Earth and All Stars

Our concert features two contemporary extended choral works, Alex Berko’s “Sacred Place” and Cecilia McDowall’s “Music of the Stars." Both performances are regional premieres. 

Conceived in the format of a liturgical service, "Sacred Place" sets texts from famed naturalists to traditional Jewish prayer to create a thoughtful and moving ode to our "sacred place," the earth. The composer describes it as "an ecological service that connects the old with the new, the sacred with the secular, and the individual with their community." McDowall’s work describes the power of music to console and uplift in challenging times. Texts include an excerpt from a Ukrainian folk song, Kenyan poet Brian Odongo, American astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, and American writer James Weldon Johnson.

Additional repertoire by Alfred Fedak, Tom Trenney, Ēriks Ešenvalds and Frank James Staneck complete the program. We will also display artwork of around the theme of "earth and stars" by Montessori Country Day School students.

Join us for an exploration of earth and all stars on Sunday, October 5 at 4:00 pm.