CLASSIC 107

A Cosmic Musical Journey

For centuries, scientists and philosophers imagined the movements of the heavens as a kind of music—a “harmony of the spheres.” From the 6th century BC Greek philosopher Pythagoras to 16th-century astronomer Johannes Kepler, many believed that while celestial music could not be heard with the ears, it resonated deeply with the human soul.

This Sunday, October 5, at 7 p.m., audiences at the Planetarium at the Manitoba Museum will have the chance to experience that cosmic harmony firsthand. The Winnipeg Singers present Skyscapes, their first concert of the season, featuring luminous works by contemporary composers including Ola Gjeilo, Elaine Hagenberg, Andrew Balfour, Morten Lauridsen, and others.

Prepare to be swept away by a concert that promises to be both breathtaking and transcendent. A true celebration of the beauty of the night sky.

Inspiration and Programming

Bruce Waldie, choir president for the Winnipeg Singers, credits the programming committee for the concert’s imaginative concept.

“We have a great programming committee, and they deserve all of the credit, because I certainly never would have thought of this. They also chose the repertoire for the concert, but it's because of their imagination and their dedication to go out and look for things that we have this beautiful selection of music to perform,” Waldie says.

The committee includes members of the choir, executive director Patricia Wray, and musical director Yuri Klaz. “They wanted to present a diverse program, but really, everything references the sky or the stars, the celestial rhythms, et cetera. And they've really gone for the color and the feel of the music, because it is going to be tied in with projections. We're not in the planetarium by accident,” Waldie explains.

The choir recently rehearsed with the planetarium’s actual projections. “That's going to be quite an experience for the audience. For us, it's a real challenge because we're singing in the dark and we have little red lights… We have to try and read our music with the little red lights and see Yuri, our conductor, who's far away in front of us. And that's what really makes it interesting.”

A Soundtrack to the Stars

The concert will feature projections of various night skies, enhanced with a few surprises from the planetarium technician. “So it's really, it's made for us to go with the music,” Waldie says. “That's exactly what it is,” he adds, describing the choir’s role as providing a musical soundtrack to the visuals.

Featured Composers and Works

The program includes several standout composers:

• Ola Gjeilo: Waldie praises the Norwegian composer’s tonal colours and impressionistic style. “He very much is governed by the lyrics that he chooses. He pays very careful attention to that, often using poems or sacred texts… And that one entity is now combined with light and darkness and color.”

• Christopher Tin: Known for his Grammy-winning works, Tin’s Sogno di Volare is inspired by the writings of Leonardo da Vinci. “He's taken various little phrases… They're all a glorification of the heavens as sort of one of God's greatest creations,” says Waldie.

•  Ēriks Ešenvalds: His piece Stars incorporates Tibetan singing bowls, handled expertly by choir member Alan Schroeder. “The bowls… produce an eerie sound that matches the lights in the heaven. As well as that, we're using a series of 13 crystal glasses… The shape of the dome is going to reflect back the sound of our voices and the sound of the instruments,” Waldie explains.

• Andrew Balfour: His piece Anang (A Star) was dedicated to his late wife and features a combination of strings, glockenspiel, and vocals in Ojibwe. “There are some particularly clear attacks in the violins that go against the smooth sounds that we're looking for sometimes. And it's— we're singing entirely in Ojibwe, which is something that we have done several times before,” Walby says.

• Zoltán Kodály: A Hungarian composer whose piece from 1931 still resonates today. “He uses very dense, rich chords… It's just a rich sound is all I can say about it,” Walby notes.

A Serene Experience

For Waldie and the choir, the performance requires technical precision while maintaining an air of serenity. “We want the audience to go home with a sense of peace, to go home relaxed and calm and feeling like they belong to a larger universe… We have to kind of be like swans. We look serene on the surface, but we're pedaling like crazy underneath the water because there's some risky stuff we have to do,” he says.

With its breathtaking blend of contemporary choral works, ethereal projections, and mesmerizing instruments like Tibetan singing bowls and crystal glasses, Skyscapespromises to be more than just a concert—it’s an immersive journey through the cosmos. Audiences will leave feeling both awed and serene, carried away on waves of sound and light that celebrate the beauty of the night sky. For anyone seeking a transcendent, unforgettable evening of music, the Winnipeg Singers’ Skyscapes is a must-see event this Sunday at the Planetarium.

Concert Details

Skyscapes, presented by the Winnipeg Singers, takes place Sunday, October 5, at 7 p.m. at the Planetarium at the Manitoba Museum, 190 Rupert Avenue. For more information, visit winnipegsingers.com.