CANTIAMO SONOMA'S LUSCIOUS A CAPELLA SINGING IN SEASON ENDING CONCERT

Cantiamo Sonoma concluded their 2024-25 season June 8 at St. Seraphim of Sarov Orthodox Cathedral, going out perhaps not with a bang, but certainly with a sigh of happy accomplishment. Although not packed, the appreciative audience was fairly full and enthusiastic.

Director Carol Menke led five sets of luscious a capella vocal works, which emanated warmly from the brilliant sound of this accomplished group into the gorgeous acoustical space of St. Seraphim’s, capped throughout by marvelous tight chords, some lovely stratospheric floating by the sopranos, and Cantiamo’s signature precision in matters of pitch, tone, blend and ensemble. Calming polyphony, tuneful melodies and complex harmonies cushioned the poetic texts, sacred and secular alike, all of which shared the common theme of the need for help and a desire for hope through times of despair and trouble.

Cantiamo’s concert format is always thought-out and well-structured, with each set progressing from the familiar polyphonic titans of the Renaissance to the secular and spiritual neo-Renaissance works of recent, often living composers, of which there are many. Contemporary composers have the added benefit of centuries of great poetry to choose from as texts, and this concert’s lyrics were particularly fulsome.

The commanding polyphonic texture and movement of “Musica Dei Donum Optimi” (“Music, the gift from the highest God…and draws us to God”) by the immortal Rolande de Lassus, immediately set the mood and may sum up why music is so often viewed as a universal panacea, or as Longfellow put it, “the universal language of mankind.” William Byrd’s “Non Vos Relinquam Orphanus” (“I will not leave you comfortless”) and a second de Lassus piece “Da Pacem, Domine” (“Grant us peace, Lord”) also pointed towards the human longing for spiritual comfort and meaning.

The second group focused on prayer, beginning with “Pater Noster” a powerful setting of “Our Father” (aka “The Lord’s Prayer”) by 16th century Czech composer Jacob Handl. It is written for double chorus and proved doubly rich, with the 22-voice choir sounding twice its normal size. This was followed by “Beati Quorum Via Integra Est” (“Blessed are those who walk in the way of integrity”) by the preeminent romantic Irish-Anglo composer Charles Villiers Stanford, and the motet “Abendlied” (“Evening Song”) by the Bavarian Joseph Rheinberger (written at age 15!), the text of which harkens to the words of the old familiar hymn “Abide With Me”.

The poetry of the third set took a more mystical turn, with “O Mysterium Ineffabile” (“O ineffable mystery”) by Kim André Arnesen, describing the joy of that which cannot be comprehended. Ēriks Ešenvalds ethereal “Stars” and “Winter Stars” are both settings of Sara Teasdale’s poems contemplating the mystery of the universe. The music is haunting, and Cantiamo’s performance was revelatory.

The fourth group of songs focused on separation, death, and mourning, as their titles suggest. “My Companion” by Elaine Hagenberg ruminates on the conditions of love and loss of life partners in fragments of a poem by an obscure early 20th century American poet, Edith Franklin Wyatt. The musical epitaph “Good Night, Dear Heart “by Dan Forrest is a setting of the final verse of a longer poem by Robert Richardson: “Warm summer sun, Shine kindly here, Warm southern wind, Blow softly here. Green sod above, Lie light, lie light. Good night, dear heart, Good night, good night.” Anecdotally, Mark Twain chose these words for his daughter’s headstone, upon her tragic early death at age twenty-four. Mr. Forrest’s choral writing is masterful, and Ms. Menke drew a sound from Cantiamo that was both nostalgic and sorrowful.

“The Road Home” by Stephan Paulus is a simple folk tune elevated by the words and Paulus’s delicate harmonizations. In her introduction the director reminded the audience that it had been sung to profound effect at President Jimmy Carter’s funeral.

The fifth and final set opened with Moses Hogan’s gently rocking arrangement of “My God Is So High” and featured Ms. Menke herself as soloist, her radiant soprano soaring over the choir.

For a thrilling closer, Ms. Menke chose the showstopper “Where the Sun Will Never Go Down”, a medley of six spirituals (“Ain’t That Good News”, “Good News”, “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot”, “Over Yonder”, and “I Got Shoes”), compiled and arranged by Chanticleer’s former longtime arranger and director emeritus Joseph Jennings. Soloists Liesel Hall, Connie Vocature, Derrick Podlewski and Keven Brown each sparkled in their respective spotlights. The piece gathered power with each song, leading up to a roof-raising finish.

Translations were provided for this program and were appreciated, as was Cantiamo’s annual tradition of an al fresco reception in the cathedral’s courtyard following the program.