With Soli Deo Gloria’s holiday concert, get your imaginary passport ready
Soli Deo Gloria, Fresno’s premier women’s chorale, wants to take you on a road trip.
The holiday-themed concert, titled “Essence of Joy,” will be performed 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 2, at University Presbyterian Church.
But though the physical location is Fresno, music director Julie Carter has put together a program that travels the world in terms of languages and composers.
Take, for example, the opening song, “Hodie Christus Natus Est” by Canadian composer Kelly-Marie Murphy.
“We did a piece of hers before, and it’s really great stuff,” Carter says.
Follow that with works by Norwegian composer Ola Gjeilo (“Ave Maria”) and Argentinian composer Santiago Veros (“O Magnum Mysterium”).
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How about spending Christmas in Paris? “Le Sommeil de l’Enfant Jesus (arranged by Ron Jeffers) and “Un Flambeau, Jeanette, Isabelle!” (arranged by Sarah Jaysmith) offer a cosmopolitan flair.
“In Dulci Jubilo” takes us to Germany. It’s considered a macaronic text (a mixture of languages), which arose in Europe at the end of the Middle Ages, Carter says. That piece is arranged by Laura Hawley, a favorite of Carter’s and known for her conducting the Elektra Women’s Choir.
The United Kingdom is always a stopover for holiday songs, of course. Soli Deo Gloria delivers with “The Wexford Carol” also arranged by Hawley. John Rutter’s “Mary’s Lullabye” is a famed traditional tune. Later in the evening, “Deck the Halls” represents the Welsh tradition.
We can’t forget about the United States — and especially Fresno. For “Essence of Joy,” the chorale commissioned a piece by Walter Saul, a frequent collaborator with the group and a professor emeritus of music at Fresno Pacific University. He wrote an arrangement of “Ubi Caritas,” based on an ancient Gregorian chant.
And the second half of the concert — which includes a special guest appearance by guest artists Cal-Neva Brass — features a lineup of favorite holiday songs in the U.S. The chorale will perform an intriguing arrangement of “Deck the Halls” in 7/8 time, Irving Berlin’s “White Christmas” and a spiritual by Moses Hogan.
Carter’s goal is to offer a mix of old and new, with an emphasis on fresh takes on the classics and a lot of musical variety. She thinks she’s found that sweet spot with this concert. And a way to put a merry spin on a road trip.
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