This Sunday afternoon, December 1st at 3pm at Westworth United Church, Manitoba’s premiere women’s choir, the Esprit Singers will be putting on a concert called Magnificat.
On the program will be the Manitoba premiere of Norwegian composer Kim André Arnesen’s Grammy nominated Magnificat for Choir, Piano and Strings. There will also be a few Christmas carols set by the American choral phenom Dan Forrest.
This Sunday’s concert is going to be something really very special.
Joining the Esprit Singers on stage will be vocal soloists Heather Kozak, Olivia Maxfield and Rosemary van der Hooft. The choir will also be joined by a small string orchestra, made up of some of Winnipeg’s finest string players, and pianists Rachel Dyck and Leanne Regher Lee.
Leading the concert will be the renowned soprano soloist and Esprit singers Artistic Director Valdine Anderson.
The discovery of the Arnesen's Magnificat came from a musical seed planted years ago. Esprit had done a short selection from the Magnificat several years ago, and when it came time to program this season Anderson was looking at what else he had composed. “I was just looking for something for the season and I came across this and it [the Magnificat] was his first major big work, and I thought this is something that could really work for my singers. It tells the story from a woman’s perspective, and it is an important aspect of the holiday season. It checks all the boxes.” says Anderson.
And it is quite simply... stunning. As Anderson describes the music, “It’s very tonal. It is very beautiful. It’s very lyrical and very singable. My choir has fallen in love with it.”
It is a large-scale work lasting over 40 minutes. In those 40 minutes audiences will be bathed in a blanket of sound that is meant to soothe and comfort and let them forget about the craziness of day-to-day life. As the publisher describes the work:
The MAGNIFICAT is the Virgin Mary's song of praise to God after one of the Bible's greatest wonders: the angel Gabriel visiting her with the message that she is to be the mother of God's son. In his setting, composer Kim André Arnesen expresses the feelings Mary must have felt: wonder, devotion, gratitude, joy, humility, hope, and compassion. God's selection of an unknown woman living in poverty to be the mother of His son is a bottom-up view of the world if ever there was one – and Arnesen sees the Magnificat as offering support and hope for all people struggling against adversity or in need of strength.
Decsription provided by Santa Barbara Music Publishing Inc.
Joining the esprit singers on stage will be a string orchestra made up of some of the finest string players in the city. Consisting of four violins, one viola, two cellos and double bass, the ensemble will provide additional beauty to the texture of the music.
A testament to the quality of the singers in Esprit is the fact that the vocal soloists, Heather Kozak, Olivia Maxfield and Rosemary van der Hooft are all members of the choir. As Anderson states “The soloists augment and enhance the music as it flows. It is so interwoven so beautifully.”
Filling out the concert will be three Christmas Carols arranged by the American choral wunderkind Dan Forrest. As Anderson says of his arrangements, “His music is fun, beautiful, and inspiring. You just think ‘where does this all come from.’ It’s such a great take on this familiar tune but it just works so wonderfully. Each one has a certain mood, and he conveys this so beautifully with the instrumentation and just the way he kind of pulls and maneuvers the tune. You recognize it [the tune] but there is something a little different about it, so that is fun, but you do come away humming the tune.”
Magnificat with the Esprit Singers is sure to be one of the highlights of the holiday season here in Winnipeg. The concert takes place this Sunday afternoon, December 1st at 3pm at Westworth United Church.
