The Ithaca Community Chorus and Chamber Singers will celebrate a milestone 50th anniversary with a sweeping and ambitious program on May 2, featuring A Sea Symphony by Ralph Vaughan Williams, alongside three choral works by Samuel Barber.
Music Director Gerald Wolfe, who previously conducted the work in 2014, says the piece has only deepened in meaning for him over time. “I didn’t really know it when we first did it,” Wolfe said. “And I just came to love it. I think it’s one of the most amazing pieces there is.”
The symphony, Vaughan Williams’ first, sets texts by Walt Whitman and explores both the literal and spiritual dimensions of the sea. “It includes the sea as a powerful force of nature and the ships on it,” Wolfe explained, “but then it moves into the spiritual realm and talks about the journey of the soul, using the metaphor of sailing. It really has many different levels.”
Wolfe shared a favorite anecdote from the work’s 1910 premiere at the Leeds Festival. “At the first rehearsal, when the brass fanfare begins and the chorus enters with ‘Behold, the sea itself,’ the sound just about blew Vaughan Williams off the podium,” he said. “And it still has that effect on us and on audiences.”
The work is known for its emotional breadth and technical demands. “It’s really a cathartic experience,” Wolfe said. “By the time it’s over, you feel like you’ve been on this amazing journey and experienced almost everything there is to feel.”
That journey is not without challenges for performers. “Our singers are working hard,” Wolfe noted. “It’s demanding, but they’re also blown away by how beautiful it is. It rewards all that effort.”
The program opens with three Barber works, including To Be Sung on the Water, which helped inspire the thematic pairing. “I first thought of that piece because it connects so naturally with the sea,” Wolfe said. “Then I added two others I’ve always loved—The Coolin' and Let Down the Bars, O Death.”
The performance will feature the Cayuga Chamber Orchestra and two guest soloists: soprano Allison Wahl and baritone Jean-Bernard Cerin. “We’re fortunate to have outstanding singers joining us,” Wolfe said, noting that Wahl is returning to Ithaca for the performance and Cerin serves on the faculty at Cornell University.
While the orchestra has been slightly reduced from Vaughan Williams’ original scoring, Wolfe emphasized the scale remains impressive. “It’s still a huge ensemble,” he said. “Even with a few adjustments, it’s a very big and exciting sound.”
The anniversary celebration will also include a reception following the concert. “We’re really hoping the community will come out and celebrate with us,” Wolfe said.
The Ithaca Community Chorus and Chamber Singers will perform A Sea Symphony with works by Samuel Barber on May 2 at 7:30 p.m. at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, 402 North Aurora Street in Ithaca. Tickets and more information are available at Ithaca Community Chorus and Chamber Singers: .