For twenty years, the voices of The Esoterics have occupied a special place in Seattle’s musical landscape. With a strong focus on 20th- and 21st-century choral works, the a cappella choir draws inspiration from a blend of international influences. Their repertoire spans a rich collection of world languages, from German to Japanese to Arabic, and incorporates religious and folkloric traditions from around the globe. Founded in 1992 as a graduate school project by composer, conductor, and singer Eric Banks, the choral ensemble has since blossomed into a 64-voice ensemble with 14 recordings and a host of concert tours under its belt.
On June 15 and 16, The Esoterics celebrated their twentieth anniversary with “Score!” a festive pair of concerts featuring two different programs, each packed full of choral gems from the ensemble’s rich history. On June 15, the choir gathered at St. Joseph Catholic Church on Capitol Hill for a concert of their favorite secular works. The next day, they moved to Holy Rosary Catholic Church in West Seattle for a program of sacred music.
The repertoire for each concert was chosen by a massive poll of current members, alumni, and fans, resulting in a spectacular rainbow of treasured pieces representing nine languages and spanning the past hundred years of choral music. In keeping with The Esoterics’ mission, the concerts maintained a decidedly international flavor, with texts ranging from 13th-century Japanese poetry to Finnish folklore, from Dante’s Inferno to passages from the Qur’an.
Though both concerts were well-attended by an enthusiastic crowd, each performance felt surprisingly intimate and personal. Every piece was introduced by a member of the choir who explained the ensemble’s relationship with the work. Many of the pieces performed were composed specifically for The Esoterics. It was a joy to hear the stories behind these compositions which figure so prominently in the ensemble’s rich history.
On June 15, the ensemble honored Donald Skirvin, their current composer-in-residence, with a performance of his 2001 work “…stars to hold.” The piece sets to music five poems about celestial bodies by American poet Sara Teasdale. Featuring sweetly melancholic melodies and timbres, the work featured a trio of soloists, including tenor Keith Horlock, one of the four original members of The Esoterics who are still singing with the choir today. In the piece’s fifth and final movement, “Give me your stars to hold,” Horlock joined forces with sopranos Maria Drury and Shawna Avinger, their voices weaving together in a sweet conclusion to this charming work.
The highlight of the June 15th program was a performance of Richard Strauss’s devilishly difficult Deutsche Motette, composed in 1913. Legend has it that Strauss wrote the work on a dare from the Vienna Philharmonic Chorus, who challenged him to write the most complicated choral composition that he could devise. The result is a twenty-part choral work of stunning complexity, riddled with difficult counterpoint sections where overlapping melodies pile up in layers and seem to compete with other for attention. Mopping sweat from his brow, Banks steered the chorus through the intricately-layered work with aplomb.
Filled with aged wood and gorgeous tiled mosaics, St. Joseph’s Catholic Church is a warm cocoon of a concert venue that generates a warm, intimate choral sound. Nowhere was this more effective than in David Asplin’s striking “In nature’s charm,” which pairs a meditative poem by Lord Byron with dramatic vocal sounds that evoke of natural forces — a rushing river, wind whistling through trees, thunderclaps over the mountains. In their exciting performance, Banks and The Esoterics emphasized the piece’s stunning dynamic changes, growing from a muffled, faraway sound to a roaring, in-your-face climax.
Unlike St. Joseph’s, Holy Rosary’s spacious sanctuary produces an echoing vocal sound that rings in the air and seems to float above the audience. After the June 15th performance at St. Joseph’s, it was striking to notice how a simple change in venue could produce such a different sound for The Esoterics. It was a treat to hear the ensemble perform back-to-back concerts at two of their favorite venues.
In the June 16th concert at Holy Rosary, the choir performed several modern settings of traditional Catholic mass sections, including Samuel Barber’s Agnus Dei. A choral classic, the work is set to the melody of Barber’s famed 1938 Adagio for Strings. The piece has become one of the most beloved choral works of the past hundred years and has special meaning for The Esoterics, who performed it at an interfaith service on the evening of September 11, 2001. At the June 16th concert, the ensemble delivered a lovely performance of the Adagio that expressed Barber’s gorgeous melodies and harmonies with the perfect balance of swelling emotions and musical refinement.
The centerpiece of the June 16th program was Alfred Schnittke’s sprawling 1985 Concerto for Chorus. The piece features texts from the Armenian Book of Sorrowful Psalms, penned by St. Grigor Narekatsi in the 10th century. Combined with dramatic, weighty music full of thick textures, the poems’ strong focus on religious devotion and atonement sets a somber mood. Though the lengthy 40-minute piece was a bit heavy for a sunny summer afternoon, the choir gave a brilliant performance of the work, especially in the dramatic second movement, which juxtaposes an “Alleluia” chant in the male voices while the women sing a winding melody that soars above.
Banks’ love for both his ensemble and the repertoire shone throughout both performances. At the June 15th concert, immediately after the final notes of Deutsche Motette, he rushed to the aid of a choir member who seemed to be ailing during the performance. After making sure she was okay, he then turned to acknowledge the audience’s applause with an ever-gracious smile.
Both concerts concluded with short pieces by Banks himself. The June 15th concert concluded with Etternalmente vive (“Eternally Alive”), a setting of Michelangelo’s Sonetto CCLXXVII, a tribute to artists and their work. The June 16th show wrapped up with “The paths of peace,” an uplifting setting of passages from the Qur’an that emphasize themes of peace and unity. It was a fitting end to a celebration of the ensemble that’s been Banks’ pride and joy for the past two decades.
After a summer break, Banks and The Esoterics return in the fall with three performances. “Aeonia,” set for late September, focuses on the theme of eternity, featuring works by the winners of the choir’s Polyphonos choral competition. In November and December, the ensemble will pay tribute to the 100th anniversary of the birth of English composer Benjamin Britten by performing the composer’s entire canon of music for a cappella choir.
