Universal Chords Close Pacific Chorale Season

John Alexander and the Pacific Chorale tapped several hot choral veins in their canny, generous season closer Sunday evening at the Orange County Performing Arts Center in Costa Mesa.

Probably nothing is hotter in the choral world these days than that branch of the American tradition that has blossomed most conspicuously in the music of Morten Lauridsen. The Pacific Chorale commissioned a piece from Lauridsen’s USC colleague and former Pacific Symphony composer-in-residence Frank Ticheli and got a small gem in “There Will Be Rest.”

Using a poem by Sara Teasdale, “There Will Be Rest” expands from closely clustered chords into serene arcs of polyphony. The basic sense is hushed and meditative but never static, moving forward clearly and calmly. Ticheli gave the chorale music of ready and seemingly effortless effect, of emotional as well as vocal resonance.

The Pacific Chorale in turn gave Ticheli a radiantly warm, perfectly poised premiere. The singing had the muscle and sheen to keep the mostly soft music afloat in a big room without stressed edges or frayed tone. The piece makes its demands in sound and phrasing, and Alexander drew a quietly stunning performance from his large choir.

Another branch of the American tradition that is in a major renaissance is the spiritual, and Moses Hogan is one of its central figures. Alexander closed with Hogan’s arrangements of “I Want Jesus to Walk With Me,” with a powerfully rooted solo from mezzo Lyria Pegram; “Elijah Rock”; and “In That Great Gettin’ Up Morning,” a house-rocking encore.

From the other side of the world comes a different choral style--the music of Russian Orthodox liturgies. Alexander opened with two classics from that tradition, Lvovsky’s “Lord, Have Mercy” and Chesnokov’s “Salvation Is Created,” both sung in Russian. Lvovsky’s obsessive, dancing mantra demonstrated just how nimble this choir can be.

The rest of Alexander’s unhackneyed program included Ginastera’s fiercely expressive “Lamentations of Jeremiah”; Poulenc’s beautifully spiky Mass in G, with a sweetly reflective Agnus Dei solo from soprano Linda Williams Pearce; Ligeti’s soundscape diptych, “Night” and “Morning”; and three vibrant showcases from Virginia composer Adolphus Hailstork. Whether in Latin, Hungarian or English, the chorale communicated handsomely, balanced in sound and true in feeling.