Grammy-nominated Pacific Chorale, considered one of the nation’s leading choirs, continues its season with a program of transcendent choral works by six contemporary composers anchored by Estonian composer Galina Grigorjeva’s profound vocal symphony On Leaving, a contemplation on the soul’s release from the mortal body, and Frank Martin’s stunning Mass for Double Choir, a masterful setting of the Latin Mass, on Saturday, March 19, 2022, 8:00 p.m., at Our Lady Queen of Angels Catholic Church in Newport Beach. Led by Artistic Director Robert Istad, the program, entitled “Songs of the Soul,” also features Pulitzer Prize winner Caroline Shaw’s and the swallow, a setting of Psalm 84 inspired by the Syrian refugee crisis, and Spiritus Mundi, Dale Trumbore’s hymn of gratitude for the fruits of the earth, which she says, “explores the idea of trust in something greater than oneself.” Additionally, Pacific Chorale performs Paul Fowler’s wordless, hypnotic Calling and Edie Hill’s poignant We Bloomed in Spring, a setting of the words of St. Teresa of Avila.
Each of the composers is celebrated for the transcendent quality of their work. Grigorjeva is described as “the mistress of cadential suspense, a modernist who respects the past” (Gramophone). Martin’s music is imbued with “beauty, mystery and power” and is noted for its “heartfelt sensitivity” (The New York Times). Shaw, who at age 30 became the youngest winner of the Pulitzer Prize for music in 2013, creates music that “grows ever more mystic” (The New Yorker) and is “proof that classical music has an exciting future” (The Atlantic). Fowler integrates old and new into “emotionally intense” (Washington Post) works that are “radiant, ghostly and shimmering” (The New York Times). Hill’s music has been applauded as “flat out beautiful” and ”full of mystery” (Stereophile Magazine). Trumbore, considered “a rising star among modern choral composers” (AXS), creates “soaring melodies and beguiling harmonies” (The New York Times).
Single tickets for “Songs of the Soul” range from $20-$60. Our Lady Queen of Angels Catholic Church, 2100 Mar Vista Drive, Newport Beach, CA 92660. Audience members must show proof of vaccination and wear masks inside the venue (COVID protocols detailed below). For tickets and information, visit www.pacificchorale.org or call 714-662-2345.
Pacific Chorale will continue to exceed state and local covid safety protocols.