THE ESOTERICS is THIRTY! Here is a huge THANK YOU to all of our GIVE BIG donors!
THE ESOTERICS is THIRTY! Here is a huge THANK YOU to all of our GIVE BIG donors!
Saturday | 9 March 2024 | 8:00pm
Plymouth United Church of Christ
1217 6th Avenue | Seattle
Sunday | 10 March 2024 | 4:00pm
Christ Episcopal Church
310 North K Street | Tacoma
For the first concert of its 31st season, The Esoterics is excited to welcome the Yale Glee Club to the Pacific Northwest. With concerts in both Seattle and Tacoma, the choruses will each sing a set of their own music, and then combine forces, forming an ensemble of more than 100 voices! This concert is especially meaningful for The Esoterics’ founding director Eric Banks; not only did he sing in YGC when he was in college, but he also served as the group’s assistant conductor in his senior year. Working with YGC inspired him to move to Seattle after his Yale graduation to study choral conducting at the University of Washington.
Eric has maintained a close tie over the years with YGC and its current director, Jeffrey Douma. This relationship has resulted in Eric’s creation of two different choral works for the ensemble, including a setting of Constantine Cavafy, with the title Voices. Eric composed this piece in 2008, in memory of his professor and mentor Fenno Heath, who served as the conductor of YGC for over 50 years. Voices will be sung by the combined choruses of The Esoterics and the Yale Glee Club at the end of the concert.
In the first half of this concert, The Esoterics will present six choral pieces by Yale composers:
And the swallow (2017) by Caroline Shaw
Despertar (2021) by Karen Siegel
If we have wisdom (2021) by Rex Isenberg
November prayer (2007, from Messages to myself) by Chris Theofanidis
Returning (2014, from The wheel of time, the dance) by Aaron Jay Kernis
Tuttarana (2014) by Reena Esmail
Some of you might recognize Rex Isenberg’s name from our VILLAINS and HEROES concert last spring, Chris Theofanidis and Aaron Kernis from our INTIMAS recording, Karen Siegel from winning our POLYPHONOS competition, Reena Esmail from pieces in our 2019 concert VULNERABILITY, or Caroline Shaw from her Pulitzer Prize.
In the second half of the concert, the Yale Glee Club will perform a selection of their tour pieces, including works by André Thomas, Ismael Huerta, Nilo Alcala, Randall Thompson, Shireen Abu-Khader, as well as a world-premiere commission by Shruthi Rajarsekar, as well as a few traditional “college songs,” including the Yale alma mater, Bright college years.
As promised, the concert will close with the combined choir of 100 voices, performing two works: If I were a swan (2012) by Kevin Puts, and Voices (2008) by Eric Banks.
For those who are curious about the title of the concert, “light and truth” is just a translation of the motto of Yale University: “lux et veritas.” The Esoterics are truly honored to host one of the most celebrated undergraduate choral ensembles in the world, and we hope that you all will join us for this unforgettable concert!
Concert art by David Gellman
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