Pacific Index

Pacific’s choir impresses in their annual spring concert 

   “Sharing art, sharing culture, sharing beauty is needed more than ever,” Dr. Katy Green says in regards to the spring choral concert that took place on campus last Saturday. Pacific’s student choir puts on stunning performances each semester and their most recent certainly didn’t disappoint. The full audience struggled to hold their applause until the ends of the two pieces performed, and in the end gave a standing ovation to the choir. 

   Dr.Green explained that, “this entire year has been focused on music of the dichotomy of light and darkness.” This goes back to the fall semester when the pieces and accompanying texts the musicians studied “encompassed night,” which then led into the holiday concert which was the “hope for light.” Now at the end of this journey into the light, Dr. Green has created a program which produces a, “call to action to encourage others to be in the light, to choose goodness, to choose to uplift one another.” 

   The two pieces she used to accomplish this were Mozart’s “Litaniae Lauretanae K 109” and Elaine Hagenberg’s “Illuminare.” Each piece contained five movements and the concert began with Mozart. Accompanied by the chamber orchestra, this piece provided an elegant opening to the night. The first couple movements created a lighter tone and utilized the soprano and alto sections of the choir, shifting in the third to a somewhat darker tone. 

   The second piece “Illuminare,” was a taxing piece for the choir lasting 25 minutes, but a beautiful experience for the audience. The contrast of light and dark is eloquently shown throughout the movements, with the first creating an upbeat and joyful tone. The second movement continues the presence of the light, but takes a more calm approach. 

   It is the third movement that brings an abrupt shift in tone, instantaneously introducing the darkness that juxtaposes the previous light. The bass section took a stronger role to produce a deeper and more menacing sound, showing a lot more gloom that was accented by the chamber orchestra. 

   However, the fourth movement slowly reintroduced the light which was then brought back at full strength in the final movement. The choir took light back to the audience, singing in beautiful harmony with a near angelic lightness. The song came full circle as they sang “Illuminare,” taking it back to the title which means “to illuminate,” accurately describing this performance which lit up the Taylor Meade stage.

   Dr. Green explained that great care goes into selecting what pieces the choir will study and perform each semester. She often asks herself, “What music is it imperative that they are exposed to in their four years with me?… It’s about ensuring that our musicians get as much exposure to as much music as possible while they’re with us.” Though Dr. Green also wants the selection to create an enjoyable concert for the audience, as professor she takes much consideration as to what is best for her students and what will give them a rounded education. 

   This focus on variety has played into this concert’s program selection with the difference

Between Mozart and Hagenberg. Mozart, according to Dr. Green, represents a more typical idea of concert music and teaches students about, “style and Western musical evolution.” As a contemporary female composer Hagenberg contrasts Mozart, which Green explains shows the continuation of concert music into the present day. 

   Hagenberg’s “Illuminare” is also important to the choir musicians in a matter of training. Dr. Green explains that as a long piece it, “Has some higher technical demands of the musicians… and so we train that stamina through programming pieces that are similar or have similar musical aspects.” 

   This preparation was very apparent in the choir’s spring show, and Dr. Green says, “There’s something really powerful about sharing our learning with the community.” There was no doubt that the Pacific choir created a beautiful evening for their audience that displayed the cumulation of their learning this semester. Dr. Green sums up the experience nicely. “(It creates) a call to action to encourage others to be in the light, to choose goodness, to choose to uplift one another.”