The Cayuga Vocal Ensemble is exploring timeless words and music in its upcoming program Ancient Texts on Sunday, October 19 at 4 p.m. at St. Catherine of Siena Church in Ithaca.
“Ancient texts is a bit of a catch-all, because so many of the texts we sing are, in fact, age-old — whether sacred or secular,” said Artistic Director Sean Linfors. “Choral music relies on the written word in a way that orchestral or wind music might not, so looking at these lyrics over hundreds of years is really an exercise in exploring the commonalities of human experience.”
The program spans more than a millennium of poetry and song, beginning with chant by medieval mystic Hildegard von Bingen and continuing with Felix Mendelssohn’s 19th-century setting of Psalm 42. “Psalm 42 is about a 3,000-year-old text,” Linfors explained. “Mendelssohn, as a 19th-century composer, found resonance with those words — and we can find that same resonance 150 years later.”
The concert also includes 13th-century poetry by Rumi and Amir Khusrau. Linfors noted how modern their sentiments can feel: “This is poetry about love, connection, and identity. The words ‘I have become you and you me’ could have been written yesterday, but they’re hundreds of years old.”
Additional works include music by J.S. Bach and Lili Boulanger. “The Boulanger psalm setting is straight ahead, loud, fast — a big, French sound,” Linfors said. Pianist Emmett Scott will accompany the ensemble.
The Cayuga Vocal Ensemble presents Ancient Texts on Sunday, October 19 at 4 p.m. at St. Catherine of Siena Church, Siena Drive off Hanshaw Road in Ithaca. Tickets and information are available at cayuga-vocal.org