SurRound III: An Everlasting Journey of Hope
In this halcyon evening, as we gathered within the transcendent embrace of the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine, one could not help but feel the luminosity of something greater stirring—a celestial convergence of stone, spirit, and song. Indeed, when Musica Sacra presents its "SurRound" series under the sagacious direction of Maestro Kent Tritle, the experience transcends mere performance; it becomes, as Virginia Woolf might have whispered, a shimmering moment where time itself seems to pause and genuflect before beauty. Here is a quick preview from Maestro Kent Tritle before SurRound III:
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Hope as the Central Theme
Moreover, the very conception of this evening's program—entitled "Everlasting Hope"—proved exquisitely prescient. As Maestro Tritle's program notes eloquently revealed, a cease-fire in Gaza was announced the very morning rehearsals commenced for Thomas Tallis's monumental Spem in Alium. The Latin word "Spem," meaning hope, thus became not merely a title but a benediction, radiating through every subsequent selection with ineffable poignancy. Consequently, this theme of hope—from exaltation through lamentation to ultimate resolution—formed the eschatological architecture of an evening that would prove both burnin' in its emotional intensity and crystalline in its technical execution.
The Cathedral's Magnificent Acoustics and Immersive Design
The Cathedral's magnificent acoustics, with their legendary five-second delay, transformed the venue into a veritable instrument unto itself. The singers, positioned around the audience in a 360-degree surround, literally enveloped the audience in waves of sound that seemed to emanate from the stones themselves. Subsequently, one experienced not merely the act of listening but of being inhabited by music—a synesthesia of spatial and sonic dimensions that proved revelatory. This immersive design, pioneered by Maestro Tritle for this series, exemplifies what programmatic music achieves at its apex: the marriage of architectural space with sonic expression.
The magnificent interior of the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine. Photo by Edward Kliszus
Opening Movements: From Gregorian Chant to Renaissance Splendor
Nevertheless, it was the superlative artistry of the vocalists that elevated the evening from the merely spectacular to the sublime. The program opened with the Gregorian chant Gloria in Excelsis, sung with such pellucid purity that five centuries seemed to evaporate in an instant. Undoubtedly, the ensemble's impeccable diction, blend, and phrasing established immediately that we were in the presence of consummate professionals. As the opening strains floated upward into the Gothic vaulting, one felt the inaugural stirrings of hope—bright, confident, affirming.
Featured Soloists: Technical Mastery and Emotional Depth
Thereupon, Tallis's Mass for Double Choir unfolded with ravishing beauty, the Kyrie sung with an elegiac quality that evoked medieval mystery. The phenomenal soloists—soprano Zen Wu, mezzo-soprano Hai-Ting Chinn, and tenor Gregorio Taniguchi—each brought distinctive coloratura to their contributions, their voices blending with stentorian power yet delicate refinement. Subsequently, Ralph Vaughan Williams's meditative setting provided the perfect foil, its restrained Englishness offering a moment of introspection before the journey continued.
Sacred and Spiritual: A Dialogue Across Cultures
In addition, the juxtaposition of Arvo Pärt's Da Pacem Domine with the traditional spiritual "Wade in the Water" proved particularly inspired. The former, with its characteristic tintinnabulation, floated ethereally through the space, while the latter—that quintessential American hymn of liberation—brought an earthy, visceral energy that set souls afire. Baritone Nathaniel Sullivan distinguished himself here with impressive strength and eloquent phrasing, his voice resonating with the gravitas of generations seeking freedom. Indeed, this dialectic between the sacred and the spiritual, between European mysticism and American resilience, encapsulated the evening's broader theme: hope manifests across cultures, centuries, and continents.
Martin's Agnus Dei and the Light of Hope
Equally compelling was Frank Martin's Agnus Dei from his ravishing Mass for Double Choir. Soprano Kathryn McCreary navigated the fanciful, florid passages with aplomb, her voice soaring with sheer melodic rapture even as the ostinato in the second choir evoked the cosmic turning of spheres. Furthermore, the chant Lux Aeterna introduced music of light and hope with such radiant beauty that one could almost see the effulgent beams piercing through the Cathedral's rose window.
The Evening's Apex: Forty Voices Proclaiming Paradise
Nevertheless, it was Alessandro Striggio's Ecce Beatam Lucem that proved the evening's apex—the point toward which all prior music had been ascending. This stupendous work for forty voices, possibly composed in friendly rivalry with Tallis's later masterpiece, filled the Cathedral with organized blocks of glorious sound. Mezzo-soprano Hai-Ting Chinn delivered the central solo passages with both technical mastery and profound emotional depth, while soprano Linda Jones brought clarion beauty to her featured moments. The text—"Behold the blessed light, behold eternal goodness"—became manifest through forty voices proclaiming paradise itself. Moreover, the subsequent chant In Paradisum flowed as a natural extension, as though angels themselves were guiding us toward that blessed shore.
Members of Musica Sacra at the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine. Courtesy musicasacrany.com
Nancy Wertsch's Contemporary Masterwork
Additionally, composer and chorus member Nancy Wertsch's Antiphon for God the Father, incorporating texts by the illustrious Hildegard von Bingen, offered yet another spatial marvel. With the soloist positioned in the high pulpit and three choirs arrayed throughout the Cathedral, the music achieved a vertiginous three-dimensionality. This piece, dedicated to the memory of beloved organist Jim Christensen, carried particular poignancy—a testament to how music perpetuates memory and transforms grief into transcendent beauty.
Joseph Beutel's Extraordinary Spiritual Performance
Likewise, the traditional African American spirituals brought the concert full circle, returning to hope's most immediate and human expression. However, it was bass-baritone Joseph Beutel's splendid, stentorian performance of "We'll Understand It Better By and By" that emerged as one of the evening's most profoundly moving moments. His deep, resonant voice—possessing both commanding power and tender vulnerability—captured the spiritual's essential message with breathtaking eloquence. Furthermore, Beutel navigated the emotional terrain with such assurance that every phrase seemed to contain both the weight of suffering and the promise of eventual understanding. His interpretation transcended mere technical excellence; it became, instead, a sermon in song, a testament to faith's sustaining power through tribulation. Indeed, as his voice filled the Cathedral's vastness, one sensed generations of voices joining his—those who had sung this hymn through slavery's darkness, through Jim Crow's indignities, through every trial that tests the human spirit. Consequently, when Beutel reached the refrain, the audience sat transfixed, many visibly moved to tears by the sheer authenticity and depth of his artistry.
Moses Hogan's Exuberant Arrangement
Subsequently, Moses Hogan's thrilling arrangement of "I'm Gonna Sing 'Til the Spirit Moves in My Heart" provided an exuberant contrast, its rhythmic vitality and call-and-response structure setting the entire Cathedral pulsing with joyous energy. Mezzo-soprano Tracy Cowart brought both scholarly precision and heartfelt warmth to her featured passages. Furthermore, Caroline Shaw's tender setting of Psalm 84, "and the swallow," provided an intimate interlude, its delicate beauty a reminder that hope often whispers rather than shouts.
The Grand Finale: Tallis's Spem in Alium
Ultimately, however, it was the return to Tallis—his monumental Spem in Alium, both in Kent Tritle's restored Latin version and in its rare English variant "Sing and Glorify"—that bookended the evening with breathtaking symmetry. The forty voices, distributed throughout the Cathedral in eight choirs of five, created an acoustic phenomenon unlike any other. As the music passed from section to section, building toward those spectacular culminating moments, one experienced sonic rapture. The final notes seemed indeed to ring to eternity, their reverberations continuing long after the last breath was released.
Maestro Kent Tritle's Masterful Leadership
Maestro Tritle's superbly subtle and effective conducting complemented his illuminating program notes, which prepared audiences to delve fully into each musical selection. His gestures—economical yet eloquent—drew from the chorus singing of astonishing refinement: impeccable pitch, articulation, dynamics, and phrasing executed with both technical mastery and profound musicality. Indeed, the superlative program book, with its sagacious commentary and splendid translations, ensured exceptional accessibility for all listeners, democratizing what might otherwise seem recondite knowledge.
Maestro Kent Tritle. Photo by Jennifer Taylor
A Luminous Evening of Hope and Beauty
To conclude, this "SurRound III" concert embodied everything that makes Musica Sacra's artistry nonpareil: intellectual rigor married to emotional authenticity, historical scholarship wedded to living interpretation, and technical excellence serving ultimately the most human of expressions—hope. As we departed into the cool October evening, one carried within that hope like a flame carefully cupped against the wind. Moreover, knowing that Musica Sacra's 2025-26 season promises further such revelations, one can only echo the sentiment of the spirituals: we will understand it better by and by, but for now, we are blessed simply to have experienced this foretaste of paradise. For those seeking to explore more about symphonic and choral music traditions, this performance stands as a luminous exemplar of the form at its most transcendent.
Experience Musica Sacra's 2025-26 Season
Don't miss Musica Sacra's extraordinary upcoming season, featuring masterworks by Mozart and Handel, as well as world premieres. Under Maestro Tritle's visionary direction, these concerts promise transcendent experiences that nourish the soul and elevate the spirit in profound ways.
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