On October 27, Biola University chorale put on a marvelous show along with the choir of neighboring school, Fullerton College. In an effort to fundraise for an upcoming tour of Europe, gift packages were available for auction.
However, chorale also extended itself to charity by encouraging attendees to either donate canned foods or donate money to purchase Thanksgiving meals for needy families. In exchange for financial participation, the two choirs offered their voices to the ears of the audience. It was quite a deal, indeed.
Led by Biola alum John Tebay, the Fullerton College choir sang a strong choral repertoire of six songs. By far the best song in the series was “Te Lucis Ante Terminum,” a prayer originally written by Saint Ambrose in the eighth century. Performed a capella and in Latin, this song highlighted the dynamic strength of the choir.
In this prayer, Saint Ambrose asks the Lord to keep him free from the terrors of the night. Saint Ambrose’s genuine appeal to the Lord was captured precisely through the use of dissonance, rhythm and a curious technique in which the group’s eerie choral murmurings sounded like what you would imagine to hear from dark creatures of the night. The effect was chilling.
“Io Son La Primavera” was less impressive. The sopranos stumbled at the crucial opening of the Italian aria, sounding more like altos struggling for a high note than graceful and experienced sopranos. Although the beginning was not entirely solid, the choir did recover, ending in a beautiful harmony that seemed to suspend in mid-air.
The obvious star of the show was the Biola chorale, who began their portion of the concert by marching down the aisles singing “Dubula,”, a traditional African folk song. The chorale then moved into a movement of six songs, all sung a capella. Of this section, the most impressive piece was their performance in “Sleep.” During the final decrescendo, as the choir softly repeated the word “sleep,” it felt as though we had entered the mind of one gently falling asleep. A pianissimo not commonly heard among groups as large as chorale was beautifully achieved. However, as gorgeous as the six-song movement was, it was entirely too long.
“Kalinda” was perhaps the best piece of the night. Sung in Creole, it began with chorale members talking to each other and transitioned to a united breaking into song. With the chorale gently swaying to the beat, “Kalinda” added a much-needed upbeat flair to the program. The chorale served as its own percussion through the intricate use of rhythmic clicking. It was a difficult song to say the least, but the chorale sang it with enjoyment and ease.
It is no small wonder that the Biola chorale is planning a European tour. With high-quality talent and strong leadership from conductor Shawna Cross Stewart, the chorale definitely has something wonderful to share with the world.
