One of the great pleasures for us every year is the March concert. It is so for several reasons:
First, we get to hear many different choral groups while selecting the one we invite as our Guest Choir. Second, the music they sing opens up new musical opportunities for us, as we usually perform a few selections with them. Third, we feel great joy in being able to share these wonderful voices with you!
Those are just a few reasons why we are so excited about having The New Choir as our guest choir this year in a concert of music evoking the eternal conversation between the Creator and the Created in “A Dialogue of Heaven and Earth.”
Perhaps this year is even more special, not just because The New Choir is so excellent and because they showcase such diverse musical styles, composers and periods, but we also have already had the pleasure of working with Eileen Chang as a guest conductor for several weeks of rehearsals while our own Maestro Grube was called out of the country.
From our praise of the creator and our conversations with each other, to the revelations found in nature, we seek to understand and embrace the meaning of creation and our place in it: Drawing on the rich repertoire of the 19th to 21st centuries, and the diverse musical styles of composers from Europe and Asia, we explore the soundscape of the universe: from the message of angels in “Angelus Domini” by Rheinberger, and our reply in “Cantate Domino” by Latvian composer, Vytautas Miškinis. We find guidance in Stanford’s “Beati Quorum Via”. We learn about ourselves by observing nature in the “Chansons” of Hindemith, the quiet contemplation of “Aftonen” by Hugo Alfven, and the sounds of the night becoming day in “Dawning Dusk” by the young Indonesian composer, Ken Steven. All comes together in the mesmerizing contemplation of “Stars” by Estonian composer Ērics Ešenvalds.
The Santa Cruz Chorale will join The New Choir for part of this journey and we invite you to seek with us the sounds of the universe and discover new worlds around – and within – you.
We hope you have already ordered your tickets for this very special concert: Sunday, March 26th at 4 pm at Holy Cross Church, 126 High Street, Santa Cruz.
http://santacruzchorale.org/tickets
See you at the concert!