The Road Home

Program

Journey with us as we explore the meaning of home as both a spiritual concept and a physical space. We open the concert with a setting of Psalm 137, a lament about remembering Zion while the Jewish people were exiled in Babylon, far from their home.

Super flumina Babylonis Melchior Vulpius

Continuing with texts from the Psalms, we present four works about the house of the Lord.

Laetatus sum Heinrich Isaac

Peace Upon You, Jerusalem Arvo Pärt

Five Sacred Songs Grayston Ives
   1. Behold, now praise the Lord
   2. O how amiable are thy dwellings

The last two works in this half of the concert focus on spiritual journeys: the journey of a young woman joining a convent, leaving earthly pleasures behind; and the ultimate journey home to heaven.

Heaven Haven Samuel Barber

Swing Low, Sweet Chariot arr. Stacey Gibbs

The second half of our concert explores the physical concept of home: a place, a building, or even a memory. We begin with with a gentle reminiscence about a childhood home.

My Quiet, Lovely Home Veljo Tormis

Next are two songs about remembering and leaving the homeland.

Strahlende Ostsee Fanny Hensel
Ich stand gelehnet an den Mast

Being far from home can trigger many different emotions: sadness, longing, loneliness, and more.

Senkim a világon Bela Bartók
Levél az otthoniakhoz

Thinking of my home Chen Yi

Idegen földën Gyorgy Ligeti

Once we’ve left home, how do we find the way back?

The Road Home Stephen Paulus

We close our concert with a story about returning to a place, and finding that it’s no longer home. “Home will follow wherever you go.”

Closer to Home Dale Trumbore