EVENING STAR
Christopher Churcher
(world premiere)
Delaware Choral Scholars
Paul D Head · conductor
JAM on the Marsh festival 2023
Bringing an international flavour to the festival, the Delaware Choral Scholars and their renowned conductor Dr Paul Head bring a brilliant programme that truly ‘crosses the pond’ from one of the United States’ finest composers Morten Lauridsen to contemporary Brits, Paul Mealor and Jonathan Dove, via one of the great choral masterpieces, Britten’s Rejoice in the Lamb and American Spirituals.
Evening Star serves as a reflection on the themes conveyed in Louise Glück’s poem. Dividing the choir into two parts - a chorus and a smaller semi-chorus - the piece embarks on a journey of constant transformation. It traverses moments of uncertain rapture, oscillating between them and prematurely reaching a climactic point. The introduction of this singular hope, referred to as “the light of death,” emanates from a pair of solo sopranos, gradually growing in the distance until it culminates in a radiant pinnacle. The voices of the choir unite in a refrain of “Venus.” As the ecstasy subsides, the composition concludes with the intimate ambiance, reminiscent of its opening measures.
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