TesseLLation
Four2
Music by John Cage
John Cage’s Four² (1990) is a work of restraint and introspective space. Written for four-part chorus with independent entrances and durations, the piece reflects Cage’s deep commitment to chance operations and the beauty of silence. Voices emerge and recede in a slow, breath-like motion, encouraging listeners to attune themselves to the present moment. The experience becomes less about melody and more about the sensation of sound unfolding in time—a meditation in stillness and attention. - MML
Selections from the little match girl passion
Music by David Lang
Text by David Lang (after H.C. Andersen, H.P. Paulli, Picander and Saint Matthew)
Winner of the Pulitzer Prize in 2008, David Lang’s The Little Match Girl Passion is a haunting fusion of Hans Christian Andersen’s tragic tale and the structure of Bach’s St. Matthew Passion. Lang weaves sparse vocal writing and percussion into an emotionally intense narrative where the suffering of the match girl is elevated to the level of sacred ritual. With both clarity and compassion, the piece invites the listener to consider the quiet desperation of the forgotten and marginalized, transforming a fable into a profound meditation on empathy and injustice. - MML
2. It was terribly cold
It was terribly cold and nearly dark on the last evening of the old year, and the snow was falling fast. In the cold and the darkness, a poor little girl, with bare head and naked feet, roamed through the streets. It is true she had on a pair of slippers when she left home, but they were not of much use. They were very large, so large, indeed, that they had belonged to her mother, and the poor little creature had lost them in running across the street to avoid two carriages that were rolling along at a terrible rate. One of the slippers she could not find, and a boy seized upon the other and ran away with it, saying that he could use it as a cradle, when he had children of his own. So the little girl went on with her little naked feet, which were quite red and blue with the cold.
So the little girl went on.
So the little girl went on.
9. have mercy
Look here, my God.
See my tears fall. See my tears fall.
Have mercy, my God. Have mercy.
My eyes are crying.
My heart is crying, my God.
See my tears fall.
See my tears fall, my God.
11. from the sixth hour
From the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour she cried out: Eli, Eli.
Prelude and Fugue in C Minor (BWV 847)
Music by J. S. Bach
In his famous The Well-Tempered Clavier, Bach wrote 48 sets of preludes and fugues, with one set written in every major and minor key of the 12-tone octave scale. In this C minor set, the Prelude exhibits a repetitive, rhythmic pattern with gradual harmonic changes. The Fugue starts with a fragmented musical idea, called the subject, which then gets picked up in succession by other voices. As the Fugue progresses, the subject twists and turns in various iterations, until the end, when it finally gets restated in its original form. This calculated fugue form offers a perfect compliment to the chaotic prelude. - JJ
Burnout Fugue
Music by Alexandra Stréliski
Neo-classical composer Alexandra Stréliski wrote her Burnout Fugue in a state of distress, saying that “In a fugue, you find multiple melodic voices, and this is exactly what happens with a burnout, when you find yourself confronted with all kinds of sentences that play inside your head, non-stop.” Stréliski seems to pull inspiration from Bach’s C minor Prelude and Fugue, both in tonality and rhythmic texture. When paired together, Bach and Streliski offer a connected pattern that bounces from the 17th to the 21st century. -JJ
Crucifixus
Music by Antonio Lotti
Text from the Nicene Creed
Lotti’s Crucifixus, composed in the Baroque era, is a timeless expression of grief and reverence. Scored for eight voices in rich counterpoint, the work paints the crucifixion of Christ with remarkable harmonic color and emotional depth. Through suspended dissonances and overlapping lines, Lotti conveys both anguish and awe, capturing the paradox of divine suffering with exquisite beauty. - MML
Crucifixus etiam pro nobis;
He was crucified also for us,
sub Pontio Pilato passus
under Pontius Pilate he suffered
et sepultus est.
and was buried.
Threnody, from Triptych
Music by Tarik O’Regan
Text by Tarik O’Regan, adapted from works by William Penn, Muhammad Rajab Al-Bayoumi (translated by Arthur J. Arberry), William Blake, and Psalm 133.
Tarik O’Regan’s Threnody is the first movement of Triptych, a large-scale choral work exploring themes of loss, remembrance, and spiritual renewal. Drawing on liturgical texts and contemporary poetry, O’Regan’s style blends rhythmic vitality with lyrical clarity. In Threnody, layers of harmonic tension resolve into moments of striking serenity, embodying both mourning and transcendence. It is a modern lament, echoing ancient rituals of grief with a distinctly contemporary voice. - MML
When death takes off the mask, we will know one another,
though diverse liveries we wear here make us strangers.
Tremblest thou when my face appears
To thee? Wherefore thy dreadful fears?
Be easy, friend; ‘tis thy truest gain
To be far away from the sons of men.
I offer a couch to give thee ease:
Shall dreamless slumber so much displease?
To see a World in a Grain of Sand,
And a Heaven in a Wild Flower,
Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand,
And Eternity in an hour.
Behold how good and how pleasant it is
for people to dwell together in unity.
Etude No. 2 and No. 3
Music by Phillip Glass
In true minimalist form, Phillip Glass takes short melodic phrases and creates a geometric landscape of sound. The rhythms are inspired by traditional Indian music, to which Glass was introduced upon befriending sitarist Ravi Shankar. Whether slow and sustained, or aggressive and rhythmic, Glass’s writing style brings about a tessellating musical experience in these piano etudes. - JJ
Un sospiro
Music by Franz Liszt
If stared at for a long time, a tessellating pattern may appear to undulate or “breathe.” Though Liszt didn’t give this etude its nickname, “Un sospiro,” the rise and fall of the continuous arpeggios certainly emulates “a sigh.” - JJ
Motive/Mission from Privilege
Music and Text by Ted Hearne
Motive/Mission, from Ted Hearne’s provocative Privilege song cycle, confronts themes of social justice, systemic inequality, and personal responsibility. Hearne’s eclectic musical language—merging classical technique with elements of rock, jazz, and spoken word—creates a sonic landscape that is urgent and confrontational. The piece challenges both performers and audience to examine the stories we inherit, the power structures we participate in, and the cost of silence. - MML
you were always fair
you were almost always kind
weren't you?
you always reached out your hand
you almost always refused to lie
didn't you?
you wouldn't close your shining eyes
would you?
I Will Hold You from To the Hands
Music and Text by Caroline Shaw
In I Will Hold You, part of her larger work To the Hands, Caroline Shaw meditates on vulnerability, care, and the human need for belonging. Inspired by Buxtehude’s Membra Jesu Nostri, Shaw reimagines sacred music as a vehicle for modern compassion. With shimmering harmonies and intimate, almost whispered text settings, this movement becomes a tender promise of presence and support—a balm in times of fear and displacement. - MML
i would hold you
i would hold you
ever ever will i hold you
ever ever will i enfold you
in medio
in medio
in medio
in medio
in medio manuum tuarum
Selections from Sandpaintings
Music by Connor Chee
1. White Shell
9. Southern Lightening
16. Northern Mountain
As noted by the composer, “Diné [Navajo] sandpaintings are created by carefully sprinkling different colored sand to create works of visual art. Traditionally, they serve a curative purpose and are used in a variety of ceremonies… While there are sacred sandpaintings that should not be used or created outside of ceremony, I took inspiration from several common elements in sandpaintings: sacred stones, clouds, lightning, and sacred mountains.” -- Connor Chee
Cultural and spiritual traditions, such as sandpaintings, are passed down from one generation to the next, in an unbroken and interconnected way. These individual selections, though contrasting in character, are connected by an homage to the closing words often used in Diné prayers, “hózhó nahasdlii” or “all is beautiful again.” This phrase gets repeated four times, just as each piece ends with four sustained chords, indicating a return to balance and harmony; a charge for all generations to seek. - JJ
Peace Song
Music by Tim Brent
Text from the Beatitudes, Matthew 5:7-9
Tim Brent’s Peace Song is a heartfelt call for unity, healing, and hope. With its rhythmic drive, the piece evokes a sense of communal longing for peace in the face of division. Brent’s background as a jazz musician subtly informs the harmonic language, infusing the music with warmth and sincerity. The text—simple yet powerful—invites singers and listeners to imagine a world shaped by love and understanding. As both a prayer and a proclamation, Peace Song offers a moment of reflection and resolve. - MML
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God.
Alles was Odem hat, excerpted from Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied (BWV 225)
Music by J. S. Bach
Text from Psalm 150:6
Bach’s Alles was Odem hat ("Let everything that has breath") is excerpted from the final movement of Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied. Overflowing with contrapuntal brilliance and rhythmic energy, the music is a declaration of praise. Bach’s mastery of form and texture creates a sense of overwhelming joy and motion. - MML
Alles, was Odem hat, lobe den Herrn. Halleluja!
Let all that has breath praise the Lord. Hallelujah!
These works form a musical tessellation—distinct pieces that align and contrast to create a cohesive experience. From Cage's meditative stillness to Bach's exuberant celebration, each composition contributes its unique voice. Spanning centuries and styles, they showcase how choral music can embrace complexity of thought, emotion, and experience. True to our season theme, Tapestry, this program weaves varied perspectives into a shared musical landscape, one defined equally by contrast and connection. - MML
Danza del Gaucho Matrero from Danzas Argentinas
Music by Alberto Ginestera
Alberto Ginestera, one of Latin America's most prominent composers, used his Argentine heritage as a primary source of inspiration in his music. “Danza del Gaucho Matrero” was influenced by the Malambo, a traditional Argentine folk dance typically associated with gauchos (cowboys), Argentina's symbol of national identity and independence. The Malambo is characterized by elaborate, rapid leg and footwork. And while considered a solo dance, typically, gauchos compete to see who can impress the audience the most. In order to create this “dance-off,” Ginastera used swirling chromaticism, blocked whole-tone passages, and rapid bitonal motifs (music written in two different keys, and played at the same time). This is all punctuated by slaps of chords, perhaps representing stomps or shouts. - JJ