Event

Beautiful is the World

Voci Womens Vocal Ensemble, under guest conductor Mitchell Covington, presents Beautiful is the World, featuring exciting premieres of works by gifted Bay Area composers. In response to the social upheaval underway around us, the concerts celebrate the amazing diversity and breadth of life that make up the magical and beautiful--yet sometimes strange and terrible--world we live in, and bring people of all perspectives together though the kaleidoscopic lens of music.

The title, Beautiful is the World, comes from former Voci director Jude Navaris dazzling seven-movement work, Siddhartha Fragments, which explores Buddhist philosophy through text from Hermann Hesses novel, Siddhartha. Originally composed for Voci in 2012, the Ensemble premieres the full cycle this spring. Voci will also premiere Qasida of Breath, by Mitchell Covington, a setting of haunting verse by local Palestinian-American poet Deema Shehabi, as well as evocative arrangements of three Russian folksongs by local composer Arkadi Serper, and exciting works by two emerging composers, Edna Yeh and our current composer-in-residence, Julie Herndon.

Guest conductor, Mitchell Covington, served as Voci's founding director from 1991-1995. His return as Voci's guest conductor for the Spring 2017 season provides a fitting close to the Ensembles 25th anniversary season.