By Darcy Hickey
A&E Assistant
Get ready to see the Pepperdine Concert Choir perform one of the most challenging pieces they’ve ever attempted in Smothers Theatre April 15.
Johannes Brahm’s “A German Requiem” will entertain the audience for the majority of the night. The piece, directed by music professor Milton Pullen, is Brahms’ longest work. The 70-minute, seven-movement song was written over a 10-year period, and is one of the most recorded works in religious music repertoire.
Pullen said he is proud of the progress the choir has made on the challenging piece in such a short time.
“It is a monumental task to learn, because of the strenuous demands on such young voices,” Pullen said. “It will truly be an endurance test, requiring full and mature voices, but this choir has shown to be at a higher level than ones in the past.”
Junior choir member Candace Lopez said the piece was overwhelming at first, because it is in German and is quite lengthy. She is now able to see the benefits of the months of work it took to put the production together.
“It’s like climbing a huge mountain,” she said. “When you get to the top, all you can say is ‘wow,’ because it really is incredibly breathtaking. It is amazing to think that someone actually wrote the piece.”
The 70-member choir will show its capabilities when singing the requiem, which was originally composed for 100-200 voices.
“The only concern is that the orchestra may drown out the voices of this small choir,” Pullen said.
The theme from Matthew 5:4 comprise the first and last movements. This, Pullen said, frames the piece quite nicely and stresses the message of the piece.
It says, “Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.”
“This theme could not be more appropriate for this moment in history,” Pullen said. “Besides that, we are performing it on tax day.”
In addition to Brahm’s “A German Requiem,” the Concert Choir will be performing the debut of “Lamenta,” written and directed by Pepperdine Assistant Music Professor Dr. Lincoln Hanks.
Sophomore advertising major Cameron Voetmann said the choir has enjoyed practicing the two pieces in succession, because of the diversity between them.
“‘Lamenta’ is a much more contemporary piece than the requiem, and I think the audience will have a ton of fun listening to the complexity within it,” she said.
Hanks’ piece features soprano and baritone solos, sung by Associate Professor of Music Dr. Melanie Smith, and Pullen’s son Sean, a baritone who directs choirs at Clear Creek High School in Houston, Texas.
“It should be a great concert, because of the variety of songs,” Voetmann said.
Pullen summed up the popular response of the choir and Music Division staff about how the concert will be an incredible musical experience for everyone involved.
“A large canvas will be placed in front of the listener with amazing art from the choir to fill it in with,” Pullen said. “The experience is something neither the choir nor the audience will forget.”
April 03, 2003