DaCapo Chamber Choir’s “Dear Mother Earth”
I attended the DaCapo Chamber Choir concert “Dear Mother Earth.” Here’s the program:
- In the Beginning — Aaron Copland *
- I Heard the Bird Cry — Kathryn Rose ***
- As On Wings — Leonard Enns
- Storm Birds — Maria Case ***
- The Passing of the Year — Jonathan Dove **
- Dear Mother Earth — Leonard Enns
- Earth Song — Frank Ticheli
In one piece guest soloist Jennifer Enns Modolo sang with the choir.* And in one piece guest pianist Catherine Robertson accompanied the choir.**
Two of the pieces were premieres of NewWorks competition winners.*** The composers were in attendance, as well as one poet. Case spoke eloquently about the power of collaboration.
As an encore the choir repeated “Ah, Sun-flower!” from the Dove, in support of Ukraine. The sunflower is Ukraine’s national flower.
The two longer pieces, the Copland and the Dove, were ones I knew — they were delightful. The new shorter pieces all had aspects to make you sit up and take notice.
Whether they’re singing softly of a bird crying or loudly proclaiming a wish for a thousand years of peace, the choir is always beautiful.
From the program, director Leonard Enns says: “Our program is intended to highlight the beauty of creation, celebrate its richness, lament its misuse and destruction, and encourage corrective action.”
The previous DaCapo concert was “Be Like a Bird.”