A first-of-its kind concert entitled, “Locally Sourced,” by the Allan Hancock College choir will feature the world premieres of four new compositions written by Central Coast composers. Under the director of Ann Lucas, D.M.A., the choir will perform Thursday, May 12, in Santa Maria and Saturday, May 14, in Los Osos.
The composers include Andrew Glick of Atascadero, the Santa Maria Philharmonic’s guest conductor James Riccardo, Brian Spolarich of Los Osos, and the choir’s pianist and assistant conductor David Alm. Their works draw on traditional Latin liturgy, Buddhist philosophy and piquant poetry.
Spolarich said his piece, “When God Lets My Body Be,” is a direct setting of the poem by the same name written by E.E. Cummings.
“I am, at heart, a choral singer and want to write music that both excites and challenges singers,” said Spolarich. “My inspiration was the text itself, which is lyrical, passionate and rich with wonderful imagery, and my goal was paint those qualities with music.”
Glick’s and Riccardo’s works also call for extra instruments with horn, tuba, violin and organ all adding unusual tone, color and dimension.
Riccardo, a professional violinist, said his composition was a natural progression from a work he wrote last year for Lucas, a pianist, and David Passage, a hornist.
“Since this piece is for the choir, I added a four-part vocal ensemble and changed the piano to an organ. When I discovered I would conduct the performance, I gave the violin part to Andy Glick, a flutist,” said Riccardo. “This is a wonderful opportunity to make music and have another chance to work with Ann.”
Glick’s piece, called “Mandala,” was inspired by a Buddhist song of realization paraphrased by novelist Roger Zelazny.
“There are some very concrete structural principles on which ‘Mandala’ is based,” said Glick. “I challenge the listener to discern them. They are based on two distinct principles of computation.”
Lucas calls the opportunity to debut the compositions a tremendous honor, one which the choir is taking seriously.
“We’ve had a workout mastering these wonderfully original works — no two are alike, and all of them go unexpected directions!” Lucas said.
In addition to the new works, the rest of the program is devoted to entirely American composers and American tunes, with the typical diversity that American culture demands. Audiences will hear selections from West Side Story alongside “Turkey in the Straw” and other traditional tunes sacred and secular.
With a packed program that includes traditional tunes, and never-before-heard compositions, Lucas and the composers encourage music lovers to catch the show.
“Without the support of contemporary and local composers, we would be listening to the same music we’ve already heard the last 300 years. The Central Coast is a rich area for artistic inspiration, and we need the vital support of the community to nurture that inspiration,” said Riccardo.
The first concert will take place at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 12, 2016, at the First United Methodist Church, 311 S Broadway in Santa Maria. The second concert will take place in Spolarich’s hometown of Los Osos at 3 p.m. Saturday, May 14, 2016, at Trinity Methodist Church, 490 Los Osos Valley Road.
All tickets are $8, and there is no reserved seating. Tickets can be purchased at the Fine Arts office on the Santa Maria campus or at the door.
For more information, call 805.922.6966 x3252 or x3412.
— Gina Herlihy is a public affairs and publications technician at Allan Hancock College.