The celestial a-cappella ensemble Quire of Voyces, now in its 22nd year, will offer its spring concert at 7 p.m. Saturday, May 7, and 3 p.m. Sunday, May 8, in St. Anthony’s Chapel at the Garden Street Academy, which is located at 2300 Garden Street. The group will be led by founder and director, Nathan Kreitzer.
The program for the mainly contemporary first half includes “Sing joyfully” by William Byrd (1539–-623), “Come sleep” by Daniel Brinsmead (b. 1988), “Love Bade Me Welcome” (commissioned for the Quire) by Brinsmead, the “Magnificat” by René Clausen (b. 1953), “Rest” by Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958), “O Lord, Thou Hast Made Us for Thyself” (also commissioned for the Quire) by Daniel Gee (b. 1991), “Even When He Is Silent” by Kim André Arnesen (b. 1980) and an arrangement of “Amazing Grace” by Brinsmead.
The largely historical second half will contain “Hosanna to the Son of David” by Orlando Gibbons (1583-1625), “Mother of God, here I stand” by John Tavener (1944-2013), “All People, Clap Your Hands” by Thomas Weelkes (1576-1623), “Prayer” (another commission) by Michael Eglin (b. 1975), “My Soul, There Is a Country” by Hubert Parry (1848-1918), “They are at rest” by Edward Elgar (1857-1934), “Nunc Dimittis” by Gustav Holst (1874-1934) and the “Hymn to the Eternal Flame” by Stephen Paulus (1949-2014).
There are no large-scale works here, except in emotional measure. These are brief, exquisite songs and choruses from every era, early modern through to the present.
(I note, and applaud, that there are three works on the program that were commissioned by the Quire — doing their job of keeping the living composer at the center of our musical culture.)
What unifying principle there is for this program, beyond the insistence that all the works be beautiful, I will not hazard to guess. What they seem most like to me are the individual blossoms in a gorgeous spring bouquet.
Tickets to this concert are $20 for general admission and $15 for students and seniors. They are available either at the door or at the Garvin Theater Box Office on Santa Barbara City College’s West Campus, which may also be reaced at 805.965.5935.
— Gerald Carpenter covers the arts as a Noozhawk contributing writer. He can be reached at gerald.carpenter@gmail.com. The opinions expressed are his own.