble will be joined by an orchestra of ten talented Kansas City instrumentalists in the gorgeous sanctuary of St. John’s United Methodist Church on Ward Parkway on August 6th and 8th. “On the Back of the Black” will be followed by a talk-back session with composer L.V. Wood and poet Tierza Askren, and accompanied by additional works by KC VITAs ensemble member Dakota Hayton, as well as composers Philip Riegle (Illinois), Matthew Donnelly (New York), and Ola Gjeilo (Sweden).