Reliving the Emotions

Picking up the Pieces: Houston's first responders moved by Houston Grand Opera's9/11 song cycle

Texas Task Force One members listen to their stories set to music.
Librettist Gene Scheer meeting with Texas Task Force One first responders whowere interviewed for the thematic contect of Pieces of 9/11: Memories fromHouston.
The piece is scored for violin, flute, guitar, cello, baritone, soprano and twogirl sopranos.

On any other day, the rehearsal room on the sixth floor of the Wortham Theater Center is physically devoid of anything inspiring. White painted concrete walls, worn, scratched floors and high ceilings act as the mere holding space — a creative hub, per se — from which many brilliant artistic ideas are born.

Such was the case Thursday night, when musicians, singers and listeners convened to experience the first run through of Pieces of 9/11: Memories from Houston. Commissioned by Houston Grand Opera's community engagement department, HGOco, the seven-part song cycle written by Jake Heggie (Dead Man Walking, Three Decembers, Moby Dick) and librettist Gene Scheer (Three Decembers, Moby Dick) fused stories from those who were affected by, or responded to, the tragic events of Sept. 11, 2001.

Among those in the audience were Texas Task Force One First Responders Ken Wright, Bear Wilson, Eddie Mathison and Chief "Big Joe" Clark III. A decade ago, they had traveled to the Big Apple with the expectation to cooperate in a rescue mission that quickly became a recovery mission, where hopes of finding survivors turned into unearthing dismembered body parts. Their experience was documented by Scheer in a process that involved more than 30 hours of interviews, which also included past and present Houston leaders, families, teachers, students and community members.

Though stoic in presence, the men were deeply affected as they relived their own stories and thoughts— translated into original lyrics — set to beautiful, rich, flowing music.

"I am a theater composer so I respond to words and the emotional situation behind those words, why they exist," Heggie told CultureMap. "My job as a composer — as a theater composer — is to respond to that on an emotional plane so that the words, which are moving in and of themselves, take a new life because of lyricism and harmony."

Though stoic in presence, the men were deeply affected as they relived their own stories and thoughts— translated into original lyrics.

Scored for chamber ensemble, the pieces call for a colorful orchestration of flute, violin, cello, guitar and a cast composed of a baritone, soprano and two girl sopranos. Quoting Bach's Cello Suite in G Major, Heggie employed the familiar arpeggiated thematic material to craft the harmonic language of the work. Accessible and epically tuneful at times, the sonorities morphed from theatrical to pastoral, from angst and uneasiness to uplifting and joyful.

"It's a piece (Bach's Suite) that's performed at weddings, funerals, celebrations and memorials," Heggie explained. "It has a great sense of all encompassing humanity. And ultimately, it's a very uplifting piece. People hear the heartache in it and they feel the moving power of its melody. That's why I used it as a musical anchor."

It's contemporary, yet familiar, and powerfully demonstrative as evident in the response from those present, this reporter included.

Pieces of 9/11: Memories from Houston premiered Friday afternoon at the City Hall Reflection Pond. It was also performed Friday night as part of "Houston Remembers 9/11: An Evening of Remembrance and Unity" at Discovery Green. Two additional performances are scheduled at Rothko Chapel for Sunday at 2 and 4 p.m.

After the run through, CultureMap had the chance to speak with the first responders, the composer and librettist. In these two videos, they share their thoughts.

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A Roman Holiday (Season)

All roads lead to Houston museum's blockbuster exhibit of Imperial Rome

Photo courtesy of Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

The Museum of Fine Arts Houston presents "Art and Life in Imperial Rome: Trajan and His Times" ("Statue of Trajan" Minturno, Italy, 2nd century, marble, National Archaeological Museum, Naples)

Houston's holiday season will have a distinctly Roman feeling this year, as the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston is bringing the glory of the Gladiator era to Texas. On November 2, 2025 through January 25, 2026 the MFAH presents the monumental new exhibition “Art and Life in Imperial Rome: Trajan and His Times.”

Featuring 160 objects of antiquity, including marble sculptures, frescoes, mosaics, delicate glass vessels, and exquisite bronze artifacts, the exhibition will transport visitors back in time to the Roman Empire during a flowering of art and architecture. The MFAH partnered with the Saint Louis Art Museum to organize the exhibition, which will showcase many pieces that have never been on view in the U.S.

While Emperor Trajan might not be the most famous — or in some cases, most infamous — of the Roman emperors, he ruled between 98 and 117 C.E. during the empire’s height and was the second of the so-called “Five Good Emperors” of the Nerva-Antonine dynasty. He was also the first emperor born outside of present-day Italy, in what is now Andalusia, Spain. During his reign, he granted citizenship and rights to some peoples from conquered lands. The exhibition will explore how this time period expanded what it meant to be a Roman and how art reflected Rome’s power and promoted the empire’s values and ideals.

$\u200bThe Museum of Fine Arts Houston presents "Art and Life in Imperial Rome: Trajan and His Times"$

Photo courtesy of Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

The Museum of Fine Arts Houston presents "Art and Life in Imperial Rome: Trajan and His Times" ("Statue of Trajan" Minturno, Italy, 2nd century, marble, National Archaeological Museum, Naples)

From statues of prominent men and women of the era, including Trajan, to vivid frescoes and furnishing from the villas of Pompeii, the objects in the exhibition will tell fascinating cultural and political stories of life in imperial Rome. To add context to the artworks and objects of antiquity, the MFAH will recreate a section of Trajan’s Column, which was a towering pillar with a spiraling narrative frieze, one of the few monumental sculptures to have survived the fall of Rome.

“Art and Life in Imperial Rome: Trajan and His Times” brings such a wealth of objects to Houston thanks to unprecedented loans from the renowned antiquities collections of Italian museums including Museo Nazionale Romano, the Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli, the Parco Archeologico di Ostia, and the Musei Vaticani. It would would likely take months of travel across Italy to see this much art.

“This is truly a rare opportunity for U.S. audiences to experience spectacular objects from this glorious era of the Roman Empire,” said Gary Tinterow, director and Margaret Alkek Williams chair of the MFAH, in a statement. “We are enormously grateful to our colleagues in Rome, Naples, and Vatican City for lending these treasures to us and broadening the appreciation of Italy’s cultural heritage.”

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