Sonoran Desert Chorale to Present 'Songs of Nature and Spirit', 10/10-11

Begin the 22nd season with the Chorale as they celebrate the natural world and our human connection to it. This season's musical exploration of the primal elements - earth, fire, wind, and water - opens a songbook for the year filled with rich harmonies, exciting rhythms, and lyrics which illuminate mankind's relationship with the earth and the heavens.

Performances of Where the Earth Meets the Sky will take place Saturday, October 10, 2015 at 7:30 P.M. at First United Methodist Church, 15 E. First Avenue, Mesa and Sunday, October 11, 2015 at 3:00 P.M. at La Casa De Cristo Lutheran Church, 6300 E. Bell Road, Scottsdale. Tickets are $18 for adults/$15 for seniors, students and groups of 10 or more. Tickets may be purchased online at www.SonoranDesertChorale.org or by calling 480-305-4538.

The first half of Where the Earth Meets the Sky features one of René Clausen's landmark compositions - Crying for a Dream. This moving work is based on Native American writings, particularly those of the Teton Sioux. The entire piece is a powerful and emotionally moving statement of spirituality and love, reverence and protection of the earth. This set closes with Z. Randall Stroope's Song of the Earthincluding these descriptive lyrics - "I am the whisper of wind that summons the rain" and "I am the stillness of night breaking at dawn."

The concert continues with two evocative pieces by Daniel Elder - The Heart's Reflection and Ballade to the Moon. As stated by the composer, "...we are taken on a journey of love, wonder, and spirituality associated with the bonds we share with one another." We are reminded to "...reaffirm the connection we share with our fellow human beings." Also included in this set is a beautiful setting of Sara Teasdale's Stars as well as several pieces by Ola Gjeilo that explore the themes of spiritual growth and renewal, concluding with a lush, warm finale that is exuberant and relentless, celebrating "the Spirit of all that is art."