Mathes Dishes on his Night of 'Song'

If Rob Mathes could live by one rule, it would be to set deadlines. If it weren't for those sometimes-dreaded deadlines, the Greenwich resident would not be doing an encore performance of "At Night A Song Is With Me" at Christ Church Greenwich tonight. It is his self-proclaimed "best work yet."

"Deadlines are the answer for anyone who wants to get ahead in life," he said. "It is the old, corny 'field of dreams' type thing. You have got to build it."

Mathes is a renowned music producer and composer who has worked with artists ranging from Panic! At The Disco to Luciano Pavarotti.

The concert is back by popular demand after the May performance. The impressive evening of music will also feature the New York Chamber Consort and the Christ Church Choir.

"I thought it was a good piece of work but, I did not anticipate such a big reaction," he said. "I wanted to write a work that I could invite people and have them be moved."

Since 1991, Mathes has wanted to write a classical piece that would take people on a journey through music. "My [original] concept was, would it be interesting to meet a modern poet and have a dialogue between a psalmist and the poet," he said.

As his writing talent progressed, the song cycle stuck in his head until he put his pen to paper in 2007. He said, "The goal now is to write music that is eclectic but that doesn't bring attention to itself. It is just naturally eclectic and yet embraces it without apology."

For this piece, he worked world-renowned Irish poet Micheal O'Siadhail.

Mathes said the Saturday performance will be the last in Greenwich because he is planning to do the piece in other venues in the United States and overseas. The concert is tonight at 8. Tickets are on sale for $40 and are available online or at the Music Source in Old Greenwich.

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