KC VITAs - when we arrive at home
- BuzzSlayers
- Oct 30, 2025
- 2 min read
Celebrating ten years of groundbreaking performances, KC VITAs, Kansas City’s trailblazing vocal ensemble, announces the release of their debut album, when we arrive at home. This greatest-hits collection from their first decade captures the essence of the ensemble’s mission: to champion contemporary choral music that is vital, daring, and deeply human. More than that, it is by turns joyful, exuberant, heartwarming, and ecstatic; a true sonic quilt.
Curated from a decade of world premieres and audience favorites, when we arrive at home is more than an album—it’s a journey through grief, wonder, protest, and resilience. Featuring works by nine vocally adept and imaginative composers, the album weaves together lush harmonies, avant-garde textures, and raw emotional power.
Highlights include:
• Ashi Day’s Boundless – A radiant opening that pulses with resilience and warmth.
• Ben Zucker’s title track when we arrive at home – A haunting reimagining of the Sacred Harp hymn Idumea, where echoes of tradition meet spectral innovation.
• Del’Shawn Taylor’s Because I Could Not Stop For Death – A fresh, intimate setting of Emily Dickinson’s immortal poem.
• Natalie Dietterich’s chainlink fences – A communal tapestry of voices responding to the question, “What do we need?”
• Matthew Lyon Hazzard’s The Prow – A cinematic finale that swells like the tide, balancing longing and arrival.
“For us, this album is homecoming and milestone,” says Artistic Director Dr. Jackson C. Thomas. “It’s a reflection of the composers who’ve trusted us with their work, and the emotional truths we’ve tried to embody on stage. These aren’t just premieres—we’ve lived with these pieces. We’ve carried them into spaces where audiences needed them most, and now we offer them to the world.”
Since its founding in 2015, KC VITAs has premiered nearly 100 new works, becoming a vital force on the forefront of vocal music. when we arrive at home is a testament to their artistic legacy and social transformation—a record of where they’ve been and an invitation to join them in singing the world of tomorrow.
Dedicated to amplifying underrepresented voices in choral music, KC VITAs [Kansas City Vibrating Internal Thyroarytenoids] is a professional vocal ensemble specializing in contemporary and experimental works. Through bold programming and deep collaboration, they bring new choral music to life, fostering connections between composers, performers, and audiences.
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