Sing a Mighty Song — Daniel E. Gawthrop (b.1949)

Sing a Mighty Song is an exuberant and inspirational choral work that invites music makers to unite, rise, and lift their voices in celebration of the gift of music. The piece was commissioned by the American Choral Directors Association to honor Raymond W. Brock, a devoted leader within the organization. Gawthrop’s composition celebrates the joy and positive impact of communal singing. The text encourages singers to awaken and rise, making the earth resound with song, as the Lord delights in the music of the heart, incorporating the intricate playfulness of rhythmic texture and bold harmonic structure.

Daniel E. Gawthrop (b.1949) is an Indiana native whose choral compositions have been recorded by notable ensembles, including the United States Air Force Singing Sergeants, the Gregg Smith Singers, the Turtle Creek Chorale, the Paul Hill Chorale, the American Boychoir, the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square, and the Cathedral Choral Society of Washington National Cathedral. Most notably, his music has premiered in the Concert Hall of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the Tabernacle at Temple Square in Salt Lake City, and Washington National Cathedral.

The Word Was God — Rosephanye Powell (b. 1962)

Rosephanye Powell’s The Word Was God is a powerful and rhythmically energetic choral setting of the text from John 1:1-3. The piece begins with a unified melodic line, symbolizing the importance and nothingness that precede God’s creation. Powell writes with an elaborate interplay of dramatic rhythmical intricacy and dynamic contrast, highlighting the sacred text, “In the beginning was the Word,” and culminating with a dramatic affirmation: “And the Word was God!” In recent years, this composition has been at the center of a copyright infringement case in which Dr. Powell’s source material was used without Gentry Publication’s permission. We perform Dr. Rosephanye Powell’s The Word Was God, in solidarity and to highlight her compositional artistry.

Dr. Rosephanye Powell (b. 1962) is one of America’s premier female composers of solo vocal and choral music. As a widely commissioned composer and conductor whose works are performed by professional, collegiate, community, church, and school choirs, she travels nationally and internationally, presenting lectures and masterclasses that specialize in the landscape and preservation of African American spiritual and gospel music. In 2025, Rosephanye Powell received the prestigious Raymond Brock Memorial Commission, presented by the American Choral Directors Association.

I’ll Be on My Way — Shawn Kirchner (b. 1970)

Shawn Kirchner’s I’ll Be on My Way is an uplifting choral work that blends elements of folk, gospel, and spiritual traditions. Centered around themes of hope and renewal, the piece offers a joyful reflection on life’s journey, encouraging listeners to celebrate the liberation of the soul rather than mourn its earthly farewell. Kirchner’s composition opens with a rubato baritone solo that highlights the inspirational main melody. As the piece develops, the dynamic intensity and rhythmical intricacy grow, creating a sense of rising momentum that highlights the text-painting on the lyrics: “I’ll be on my way! I will lift my wings and soar into the air, glory ev’rywhere on my way.”

Shawn Kirchner (b. 1970) is a Los Angeles-based composer, arranger, and performer whose choral works are widely performed across the globe. He served as the Swan Family Composer in Residence with the Los Angeles Master Chorale from 2012 to 2015 and has been a member of the prestigious ensemble for over two decades. Kirchner’s music is celebrated for its stylistic versatility and expressive depth, with commissions from leading choirs across the nation and internationally. His works are published by Boosey & Hawkes, Oxford University Press, and other notable publishers.

To the Hands, VI: “I will hold you” — Caroline Shaw (b. 1982)

Movement VI, titled “I will hold you,” is from Caroline Shaw’s multi-movement work To the Hands, a response to German composer Dieterich Buxtehude’s seventeenth-century composition, Membra Jesu Nostri (The Most Holy Members of Our Suffering Jesus). Buxtehude’s cantata is a seven-movement work that depicts Christ’s crucifixion, with each movement representing a part of his body. Shaw’s text setting is based on Zechariah 13:6, exploring themes of loss, empathy, and healing through a blend of Latin and English texts, contrasting textures, and extended vocal techniques. Shaw’s composition, “To the Hands”, was written as part of the Seven Responses project and was performed by members of The Crossing, the International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE), and the early music ensemble Quicksilver. This final movement of To the Hands offers a gentle repetition of the phrase “I will hold you,” facilitating a meditative atmosphere with the creative use of space and sophisticated rhythmical interplay. Shaw utilizes dissonant harmonic language, emphasizing subtext and intentional text painting techniques.

Caroline Shaw (b. 1982) is a composer, vocalist, violinist, and producer whose work crosses classical, contemporary, and experimental music genres. She gained international recognition in 2013 as the youngest recipient of the Pulitzer Prize for Music for her vocal composition, Partita for 8 Voices, written for the Grammy-winning ensemble Roomful of Teeth. Shaw’s compositions have been commissioned and performed by leading artists and ensembles, including Renée Fleming, Yo-Yo Ma, Dawn Upshaw, Sō Percussion, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. She has also collaborated across genres with artists such as Kanye West, Nas, and Rosalía, contributing to projects that blend classical technique with popular and experimental styles. In addition to her compositional work, Shaw is an active performer and educator. In addition to receiving four Grammy awards, she holds academic degrees in violin performance from Rice University and an honorary Doctor of Music degree from Yale University.

Hymn of Acxiom — Vienna Teng, arr. Robin Salkeld

Hymn of Acxiom is a haunting and thought-provoking piece that explores the intersection of technology, surveillance, and human vulnerability. Originally written and performed by singer-songwriter Vienna Teng (b.1987), the song takes the form of a choral hymn, echoing sacred music traditions while delivering a chilling message about data collection and corporate oversight. The piece invites listeners to reflect on the cost of convenience and the decline of privacy, all while enveloping them in a soundscape that is both mesmerizing and unsettling. Hymn of Acxiom is a powerful artistic commentary that merges musical elegance with urgent social critique.

This choral arrangement by Robin Salkeld (b.1983) preserves the ethereal quality of Teng’s original song, layering voices in close harmonies that evoke both beauty and discomfort. The lyrics offer a disturbingly tender promise of care and protection, underscoring the seductive nature of surveillance in the digital age.

Õhtu ilu, (The Beauty of Evening) — Kärt Johanson, arr. Pärt Uusberg

Õhtu ilu is a peaceful and meditative choral setting that captures the quiet beauty of the evening. Originally composed by Estonian singer and songwriter Kärt Johanson (b.1971), the song reflects on the relationship of nature, with imagery of twilight skies, fading sunlight, and the peaceful tranquility that covers the earth. Õhtu ilu originates from a collection of three Estonian folksongs in the poetic style known as regilaul, where the text can be set to many original melodies and arrangements by various-sized ensembles. This choral arrangement by Pärt Uusberg (b.1986) creates an introspective mood by weaving lush harmonic lines and accompanying lilting rhythmical textures that support the depiction of calmness and the beauty of nature’s dusk.  “Who hides the sun from us, who steals the moonlight? God hides the sun from us, and the Creator steals the moonlight. Let the blessed morning come, let the sun rise over the forest.”

Uusberg brings musical richness to Johanson’s original melody, allowing choral ensembles the opportunity to explore both musical nuance and emotional resonance. This work creates a moment to pause and take part in a musical meditation that highlights the majesty found in stillness, light, and the final light of day.

 TEXT

Juba päeva peidetanne

Already the day is hidden,

Kuuvalget varastetanne

moonlight being stolen

Kes see peidab meilda päiva

Who is hiding the sun from us?

Kes see kuuvalget varastab

Who is stealing the moonlight from us?

 Jumal peidab meilda päiva

God is hiding the sun from us

Looja kuuvalget varastab

The creator is stealing moonlight

Las tuleb õnnis hommik kätte

Let the blessed morning come,

Päeva tõus saab metsa pääle

sunrise onto the forest.

Mina laulan lauda notkub

I sing, the table bends,

Toa taga tamme notkub

behind the house, oak bends,

Kaevu ääres kaske notkub

beside the well, birch bends

Üle õue õrsi notkub

all over the yard, stalks bend

Ilu kuulub Hiiumaale

Joyfulness belongs to Hiiumaa,

Kuma kuulub Kuramaale

the glow belongs to Courland,

Mõnu kuulub meie maale

Pleasure/zest belongs to our land.

Las tuleb õnnis hommik kätte

Let the blessed morning come,

Päeva tõus saab metsa pääle

The sunrise will reach the forest.

Translation by: Phoebe Rosquist

Irish Blessing —Bob Chilcott (b.1955)

Irish Blessing by Bob Chilcott (b.1955) is a choral setting of the beloved traditional Irish text, “May the road rise to meet you.” Chilcott’s arrangement incorporates an elegant melody that captures the simplicity, spirit, and message of goodwill and peace.

Bob Chilcott is a distinguished British composer, vocalist, and conductor widely recognized for his contributions to the choral music landscape. A former member of the King’s Singers and former chorister at King’s College, Cambridge, Chilcott has conducted numerous choirs, including the World Youth Choir, Jauna Musika from Lithuania, and the New Zealand Youth Choir. He spent several years as conductor at the Royal College of Music in London and has served as the Principal Guest Conductor of the BBC Singers since 2002. Chilcott has built a prolific career writing music that is both expressive and accessible. His works span both sacred and secular genres and are performed by choirs worldwide. Known for his lyrical style and sensitivity to text, Chilcott continues to inspire singers of all ages through his compositions and leadership in choral settings.

“Gloria” (from The Masque of Angels) — Dominick Argento (1927–2019)

Dominick Argento was one of America’s most accomplished composers of the twentieth century, known especially for his operas and vocal works. His music combines lyrical beauty with dramatic flair, and his gift for setting words with clarity and emotional power was widely recognized. In 1975, he received the Pulitzer Prize for Music for his opera The Voyage of Edgar Allan Poe, which secured his reputation as one of the foremost American composers of his era.

The “Gloria” is taken from Argento’s opera The Masque of Angels (1963) and is now often performed as an independent choral piece. The Latin text comes from the Christian hymn “Gloria in excelsis Deo,” one of the oldest hymns of praise in church history. The opening words, “Gloria in excelsis Deo”—translated as “Glory to God in the highest”––echo the song of the angels in the Christmas story. The next line, “et in terra pax hominibus bonae voluntatis,” means “and on earth peace to people of good will.” The hymn continues with a sequence of praises: “Laudamus te” (we praise you), “benedicimus te” (we bless you), “adoramus te” (we adore you), “glorificamus te” (we glorify you), and closes with a jubilant “Amen.”

Argento’s music captures both grandeur and intimacy. The choir moves between brilliant, exultant proclamations and more reflective passages, while the accompaniment provides rhythmic energy and vibrant harmonic color. The result is both sacred and theatrical, conveying joy and reverence but also the sweep of opera. Even for those unfamiliar with the tradition, the spirit of praise and the call for peace are unmistakable, making “Gloria” a radiant centerpiece for any choral program.

Mid-Winter Songs — Morten Lauridsen (b.1943)

1. “Lament for Pasiphaë”
2. “Like Snow”
3. “Intercession in Late October”

Composer’s Note 

The Music of Morten Laurdisen (b.1943) occupies a permanent place in the standard vocal repertoire of the twenty-first century. His eight vocal cycles, instrumental works, art songs and series of motets (including O Magnum Mysterium) are performed throughout the world and have been recorded on over two hundred CD’s, including several that received Grammy nominations.

Lauridsen served as Composer-in Residence of the Los Angeles Master Chorale from 1995-2001 and has served as Distinguished Professor of Composition at the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music.

The choral cycle Mid-Winter Songs sets five contrasting poems by twentieth-century poet Robert Graves, all connected both to the many symbolic themes relating to winter and to Graves’ own personal history of losing and regaining love in his relationships with Laura Riding and Beryl Hodges.

— Morten Lauridsen

Contextual Note

Composed in 1980, Mid-Winter Songs was Lauridsen’s first major choral cycle and remains one of his most striking early achievements. The five movements—of which tonight’s performance features three—respond to Robert Graves’s evocative poetry with music of extraordinary contrast. The imagery of winter pervades the texts, symbolizing both barrenness and renewal, while beneath the surface lies Graves’s deeply personal narrative of love, loss, and reconciliation.

Lauridsen’s settings bring these layers to life through a wide emotional palette. “Lament for Pasiphaë” opens with searing intensity, the choral writing filled with dissonant urgency and sweeping declamation. “Like Snow,” by contrast, offers a fragile stillness, its transparent textures evoking the delicacy and impermanence of snowfall. The concluding “Intercession in Late October” reconciles the cycle’s tensions with lush harmonies and soaring melodic lines, embodying both grief and transcendence.

By weaving together Robert Graves’s wintry metaphors with his own radiant harmonic language, Lauridsen invites listeners into a meditation on the resilience of love and the possibility of rebirth even in the coldest season.

For Katrina’s Sun-Dial — Pärt Uusberg (b. 1986)

Pärt Uusberg, a conductor and composer from Estonia, has gained recognition for music that is both approachable and deeply moving, drawing inspiration from folk tradition, Estonian choral heritage, and contemporary spiritual thought.

His piece For Katrina’s Sun Dial (2016) sets a poem by the American writer Henry Van Dyke. The poem reflects on the passage of time and the way emotion shapes how we perceive it:

Time is too slow for those who wait,
Too swift for those who fear,
Too long for those who grieve,
Too short for those who rejoice;
But for those who love, time is eternity.

Uusberg’s choral writing gives voice to these contrasts. He lingers in the stillness of waiting, presses forward in fear, blooms with joy, and finally expands in warmth at the vision of love as eternal. His harmonies are luminous and clear, building gradually from quiet simplicity to expressive climaxes. The piece is both contemplative and uplifting, inviting listeners to reflect on how love alone gives meaning to time.

Nunc dimittis — Arvo Pärt (b. 1935)

Arvo Pärt, from Estonia, is one of the most influential composers of the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. His signature style, called tintinnabuli (from the Latin for “little bells”), creates music of luminous simplicity. Silence, pure harmony, and carefully measured pacing are central to his sound, which listeners often describe as prayerful and timeless.

Nunc dimittis (2001) was written for St. Mary’s Cathedral in Edinburgh and sets the biblical canticle known as the “Song of Simeon.” The text comes from the Gospel of Luke, where the elderly Simeon, having seen the infant Christ in the temple, declares that he is ready to die in peace. The Latin words Nunc dimittis servum tuum, Domine— mean “Now, Lord, you let your servant depart in peace.” For centuries this passage has been sung at evening prayer, marking the end of the day with a sense of calm release.

Pärt’s setting for unaccompanied choir unfolds slowly, almost like a single breath. At first the lines are quiet and restrained, carrying the weight of Simeon’s age and longing. Gradually the music swells toward the phrase lumen ad revelationem (“a light to reveal”), where the harmony blossoms into radiant major chords, musically portraying light breaking into darkness. After this brief climax the music recedes once more into stillness. The closing effect is not dramatic resolution but gentle release, a musical evocation of peace, acceptance, and transcendence.

Rivers of Light — Ēriks Ešenvalds (b. 1977)

Latvian composer Ēriks Ešenvalds has become one of the most widely performed choral voices of his generation. A graduate of the Latvian Academy of Music and later a student at the Royal Conservatoire of The Hague, he is admired for weaving together folk traditions, vivid imagery from nature, and sacred or literary texts into works that shimmer with light and atmosphere. His sound world often includes extended techniques, such as overtone clusters, solo lines floating above the ensemble, and unusual timbres like the jaw harp, creating textures that feel both mystical and expansive.

Rivers of Light (2014), written for the Swedbank Choir of Riga and conductor Artūrs Ancāns, is a meditation on the Northern Lights. The score calls for two soloists, a mixed choir divided into eight parts, and the distinctive twang of a jaw harp. Ešenvalds layers excerpts from Sámi folk songs with words of explorers and writers including Fridtjof Nansen, Charles Francis Hall, Kari Kaila, Candace Savage, and William Reed. The piece begins in the Sámi language, grounding the listener in northern heritage, before the choir expands into rich, chorale-like textures. Over its five and a half minutes, the music shifts between intimate solos and expansive full choir passages, flickering and transforming like the Aurora Borealis itself: at times hushed and mysterious, at other times radiant and awe inspiring.

Es gulu, gulu (I Lie Asleep) — Arijs Šķepasts (b.1961)

Latvian composer Arijs Šķepasts is part of a new generation of Baltic musicians who unite folk traditions with contemporary choral writing. In Latvia, folk songs known as dainas have been sung for centuries as part of daily life. A daina is usually very short, often only a few lines, yet it holds the memory, wisdom, and identity of the Latvian people. These songs are not only music but also carriers of cultural history.

Es gulu, gulu is Šķepasts’s setting of a traditional Latvian lullaby whose text means “I lie asleep.” The words are simple, but they capture the tenderness of night, when the song itself becomes comfort and protection. The piece reflects this intimacy, drawing the listener into a space of stillness and quiet care.

Šķepasts keeps the folk character alive through a clear, direct melody often given to the soprano voices. Around this line, the choir adds gentle harmonies that shift in color while maintaining the rocking motion of a lullaby. At times the harmonies suggest ancient modes, giving the music an earthy resonance, while the smooth voice leading and subtle textures reveal a modern imagination. The dynamic remains soft, like a whispered breath, though moments of tension bring depth and poignancy.

The piece feels both personal and communal. One might imagine a single parent singing at a bedside, yet in performance the entire choir becomes that voice, breathing together. In this way Šķepasts transforms a simple folk song into a collective act of memory, showing how music can cradle both individual comfort and shared strength.

Manā sirdī (In My Heart) — Lolita Ritmanis (b. 1962) Text by Māra Zālīte

Composed as a collaboration between Latvian-American composer Lolita Ritmanis and poet Māra Zālīte, Manā sirdī (“In My Heart”) carries a deeply personal and collective resonance. Ritmanis describes the work as a bridge between Latvians living in their homeland and those who, due to the devastation of World War II, grew up in the diaspora. More than 200,000 Latvians fled communism during the war, many settling in the United States and across the globe. Despite displacement, Latvian culture, language, and song endured. The refrain of this piece “The safest place for Latvia is in my heart” becomes both a declaration of identity and an act of preservation.

Māra Zālīte’s text is central to the song’s power. One of Latvia’s most prominent literary voices during the late twentieth century, Zālīte was a leading figure in the cultural awakening that culminated in Latvia’s regained independence in 1990. Her poetry unites themes of longing, belonging, and the natural world, intertwining personal memory with collective hope. In Manā sirdī, her words evoke both intimacy and universality, inviting singers and listeners alike to hold Latvia close within themselves.

Musically, Ritmanis shapes her setting with characteristic lyricism. The rhythm of the text itself guides the music’s phrasing, while soaring melodies twist and turn with wide leaps, embodying the emotional arc of longing and connection. The result is a work that is at once rooted in Latvian tradition and open to a global audience, a song of memory, resilience, and love carried in the heart.

Personnel

USC Thornton Concert Choir 

Dr. Tram Sparks, conductor

Marisa Bradfield, assistant conductor

Timothy Wong, collaborative pianist

USC Thornton Chamber Singers

Dr. Cristian Grases, conductor

Han-Ah Park, associate conductor

Elaine Lin, collaborative pianist