Loss, grief and healing

As I write this I regret that I hadn't read the generous and informative program notes before this performance.  This was Oriana Chorale performing at Wesley Church and the title/theme was We are not ready : Music of loss, of grief and of healing.  Not an easy topic and the program even came with a warning of possible emotional triggers.  The music was of various eras, several modern, several regarding a passage of the King James version of the Bible on a son's loss, several on other losses, in various wars or otherwise.  I might have listened differently.  I just noted the modern dissonances and chromatics and the comparisons with the sweet harmonies of Monteverdi.  The lyrics were not included in this program and maybe they would have guided the appreciation.  Whatever, I've recorded it so look forward to a relisten after reading the excellent program notes .  But otherwise, this is a wonderful choir, with high notes towering above with SATB males and female voices with wonderful skills and clear enunciation under two excellent directors, one having composed one piece, and the other arranged another.  The tunes were from Weelkes, Olivia Swift, Prestini, Makaroff, Monteverdi, Eric Whitacre, Ella Macens and that arranged Trad piece.  This is music of richness and complexity and variation and I feel I just touched on the experience in my first outing.

Oriana Chorale performed music of loss, grief and healing at Wesley Church under Dan Walker (director, conductor) and Olivia Swift (conductor).