From Darkness to Light: An Interactive Choral Discussion

Name: From Darkness to Light: An Interactive Choral Discussion
Start: 2026-04-18T17:00:00-04:00
Location: Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall and Arts Center

Schedule

Sat, 18 Apr, 2026 at 05:00 pm

UTC-04:00

Location

Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall and Arts Center | Alexandria, VA

Choral Arts presents a powerful journey from turmoil to hope through one of the most profound statements in 20th-century English choral music. Ralph Vaughan Williams’ Dona Nobis Pacem is a sweeping plea for peace, drawing on texts from the Mass, Walt Whitman, and the Bible to create a work of urgency and deep emotional resonance. Featuring symphonic chorus and orchestra, with soprano Amy Broadbent and bass-baritone Edmund Milly, the piece is unified by the haunting, insistent refrain: “Give us peace," a cry that feels as urgent today as ever.
Midway through the program, a unique guided discussion will invite the audience into conversation, transforming the performance into a shared experience of reflection and dialogue. Led by discussion facilitator Professor Peter Loge (George Washington University), this interactive moment will explore the timely message of Dona Nobis Pacem, its resonance in today’s world, and how music can help us process conflict and imagine a path forward.
The performance will conclude with Gustav Holst’s Two Psalms (1912) offering a striking contrast between the introspective Psalm 86 and the jubilant, hymn-like Psalm 148. The piece will feature the symphonic chorus, strings, tenor Allan Palaicos Chan and organist Matthew Steynor.