Halalisa Singers - Journey Home: Songs of Celebration

Artistic Director Mary Cunningham leads the Halalisa Singers in Journey Home: Songs of Celebration, a program marking the world music ensemble’s first live performance since January 2020. Accompanying the singers will be pianist Trevor Berens, guitarist A.J. Heidkamp, and percussionist Bertram Lehmann. The 7:30 p.m. performance will be presented on Saturday, April 9 at First Parish Unitarian Universalist, 630 Massachusetts Avenue, Arlington. Tickets are $25. Proof of vaccination and masks required. For information call 781-648-5579 or visit http://www.halalisa.org/concerts.

Journey Home opens with Daniel Hughes’ spirited arrangement of “Babethandaza” (“They Were Praying”), a traditional South African song of celebration, followed by “Jubilate Deo,” Peter Anglea’s sparkling, buoyant arrangement of the Latin text from Psalm 100. “Sing Gently” by revered choral composer Eric Whitacre was premiered in 2020 by a virtual choir of more than 17,000 singers, including some from Halalisa. With shimmering chord clusters, stirring harmonies and uplifting lyrics, Whitacre makes a potent statement about the power of many voices raised in song. Susan Brumfield’s “No Time” combines the tunes of two traditional camp meeting songs, “Rise, Oh Fathers” and “No Time.” Her arrangement interweaves these melodies to create pure, simple harmonies to portray the singing of angels, while the overall dynamic arc depicts the homeward journey of the lyrics.

The choir reprises Abbie Betinis’ “Resilience,” the title piece from the group’s fall 2020 virtual choir concert, as well as a piece they performed virtually in 2021, Frank Ticheli’s breathtaking “Earth Song,” an a cappella piece showcasing lush harmonics, striking dynamic contrasts and original lyrics. With its sweeping dynamics and expressive singing, contemporary gospel composer Roger Holland’s gorgeous setting of the St. Francis of Assisi prayer, “Lord, Make Me an Instrument” makes a majestic musical statement. “The Road Home” by Stephen Paulus is one of his best-known works for a cappella chorus. Set to the folk tune “The Love Wild Bird” from the 1835 “Southern Harmony Songbook,” the eloquent text portrays the emotional experience of coming home. The lyrics for “Graduation Song” by Andrew-John Bethke and Simthembile Xekatwana include Halalisa, the Zulu word for celebration. Originally written for the South African Rhodes University Graduation Procession, the piece includes four languages honoring both the region and academia: Zulu, Xhosa, Sesotho and Latin.

Many spent time during the pandemic making music on apps like Instagram and TikTok. One tune that went viral was “The Wellerman,” a well-known whaling song from New Zealand. The low voices of Halalisa will perform the sea chantey, while the higher voices offer the ethereal “May It Be,” written by Enya for a “Lord of the Rings” film. The concert closes with two powerful songs of celebration, Jacob Naverud’s rousing “Sisi Ni Moja (We Are One),” and Richard Smallwood’s iconic hymn “Total Praise.”