A Sea Symphony
by Ralph Vaughan Williams
With auburn symphony orchestra
“All souls…all nations…all identities…”
Walt Whitman’s lyrics are a stirring embrace of all of humanity. Combined with the music of Ralph Vaughan Williams, A Sea Symphony uses the vastness and power of the sea as a backdrop for our search for meaning. Written for chorus, soloists, and orchestra, A Sea Symphony will fill you with a sense of awe and wonder in the face of a boundless universe. Seattle Pro Musica is delighted to present this work in collaboration with Auburn Symphony Orchestra and their conductor, Wesley Schulz. A Sea Symphony will feature soloists Susan Payne O’Brien, soprano, and John Seesholtz, baritone.
ASO will perform The Boatswain’s Mate Overture by British composer Ethel Smyth, a cheerful piece which also contains Smyth’s defiant feminist spirit. The opera is a witty take on gender roles with the heroine of the story outwitting a retired boatswain who is scheming to become her suitor.
SPM will open the concert with Canticum Calamitatis Maritimae by Finnish composer Jaakko Mäntyjärvi. This haunting work draws on folk song, news reporting, and the Requiem Mass to recount the ill-fated 1994 journey of the MS Estonia.
Seattle Pro Musica is a Resident Ensemble of St. James Cathedral.
Program Notes, Texts, and Translations: dark mode, interactive | .pdf
In person: Saturday, May 4, 2024 ‐ 8pm
St James Cathedral - 9th & Marion, Seattle
Streaming: Saturday, May 11, 2024 ‐ 7:30pm
online, free; donations gratefully accepted
premiering on YouTube on May 11 and available on-demand for 30 days
ADDITIONAL PERFORMANCE:
Sunday, May 5, 2024, 2:30pm
Federal Way Performing Arts Center
Single tickets available through Auburn Symphony Orchestra
“SPM pulled out all the stops, glorying in the powerful emotions, contrasts, and colorful sound worlds of a full-blown symphonic-choral score. It’s not often we get to hear them perform on this scale — and the results were nothing short of thrilling.
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Special thanks to our season and program sponsors for A Sea Symphony:
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Listen to excerpts:
A Sea Symphony - Ralph Vaughan Williams
as performed by The London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, conducted by Andre Previn
Canticum Calamitatis Maritimae - Jaakko Mäntyjärvi
as performed Cor Cantiamo, conducted by Dr. Eric A. Johnson
Accessibility at our venues:
St. James Cathedral: Wheelchair access is available in the Northeast (Marion St.) and Southern (Columbia St.) vestibules of the Cathedral. Additionally, many chairs can be removed to accommodate wheelchairs.
Federal Way Performing Arts Center: is fully accessible to patrons with physical mobility concerns. Click here for more information regarding accessibility at this venue.