DIGITAL PROGRAM
MASS FOR DOUBLE CHOIR: IV SANCTUS - BENEDICTUS
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Conducted by Fletcher Sheridan
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Sanctus, sanctus, sanctus,
Dominus Deus Sabaoth. Pleni sunt coeli et terra gloria tua. Hosanna in excelsis! Benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini (Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God sabaoth Lord God of Hosts Full of heaven and earth of glory thy Hosanna in the highest Blessed is he who comes in the name of) |
Martin draws from his love of Renaissance music, French Impressionism, Schoenberg, and Bach to weave a wonderful sonic tapestry heralding the wonder of creation. An "apsis" is defined as "the nearest and furthest point in a satellite's orbit around a celestial body," and in Martin's mass we find the apsis' center: a Big Bang that tethers wonder to fear, hope to despair...dark to light. |
STARS
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Conducted by Fletcher Sheridan
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I cannot always stand upon the peak and touch the stars
Sometimes the wind is thick with snow and bleak And there are scars of sorrows that are long since past How long they last, how long they last I cannot always stand upon the peak and touch the stars |
George Walker’s “Stars” is dedicated to his sister Francis Walker, who despite suffering severe burns on her right arm as a child, continued on to become a transformational pianist and teacher. The entire work emanates a deep understanding and empathy for the persistence of pain. |
UMBRA ANIMAE
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Conducted by Fletcher Sheridan
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In vastata terrae remotae, iacet,
Iacet vir occisus in sinu armageddon Illis memoria afectis umbra animae Eius in historiam transibat sicut Crufectis umbra animae eius In historiam transibat sicut cruor eius in teram madidam Cor eius deficiens scit tempus effectum dilueret Sed remanebit causa |
Translation from Latin:
In a distant land, a man lies slain in a distant pocket of armageddon For those touched by remembrance, the shadow of his passing will seep into history As will his blood into the sodden earth His fading heart knows that time will dilute the effect But will the cause linger |
"Umbra Animae" translates as "the shadow of the soul" and was composed during the long weekend of ANZAC Day (April 25), 2008. It's a lament to my Great-Grandfather Hugh Decimus Bridge, a Sergeant Major in the NZ Rifles, killed in action in 1917 near Polygon Wood, Belgium (WWI). The lyrics and music are unabashedly aphotic and anti war. I pictured the last moments of "Deci" as I wrote it, and think of him every time I hear it. |
ALONE (A DEMON IN MY VIEW)
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Conducted by Fletcher Sheridan
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From childhood, I have not been
As others were - I have not seen As others saw - I could not bring My passions from a common spring From the same source I have not taken My sorrow - I could not awaken at the same tone All I lov’d, I lov’d alone. Then - in my childhood - in the dawn Of a most stormy life - was drawn From ev’ry depth of good and ill The mystery which binds me (still) From the torrent or the fountain From the red cliff of the mountain From the sun that ‘round me roll’d In its autumn tint of gold From the lightning in the sky as it pass’d me flying by From the thunder and the storm And the cloud that took the form When the rest of heaven was blue Of a demon in my view |
"Alone" by Edgar Allan Poe is a narrative poem that reflects on uniqueness and isolation from a dark perspective--lyrically perfect for a musical path I was quite far down when seeking the right text, whereupon a writer at a party mentioned Poe, and "a demon in my view" resonated. The flowing guitar is loosely inspired by Ravel's "Daphnis et Chloe - Lever Du Jour"...what if Maurice had owned a Fender? "Alone" was composed for the LA Choral Lab, and I'm thrilled to be premiering it with them. |
NOX NOCTIS
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Conducted by Fletcher Sheridan
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"Hymn of Apollo"
Somnus turbatas Hora quisnam vigilo mihi ut ego recubo, Velum per astrum textus vestis, Ex prolixus luna lucis divum, Flatus districtus somnium ex meus fragilis oculi,-- Excito mihi ut suum Matris, stolidus Diluculo, Dico lemma ut somnium quod ut luna est absentis Sol Solis es meus radium, quicum ego iuguolo Furta, ut diligo nox noctis quod vereor dies; Totus hominis quisnam operor vel vel statua peius. No mihi, quod ex palma of meus lumen bonus mens quod patefacio factum novus vires, Insquequo miniatus per corrigia Nox noctis. |
Translation from latin by Mark Smythe:
The sleepless Hours who watch me as I lie, Curtained with star-inwoven tapestries, From the broad moonlight of the sky, Fanning the busy dreams from my dim eyes,-- Waken me when their Mother, the gray Dawn, Tells them that dreams and that the moon is gone. The sunbeams are my shafts, with which I kill Deceit, that loves the night and fears the day; All men who do or even imagine ill Fly me, and from the glory of my ray Good minds and open actions take new might, Until diminished by the reign of Night. I am the eye with which the Universe Beholds itself. |
"Nox Noctis" = "reign of night" from Percy Bysshe Shelley's Hymn of Apollo, tonight’s opening poem. Apollo's song is apocalyptic and metaphoric: he's taking us on a dark/light/dark journey that traces an indestructible cosmic order, where everything is potentially identical to everything else. A universal 'echo'...and that's why the guitar uses an echo effect. This piece was first performed 6/11/11, but has been slightly revised for its American premiere with the LA Choral Lab. |
PORTAL 1: SUPERNOVA
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Conducted by Sharon Chohi Kim
Bowl Players: Abram Poliakoff and Rachel Bearer |
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Words from “Cosmic Questions” from NYT Daily Podcast
Written by Sharon Chohi Kim If time had a beginning, can it also have an ending? What is a black hole and why do we care what happens inside? If there is other life in the universe, why don’t we already know about it? What is the fate of the earth? Will we ever live on Mars? Did God have a choice creating the universe? Is there free will in the matrix? Are there any good movies about science? If you could travel at the speed of light, what would you see? If time had a beginning, can it also have an end? What does that mean? Why do we remember the past but not the future? |
"Portals 1 and 2" are openings into space, or what we might imagine of it, or perhaps into imagination itself. In these portals, I hear weather, I hear light of various forms and sizes and colors, and I hear fantastical dreams. |
THE DARKNESS IS NO DARKNESS
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Conducted by Baraka May
Soloist: Kat Schuman |
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The Darkness is no darkness with Thee
But the night is as clear as the day The darkness and the light No darkness at all, the darkness and the light to Thee In him there is no darkness at all, is no darkness at all But the night, the night is clear as clear as the day In him is no darkness at all Surely the darkness shall cover me, the darkness is no darkness at all |
“The Darkness is No Darkness” is a song about light. Light, like the hug of clarity and ease we feel upon opening our eyes to understanding— dispelling the illusions of fear and aloneness. The late, wise Thich Nhat Hanh reminds us: “Forgetfulness is the Darkness; Mindfulness is the light.” Bingham’s shimmery, inspiring piece offers the gift of this message with its lush harmonies and wide, traveling volume and frequency spectrum. |
SOLSTICE
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Conducted by Baraka May
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Come sit, come sit in the dark with me
And look at that moon, so at home in the night Let us reach deep, into the pockets of our souls for scraps of hope and wonder Come gaze at the firefly stars, sing softly into this silent night Oh that we had a ladder to make a constellation of ourselves A consolation of ourselves, come sit in the dark with me |
“Come sit in the dark with me.” So goes the opening line of this luscious composition by Taylor Scott Davis with words by Milton Brasher-Cunningham, inviting us into a night that is companionable and laced with wonder. There is comfort to be found in the darkness; in the absence of light… |
STARS
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Conducted by Baraka May
Soloist: Devon Davidson |
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Alone, alone in the night on a dark hill, with pines around me spicy and still
And heaven, a heaven full of stars over my head, misty red Myriads with beating hearts of fire, the aeons cannot vex or tire The dome of heaven like a great hill, and myriads with beating hearts of fire Heaven full of stars I know I am honored to be witness of so much majesty |
Some of my favorite childhood memories are of spending the night in a boat on a lake in Arizona, gazing up at the sparkling night sky and seeing its brilliance reflected in the still waters below me. It was like being wrapped in a blanket of eternity that simultaneously emphasized my smallness and my significance. We are each a piece of something truly majestic. Our collective awe of the universe defines our humanness over centuries and threads us together with a common purpose that is far grander than ourselves. |
UNDERNEATH THE STARS
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Conducted by Baraka May
Soloist: Carrah Stamatakis |
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O, go gently
Underneath the stars I’ll meet you Underneath the stars I’ll greet you And there beneath the stars I’ll leave you before you go of your own free will Go gently Underneath the stars you met me Underneath the stars you left me I wonder if the stars regret me At least you’ll go of your own free will Go gently Here beneath the stars I’m landing And here beneath the stars not ending Oh why on earth am I still pretending? I’m here again, the stars befriending The come and go of their own free will Go Gently |
“Underneath the Stars” encompasses the quiet heartbreak that comes with grief. I find a sense of innocence and sincerity in its simplicity. For me, it calls to mind the losses we have all experienced both collectively and individually these past few years. We hope for better times to come, and learn to let go when happenings are beyond our control. Through it all the stars remain as beautiful as ever, watching over everything that unfolds. |
Concert repertoire developed by Abram Poliakoff, and production design by Sara Sinclair Gomez, with support from the L.A. Choral Lab Creative Council.
APSIS GUEST COMPOSERS
The LA Choral Lab regularly collaborates with LA-based artists in pursuit of its mission to "deliver unique, transformative performances of choral repertoire, to advocate for living composers and the music they write, to provide musical and educational enrichment to amateur choral artists, and to reach out to the community in a way that creates new lovers of choral music."
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Sharon Chohi Kim’s work as a voice artist, performer and composer includes immersive experimental opera, performance art, improvisation, sound art and site-specific space activation through movement and voice. As a Korean American female artist, I am interested in human connection across cultures and generations, transgenerational trauma of the Korean diaspora, epigenetics, and domestic and sexual violence. By engaging in the act of breathing as a right, I use the voice and body as a direct channel of protest and resistance. She fills spaces with sonic vibrations, exploring relationships between people and the space in which they occupy, inquiring into somatic and ancestral healing in humans and the earth. Through improvisation, she explores human and non-human states of being, enthusiastically discovering new ways in which her voice can sound. Sharon Chohi has performed with the LA Philharmonic, the Industry Opera Company, Long Beach Opera, MOCA, at Walt Disney Hall, the Broad Museum, the Getty Center and Villa, in caves, tunnels, mountains, gardens, and in water.
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Mark Smythe is a New Zealand-born, LA-based composer known for his film, choral, and classical music. Recent movie scores include THE REEF: STALKED (2023 SCL Awards nomination), 2021’s THE POSSESSED and 2018’s BOAR. Interspersed among these thrillers was the romcom LOVE YOU LIKE THAT and UNFALLEN, a war drama starring Michael Madsen. Mark’s concert music includes the regularly aired "Moto Mojo" for harp and delay pedal, several choral works and a popular arrangement of Radiohead’s “Street Spirit (Fade Out)” for harp and female choir. In 2022 he wrote “Korimako Bells” for Nikau Harp Trio, who featured it in their South Island concert tour of New Zealand. Mark is a four-time Hollywood Music in Media Awards nominee and twice won Best Original Score at the Australian Screen Industry Network Awards. He holds a Grad. Dip. (Distinction) in Screen Composition from the Australian Film Television & Radio School (AFTRS). When Mark first moved to LA in 2013, he was mentored by Jeff Cardoni (CSI: MIAMI). He's a regular contributor to the SCL Score Magazine and is emerging as a popular moderator for awards season Q&As.
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APSIS CONDUCTORS
The LA Choral Lab is a collaborative organization that celebrates the diverse talents of its members to create unique, meaningful musical and artistic experiences. APSIS proudly features two of the LACL's singing members as its primary conductors.
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Baraka (rhymes with Erica) May is a studio singer for some of the world’s finest composers and performers. A vocal chameleon, she has sung behind artists such as Billie Eilish, Pentatonix, Celine Dion, Harry Styles, Pharrell, Kelly Clarkson, Pink, Jennifer Hudson, Josh Groban, and Muse, among many others. She has been featured on stages all over the world, from the Hollywood Bowl to the Tokyo International Forum to Wembley Stadium and has toured with, music directed, and coached many of Hollywood's elite singers and actors. Since joining SAG-AFTRA in 2011, Baraka's voice can be heard in over 500 major motion pictures, tv episodes, video games, commercials, and albums, including La La Land, Frozen II, Encanto, Star Trek Beyond, The Lion King, Jurassic World, Finding Dory, Coco, The Voice, and more. A-List film composers including Danny Elfman, John Powell, Hans Zimmer, and Michael Giacchino have enlisted her talents singing everything from belted gospel to ethereal soprano to child-like character voices.
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Fletcher Sheridan is a highly sought-after and versatile session singer, arranger, and vocal contractor. In his career thus far, Fletcher has worked on 500+ projects for film, television and media. He has recorded on albums with the likes of Bobby McFerrin (VOCAbuLarieS), Michael Jackson (Invincible), Sir Paul McCartney (Egypt Station), and Steve Vai (Modern Primitive/Passion & Warfare 25 Anniversary Edition) to name a few. Outside the studio, Fletcher has toured and performed all over the world, most recently singing backup for Portugal The Man and Hans Zimmer. He is a featured cast member for Nightmare Before Christmas: Live, helping Danny Elfman bring all the characters from Halloween Town to life. For years, Fletcher was a member of the internationally acclaimed vocal group m-pact, eventually becoming their chief arranger and music director. He was also a part of the Los Angeles Master Chorale, the Los Angeles Chamber Singers, and the vocal jazz quartet True North.
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VOCALISTS
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SOPRANOS
Emily Goglia Rachel Bearer Carrah Stamatakis Sara Gomez Devon Davidson Kat Schuman Jessica Freedman |
ALTOS
Marisa Esposito Baraka May Divya Maus Ann Sheridan Sara Mann Valerie Tambaoan Laura Jackman Katharine Eames |
TENORS
Frank Hobbs Abram Poliakoff Fletcher Sheridan Jeff Eames Rob Dietz Zachary Zaret Ben McLain |
BASSES
Ryan Alvarez Joe Santoni Charles McDonald Daniel Weidlein Matthew Lewis |
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Project CollaboratorsOliver Harlan, Graphic Designer
Sal Paniagua, Videographer and Photographer Aaron Wilson, Lighting Designer and Technician HOME / Families4aFuture |
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LEADERSHIP
L.A. Choral Lab Creative Council
Ryan Álvarez
Jessica Freedman Sara Sinclair Gomez Divya Maus Abram Poliakoff Ann Sheridan |
L.A. Choral Lab Board of DirectorsGabriel Mann
Daniel November Kathryn Caterina, Secretary David Werthe, Treasurer Lauren Johnson, Chair Chad Detloff, Executive Director |
SUPPORT US! |
The L.A. Choral Lab is a 501(c)(3) led 100% by volunteers. We can only continue to advance the field of choral music to be more inclusive and representative of our city with your support.
Click here to provide us with a tax-deductible donation--every dollar counts!
Click here to provide us with a tax-deductible donation--every dollar counts!
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This project is supported, in part, by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture. |
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This event is funded in part by a grant from the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs. www.culturela.org
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