In 2018, the Chorale presented a concert at Spivey Hall entitled “Arise, My Soul”. The highlight of that program featured our phenomenal accompanist and collaborator, Steve Shivers, playing the piano solo for two pieces, Dark Night of the Soul and Luminous Night of the Soul by Ola Gjeilo.  We are also including 3 additional recordings from that concert: It is Well with My Soul arranged by Rene’ Clausen. Arise, My Soul, Arise arranged by Dan Forrest and Be Still, My Soul arranged by Mack Wilberg. The following are the program notes for that concert. 

What is the soul?  Through the ages, many have tried to define it:

The soul is the essence of who and what we are; the fingerprint of God that becomes a physical body; the core of our being. It is eternal. It doesn’t exist in space or time. It’s a field of infinite possibilities and infinite creativity.  The soul is the spirit. It is the connecting line to God. It is where the Holy Spirit resides. The soul is your innermost being.  It is the birthless, deathless, changeless part of us. The Bible says that the human soul is distinct from the heart (Deuteronomy 26:16; 30:6) and the spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:23; Hebrews 4:12) and the mind (Matthew 22:37; Mark 12:30; Luke 10:27). The human soul is created by God (Jeremiah 38:16). The music in tonight’s program explores the many aspects of the soul.  The lyrics evoke musical expressions from each of the composers.

The following is excerpted from The Providence Singers, Inc. website.

Dark Night of the Soul and Luminous Night of the Soul by Ola Gjeilo were composed separately but are meant to be performed as a single work.  The lyrics for Dark Night of the Soul and the final stanza of Luminous Night of the Soul come from writings of John of the Cross. Born in 1541, he is unique in Spanish culture: a mystic and philosopher. A Carmelite reformer, priest, and canonized saint, he is considered to be the foremost mystical poet in the Spanish language. His poem “Dark Night of the Soul” (La noche oscura del alma) consists of eight five-line stanzas that describe the course of the soul’s journey toward a mystical relationship with God. Ola Gjeilo sets three of those stanzas in Dark Night of the Soul and a fourth in Luminous Night of the Soul.  With its house stilled, the soul ventures alone into the dark night in pursuit of knowledge and understanding. This is not a literal evening or scary darkness. The “dark night” suggests a meditative landscape in which the object of the soul’s search — God — may ultimately prove unknowable. Yet, inspired by “love’s urgent longings” and guided by the light “that burned in my heart” — ah, the sheer grace — the soul is drawn to the journey. Although he did not title his poem, John of the Cross wrote two book-length dissertations on the work and the spiritual development of the soul.

In Dark Night (2010), composed first, Gjeilo wanted to place the chorus, piano and string quartet on more or less equal footing rather than writing for chorus with accompaniment. He also wanted to convey a sense of the poem’s colorful, passionate spirituality. The chorus and instruments work through contrasting passages, urgent seeking or serene contemplation.

Gjeilo describes Luminous Night (2012) as “the brighter, sunnier sequel to Dark Night of the Soul.” Most of the text, composed by Charles Anthony Silvestri, a frequent collaborator, uses the human impulse toward artistic creation — choirs, silversmiths, poets, potters, actors, authors — as evidence of divine inspiration (“You were the Spirit of all that is art”).

Luminous Night begins with a long solo passage for cello partly, Gjeilo has written, to create “a quiet respite from the saturated washes of sound that are such a big part of Dark Night.” Gjeilo ends the piece with another stanza from John of the Cross, providing a textual link between the two pieces.

Dark Night Of The Soul

Our nation and the world have changed so much during this pandemic. Our everyday activities and our way of life have been disrupted and we’ve been forced to take time to reflect and re-evaluate many aspects of our lives and our country’s place in the world. Our music today reflects the patriotism we feel for our great country and our wish for peace for the entire world as we navigate the unknowns we have facing us in the future.

Thanks for listening!

Warmly, Janice

Stars and Stripes

Sing the Stars and Stripes

Let There Be Peace On Earth

God Bless the USA

On last Saturday evening, we were scheduled to perform “On Broadway” at the Southern Ground Amphitheater.  It would have been our seventeenth appearance there.  So we thought it only fitting to send you three pieces with a Broadway flare from our previous concerts there.  All of these selections put a smile on my face.  Enjoy!!

There Is Nothing Like A Dame

Theme From New York, New York

Luck Be A Lady

You may have heard some news about the future of choral singing during the Covid-19 Pandemic and beyond.  The possibility of spreading the disease is greatly enhanced in large group gatherings.  PLEASE KNOW THAT OUR #1 PRIORITY IS THE HEALTH, SAFETY, SECURITY, AND WELL BEING OF OUR MEMBERS AND OUR AUDIENCE.  For this reason, it is prudent that the Chorale suspends live rehearsals and performances for a time. 

However, Southern Crescent Chorale isn’t going anywhere!  Next season, we will still be gathering virtually as a chorale each week for rehearsals, workshops, and other enriching activities for our members.  We will also spend this time finding ways to strengthen our organization. We are planning to present virtual concerts for you, our faithful friends and donors until it is safe to return to the concert hall.  As always, we will keep you informed through our emails and website. 

We hope that our music from past performances has been a source of joy, strength, and encouragement during this period of change and uncertainty.  Our selections today are “How Can I Keep from Singing”, “The Prayer”, and “Song of Exaltation”.   I received this poem from a dear friend in London.  It was written in 1869 and was reprinted during the 1919 Pandemic.  It surely still applies today.
  
And people stayed at home
And read books
And listened
And they rested
And did exercises
And made art and played
And learned new ways of being
And stopped and listened
More deeply
Someone meditated, someone prayed
Someone met their shadow
And people began to think differently
And people healed.
And in the absence of people who
Lived in ignorant ways
Dangerous, meaningless and heartless,
The earth also began to heal
And when the danger ended and
People found themselves
They grieved for the dead
And made new choices
And dreamed of new visions
And created new ways of living
And completely healed the earth
Just as they were healed.

The Prayer

Song Of Exaltation

How Can I Keep From Singing-

I'm the communications coordinator and a performing member of the Southern Crescent Chorale. Now in its eighteenth season, the Southern Crescent Chorale (SCC) has established a reputation for excellence and achievement in the south metro area arts community. Passionately conducted by veteran choral director, Janice Folsom, the Chorale’s mission is to enrich its communities and provide talented and interested singers an opportunity to perform a variety of challenging choral literature with high performance standards.

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