FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
[TUCSON, AZ]—As the Sonoran desert comes to life with spring flowers, the Arizona Repertory Singers are singing for the planet’s life.
Its Spring concert, “The Beauty of the Earth,” features a repertoire imploring audiences to take action to preserve the planet and slow climate change.
“We have come to a pivotal time in our existence,” said ARS music director Ryan Phillips. “In the latest UN Climate Change report, scientists sent a dire warning. They stressed that we have a narrowing window for action.”
“Art can awaken us,” Phillips said. “Music has a way of touching our emotions and it can stir us to work for change.”
“This program is the Arizona Repertory Singers’ small contribution to the fight against climate change. We’ve picked music that inspires gratitude, reminds us of the beauty of the earth, and, we hope, motivates our audiences to take action to preserve our planet for our future generations,” Phillips said.
The 45-member choral ensemble will open the concert with the hearty and powerful “Emerald Stream,” by Seth Houston. Houston wrote the song when he was just 17 and on a canoe trip with his father; the piece announces God’s command that we care for the earth. The rhythm and flow of the song matches that of someone briskly paddling a canoe.
From there the ensemble will move into Frank Ticheli’s hauntingly beautiful “Earth Song,” an unfortunately timely reminder that war also ravages our planet.
The ensemble will perform several well-loved songs including two pieces by Ralph Vaughan Williams, “Linden Lea” and “Rest,” the soaring “For the Beauty of the Earth” by John Rutter, and “Sing of Spring” by George and Ira Gershwin.
The concert also includes a recent composition, “Great Flowing River,” composed during the 2020 pandemic. Charles Anthony Silvestri wrote the lyrics after the sudden death of a loved one. James Eakin composed the music with flowing vocal lines and a stirring harmony to capture the joy and love found in our memories of loved ones.
Nature has its own musical presence in this program. Sounds of a woodpecker will accompany the ensemble on “Metsa Telegramm,” by Uno Naissoo. In “Bumble Bee,” composed by Anders Edenroth, voices will hum and buzz. The ensemble will sing of canaries, eels and kangaroos in Eric Whitacre’s whimsical “Animal Crackers.”
Some of the other pieces will be accompanied by piano, violin and cello.
The concert will also include a chance for audiences to hear a live performance of one of the ensemble’s most loved songs from its 2020 pandemic “virtual” performances.
“But we are keeping that one a surprise,” Phillips said.
Concert schedule
Friday, April 22
7:30 pm
*St. Mark’s United Methodist Church, 1431 Magee Road
Sunday, April 24
3:00 pm
Christ Church United Methodist, 655 N. Craycroft Road
Friday, April 29
7:30 pm
*Tanque Verde Lutheran, 8625 E Tanque Verde Road
Tickets will go on sale at arsingers.org on March 18. Prices are $18 in advance and $20 at the door. Students are admitted free with ID.
All Arizona Repertory Singers singers and staff are vaccinated and boosted. To protect our audiences, all patrons over the age of 12 must show proof of vaccination and wear masks to attend our performances.
*Indicates new venues for ARS concerts. Thank you to St. Mark’s Methodist and Tanque Verde Lutheran churches for sharing their spaces for our Spring 2022 concerts.
The Arizona Repertory Singers is an auditioned ensemble of singers from greater Tucson. Since 1984 this choir has developed an extensive repertory and prides itself on presenting high quality performances of the standard repertoire and new music. Our community of singers, selected through a rigorous audition process, represent a variety of work life careers in business, education, engineering, information technology, law, medicine, social service, science, and the arts. For more see, arsingers.org
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