Spring Chorale Concert: Coronation Celebrations

Saturday, April 23 marked the first in-person University Chorale Spring Concert since 2019. The voices of the chorale echoed through the Newton campus’s Trinity Chapel, melding with the accompaniment of the orchestra.

The chorale, directed by Boston College’s John Finney, performed a multitude of pieces before the culmination of the evening in the performance of Mozart’s Mass No. 15 in C Major. Notably, “Leaves,” a piece composed by Patrick Beck, Chorale president and MCAS ’22, was a crowd favorite. The piece is based on the poem, “Leaves,” by Sarah Teasdale, and Beck said that “the moment I read ‘Leaves’ I could hear [the]… single chord, phrase, or motif that contains the entire emotional identity of the piece.” Beck dedicated the work to his late friend Mark Dombroski. The expressive piece built up to a climax in the latter half, with a resolution in the words “to see the sky” repeated in a crescendo to fortissimo. After the closing of the piece, the crowd rose up from their seats and delivered a standing ovation.

Another high point of the concert left members of the audience looking at each other in awe, and craning their necks to get a glimpse of the soloist in  “Lux Aurumque” by Eric Whitacre. A note seemed to pierce into the chapel from above the choir, floating above the melody. Finney attributed the “angelic note” to soprano Lily Ratliff, CSOM ’23, who also acts as Director of Fundraising for the Chorale.

Mozart’s Mass in C Major is also known as the Coronation Mass for its history of concert during the coronation of Francis II as Holy Roman Emperor in the year 1792. The Mass consists of a Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus and Benedictus, and an Agnus Dei, each with a unique tone and musical identity. The concert program describes the Kyrie as a “solemn and majestic” opening that uses dynamic contrast between forte and piano (loud and soft) to create a drama that soon gives way to a more melodic passage, closing with a soft, spoken version of the chorus. In contrast to the former movement, the Gloria follows with an upbeat and quicker-paced call and response between the chorus and the soloists. The Credo functions as a joyous affirmation of belief, complete with Latin verses of the Nicene Creed, ending in a final Amen. According to the program notes, “the Sanctus is written in majestic and celebratory style, breaking into a brisk tempo at ‘Osanna.’ The Benedictus, sung by a solo quartet, is an elegant and graceful interlude between the joyous shouts of ‘Osanna.’ Lastly, the Agnus Dei starts with a melody, moving into a duet that is reminiscent of the Kyrie, and closes with the full sound of the orchestra and choir in harmony.

The concert was quite popular, with few seats left in the audience, and numerous standing ovations throughout. While the concert was certainly enjoyable for the audience, according to Aneesa Werner, LSEHD ’23, it was equally fulfilling to perform: “It’s just a great time being with everyone and singing with a group, and it’s always wonderful to connect with the people who come to the concert.”