CASA (Composers Alliance of San Antonio - online at http://www.davidheuser.com/CASA.htm) was started in 1999 when a group of composers in San Antonio, Texas, many of them associated with the city's universities, began to gather regularly for informal meetings. Timothy Kramer, one of the founding members, wanted to initiate a forum where composers could talk shop, exchange ideas "either practical or philosophical" and form a unified voice for contemporary concert music in the south Texas region. In his words, the concept of CASA "grew out of the idea of a French salon, where discussions would generate agreements or disagreements (in aesthetics), the sharing of technical information, or the awareness of music outside of our own small worlds." After a few years of meeting, the members of CASA decided to organize a public hearing of their music. In March 2002, the UTSA New Music Festival featured selections from their recent music, with the hope that a full CASA concert could soon take place. The group's wishes were fulfilled in October 2002, when the first all-CASA concert took place at Trinity University's Ruth Taylor Concert Hall. At that event the group's larger artistic aim became evident. Rather than encourage a particular stylistic aesthetic, as some composers' groups have done in the past, it embraces a diverse range of styles reflecting its members' different ages, backgrounds, and life experiences. Since then, CASA has continued to meet at regular intervals to plan further events. This CD is its first publicly available recording. The individual performances heard here were recorded live in concert in San Antonio. They were not made in a studio, and thus reflect the varying acoustics of the city's concert halls. This recording was made possible by the generosity of Laura Richmond, longtime supporter of the arts in San Antonio, Texas. All proceeds go to support the professional musicians, many of them from the San Antonio Symphony, whose talent and energy went into these performances. CASA is a non-profit organization. Here is a full list of the contents of the CD with performer and composer names: 1. William James Ross "Variations on 'A Rose in Winter'" (5:03) Mark Ackerman, oboe; William Ross, piano 2. David Heuser "O The White Towns" (9:09) Michael Burgess, tenor; Geoffrey Waite, piano 3. Michael Twomey "Exegesis" (7:45) Michael Twomey, viola Elisenda Fábregas "Five Musings on the Past" 4. I. "El deseo" (2:29) 5. II. "Definicion" (1:59) 6. III. "El pasado perdido" (1:11) 7. IV. "Calor" (3:22) 8. V. "El Sol" (2:00) Rachel Rosales, soprano; Elisenda Fábregas, piano Misook Kim "Seven Little Pieces for Flute and Piano" 9. I. Largo (0:53) 10. II. Andante Moderato (0:31) 11. III. Allegretto (0:44) 12. IV. Flowing (2:39) 13. V. Short, Very Short (0:18) 14. VI. Presto (1:33) 15. VII. Adagio (1:58) Jean Robinson, flute; Misook Kim, piano Ken Metz "Songs from 'Mother Goose'" 16. I. "The North Wind" (1:25) 17. IIa. "Jackie / Fiddle" (1:33) 18. IIb. "Cat/Fiddle" (0:56) 19. III. "Pussycat" (1:55) 20. IV. "Solomon Grundy" (2:17) 21. V. "Cradle Song" (1:29) 22. VI. "Fishpond" (2:13) Chia-Wei Lee, baritone; Irina Khovanskaya, piano 23. Charles Goodhue "Proud Parent's March" (3:58) Madolyn Douglas Fallis, organ 24. Timothy Kramer "Cycles and Myths" (12:00) SOLI Chamber Ensemble 25. William Ross "Danny Boy" (4:01) (Meditation on Londonderry Air) Mark Ackerman, oboe; William Ross, piano