Vallejo Choral Society reminisces of youth and time in latest production
May 28-Nature, memory, and the passage of time will take center stage as the Vallejo Choral Society presents its season finale concert, "In the Sun That is Young Once Only."
The program, featuring John Corigliano's "Fern Hill", based on the Dylan Thomas poem, is set for Saturday at 7 p.m. at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Benicia and Sunday at 3 p.m. at the Springbrook Masonic Temple in Vallejo. It explores themes of childhood and the passage of time, and Benjamin Britten's "Five Flower Songs, Op. 47."
The concert also marks the world premiere of "Aux Arbres," composed by Christopher Martin, and commissioned by the Vallejo Choral Society.
"We've put together this lush and expressive choral music that uses nature as a lens to reflect on the passage of time," said Julia Morris, the artistic director for the Vallejo Choral Society. "For the most part, our music is very lilting and lyrical, but it's also very meditative."
Morris conducts the Vallejo Choral Society symphonic and chamber choirs.
For this upcoming concert, she will be joined by pianist Paul Caccamo and mezzo-soprano soloist Shauna Fallihee.
Fallihee will be featured in "Fern Hill."
"I really wanted to program a performance that featured our collaborative pianist Paul Caccamo," said Morris.
She said that the piano acts as its own voice and character within the stories in each of the pieces.
By selecting "Aux Abres" and "Fern Hill" for its program, both pieces reminisce of the inevitability of the passage of time and the beauty that comes with the changing of seasons.
"There's anxiety about the passage of time. Time itself is a recurring character," said Morris.
She added that "Fern Hill" captured the joy and innocence of childhood while also acknowledging the inevitability of time and loss.
The program's title, "In the Sun That is Young Once Only," refers to a line written by Dylan Thomas in "Fern Hill."
"When we ourselves are young, only once in this life we have to live, what is the meaning that we're going to give to our experiences?" Morris said.
In "Fern Hill," the conclusion of the poem has anxiety about the passage of time and the realization that Thomas' childhood was "charmed" because of the luxury of not having to think about time.
"In 'Aux Abres,' it talks about time on a different scale in the sense that it makes you reflect on other things that we're sharing this life with," Morris said.
When commissioning the piece, there were several requirements: It needed to be about five minutes long, written for an SATB chorus - soprano, alto, tenor, and bass - and thematically connected to "Fern Hill."
"I wanted (Martin) to select a text that he connected with and give him creative control rather than micromanage the details," said Morris.
"Aux Aubres" draws inspiration from the atmosphere of Muir Woods National Monument and standing beneath the redwood trees.
"If you've ever been there, it feels like walking among cathedral-like pillars," said Morris.
Compared to the Benjamin Britton and "Fern Hill" pieces, there is no luxury of practicing with a previous recording for "Aux Abres."
Oftentimes, members will listen to a recording of the piece they're practicing to get a feel for the piece, understand the emotional arc, and the vocal tones.
With a commissioned piece, however, Morris said there are "unique challenges" in learning a piece that has never been performed before.
"But it's also one of the very exciting things about commissioning a piece. We, as a chorus, get to make those first interpretive decisions. We've been spending a lot of time really digging in and bathing in this work," said Morris.
While members of the main ensemble are not required to audition, the smaller audition-based ensemble is made up of singers from the primary choral group and rehearses for 30 to 40 minutes following the weekly symphonic choir rehearsal. The smaller ensemble will perform Benjamin Britten's "Five Flower Songs, Op. 47."
The songs contain a set of "five movements" that tie into "Fern Hill" and "Aux Abres" themes of the passage of time.
"This piece talks about different flowers and foliage along the English countryside and uses that as a lens to talk about our human existence here," said Morris.
Morris said early rehearsals focus on learning the material section by section and gradually connecting each part. During the second month, rehearsals shift toward what she described as the "larger connections," while the final month leading up to the performance centers on full run-throughs to better understand the overall arc of each work.
"By then it's less about minute detail work and more large emotional characterization work," said Morris.
For Morris, that emotional depth extends beyond the music itself and into the community the choir hopes to build.
"You don't have to have musical or vocal experience to join us. We're very passionate about our mission because we think music is for everyone, both as singers and as audience members," said Morris.
The Vallejo Choral Society will perform at St. Paul's Episcopal Church on Saturday at 7 p.m. in Benicia.
A performance is also scheduled for Sunday, at 3 p.m. at the Springbrook Masonic Temple in Vallejo.
To purchase advanced tickets for Saturday and Sunday concerts, visit: vallejochoral.org/home/past-performances-2/concert-in-the-sun-that-is-young-once-only-may-2026/
Copyright 2026 Tribune Content Agency. All Rights Reserved.