As the conductor throws his hand up with the force of his whole body, a sea of bows raise with it. The swelling sound of the choir and orchestra goes silent as the memory of the music hangs in the air.
Before the conductor has time to face the crowd, two audience members are already on their feet. The rest of the theater soon follows.
The standing ovation closed the Sunrise Mass concert performed by the Emporia State choirs and symphony orchestra on April 19 in Albert Taylor Hall.
The symphony orchestra is made up of students, ESU faculty and community members. This provides a “unique opportunity” for the members to make friends with people they may not have otherwise met, according to Ramiro Miranda, assistant professor and conductor of the orchestra.
“Oh I love it, I love it,” said Tara Laudie, violin player and community member. “I think it’s so great the way it brings in community members and faculty and students. I think it’s just a beautiful blend of all of Emporia.”
The performance opened with its namesake “Sunrise Mass” with music by Ola Cjeilo. The 30 minute mass takes Latin text and produces a near filmscore-like sound with secular titles, according to Joshua Donaldson, interim choral director and choir conductor.
“That’s also why I love this piece so much,” Donaldson said. “Is because, sure, it’s the Latin text, it’s sacred text, but he’s created this secular, humanistic viewpoint by not only how he composed it, but by adding those titles and adding the story so it’s not a secular piece, it’s not a sacred piece, it’s a marriage of the two.”
The piece features an entirely string ensemble with long notes sung by the choir. The result is a mesmerizing sound that blends instruments and the human voice together until they seem to merge as one.
Miranda said the piece was “atmospheric” and Donaldson described it akin to “floating in space.”
“He (Cjeilo) wanted to create a spiritual journey for the listener that takes them from the heavens down to earth and then, basically acceptance,” Donaldson said.
The second half of the performance featured three songs with music by Gwyneth Walker. While the mass was almost meditative, according to Donaldson, the pieces by Walker were more upbeat and rhythmic.
The Walker pieces also added to the strings, combining 12 instruments as well as the almost 100 member choir.
The event started with a serene journey through the atmosphere and ended with a piece “trembling with ecstasy on the journey to heaven,” according to a Walker quote in the event program.
