Join Us For "Seasons of Light"

The world is full of amazing synchronicity. Tonight on my way back to my Toronto hotel, I heard a loudspeaker in the park across the street and could see a large gathering. I stopped and discovered a celebration of Diwali, a Hindu festival of lights to welcome Lakshmi, Goddess of wealth and prosperity. The festival, celebrated especially in India, teaches us to vanquish ignorance that subdues humanity and to drive away darkness that engulfs the light of knowledge. The park was circled by loops of white lights; behind the speakers' area was a lighted tower on the right and on the left hung a crescent moon and the planet Venus. What a striking prelude to writing this overview of Calliope's upcoming concert! Diwali is just one of many winter holidays represented in our concert, which celebrates a variety of culture's explorations of the mystery of the changing light of winter. By including music from across the globe, the concert acknowledges the diversity of spiritual beliefs and traditions in our world.

Three of the songs present Asian traditions. Hymn To the Dawn from Choral Hymns from the Rig Veda by Gustav Holst draws its text from the oldest of Hindu sacred books and honors the Hindu celebration of light, Diwali. Gate Gate, composed by Brian Tate, is an energetic and rhythmic setting of a Buddhist mantra and fits with Buddha's Enlightenment Day in early December, an important commemoration for Zen Buddhists. Yuki no matsuri (Snow Festival) with words by Chieko Nakamura and music by Saburo Iwakawa, celebrates a special occasion for children to play with snow. The first half of the song is about throwing snowballs, followed by a scene in a snow cave at night where children quietly enjoy themselves under candlelight.

Two songs have African roots: Odun De, a Yoruban (Nigerian) New Year's song, and Seven Principles by Bernice Johnson Reagon celebrating Kwanzaa. Neesa, meaning "the winter moon in January," is a simple round with words from the Seneca Indian language.

Other songs observe Hanukkah, Solstice, or both. The Jewish holiday of Hanukkah is popularly named the Festival of Lights because one flask of oil (sufficient for one day) miraculously lighted the Temple Menorah for eight days. In more general terms, this celebration also marks the victory of "light," including faith and loyalty to Jewish traditions, over the forces of "darkness." We will perform S'Vivon, a Hebrew round; Chanukah/Solstice Round by Linda Hirschhorn; and Solstice Carol by Diane Benjamin.

Two works by North American composers indicate the importance of light as a metaphor, even without the connection to specific holidays. Light Breaking by Carol L. Matthews was commissioned for GALA 2000 and inspired by silver light in the North Rim country of Arizona. In the words of the composer, it "celebrates the timelessness of community, the inevitability of the spiral of need and nurture, and the constant impulse toward joy which is the hall mark of GALA Choruses." Nancy Telfer's Chasing the Northern Lights was also stimulated by a visual experience: light in northern Canada. This song creates the feeling of the Northern Lights moving and dancing, and incorporates sounds of Inuit throat singing.

O magnum mysterium by Victoria, a late 15th-century Spaniard, tells the Christian nativity story. This is a lush and lovely setting of the Latin text. In a light and secular vein, we will sing Deck the Halls, a New Year carol, in an arrangement with unusual and peppy rhythms, and the winter song Let it Snow! in a unique, jazzy setting. Ring Out Wild Bells! by Felicia Sandler sets a text by Alfred Lord Tennyson marking the passing of the old and the ringing in of the new. This festive work, scored for piano and three percussionists (marimba, vibraphone, and chimes), was commissioned and premiered by the University of Michigan. Originally composed for mixed chorus, the composer arranged it for Calliope to present the premiere of the women's chorus version.

Seasons of Light will be performed Saturday, January 6th at 8pm and Sunday, January 7th at 3pm at Janet Wallace Fine Arts Center on the Macalaster campus in St. Paul. Tickets are $15-$25 sliding scale. Children under 12 are $5. Any contribution over $15 is tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. A discount coupon for one $10 ticket with each $15 ticket purchased before December 27th is available in this newsletter. I think we have a wonderful array of compositions of many styles and cultures. I'm excited about the program and am certain that you will enjoy it.