By Kira Logan
Music to illuminate humanity when we are in our darkest hour, is what the UC Santa Barbara Concert and Chamber Choirs sought to provide in its recent concert titled "Hope Finds Light," which student musicians described as poignant exploration of human emotion, from joy and love to pain and loss.
“Our next piece is meant to show audiences the... painful and joyous life experiences that shape love and faith,” one UCSB Chamber Choir student said in an introduction.
Choir students were surrounded by family and friends at the Trinity Episcopal Church in Santa Barbara, to send a message of hope via their repertoire of music.
Through a carefully curated selection of pieces, that ranged from Marques L.A. Garrett’s “Five Songs of Laurence Hope,” to Brahms’ motet “Warum ist das licht gegeben dem Muhseligen,” the choirs delved into diverse musical traditions and contemporary compositions.
The UCSB Chamber and Concert choirs held their fall concert earlier this month in the Trinity Episcopal Church in Santa Barbara. Photo by Brandon King
The combined concert Choir and chamber Choir opened with a collaborative piece displaying the many different levels, textures and the richness in the voices. The sounds and words were drawn from the “almost extinct” Malaysian tradition of shadow puppet theatre and music, using sound effects to mimic words and sound, the audience was told.
The concert choir stayed on-stage to perform three more songs that follow the theme of the concert title: “Hope Finds Light.” In comments between pieces, student said the performances were designed to show the profound impact music has on individuals and communities — that in a world that often feels overwhelmed by division and conflict, the unifying power of music serves as a beacon of hope.
By sharing their talents with the Santa Barbara community, the choirs sought not only enriched the cultural landscape but to provide a much-needed respite from the challenges of everyday life.
The chamber choir performed composer Brahms’ Opus 74 motet “Warum ist Licht gegeben dem Muhseligen,” (Why is light given to one that is in misery) which uses Biblical texts and additional text from Martin Luther.
The chamber choir then performed Marques L.A. Garrett’s “Five Songs of Laurence Hope,” which are five pieces centered on setting the spiritual as the art.
For the concert choir segment’s final performance, the chamber choir re-joined the concert choir on the stage to celebrate the life of Emma Lou Diemer, a UCSB Music professor who recently passed away, by performing a piece that she had composed, titled “Three Madrigals.”
The choir concert was organized and directed by UCSB Music Department faculty, including Brent Wilson who serves as the director of choral activities, John Ballerino, who performed on the piano, and Colin Ramsey as the graduate assistant and conductor.
Chamber choir finished the concert with two final pieces from John Rutter, titled “God be in my head.”
“Our last two pieces were written as a way to celebrate people and culture,” another chamber student introducer said.
Kira Logan is a third-year UC Santa Barbara student majoring in English. She is a Web and Social Media Intern for the Division of Humanities and Fine Arts.