Bowdoin Chorus and Oratorio Chorale bring composer Snider in residency for choirs’ final performance together – The Bowdoin Orient

“Snider said that the music puts a spin on many of the Biblical references made in the original Latin, blending her contemporary concern for the environment with the ancient text.

‘We tried to figure out how we use the Latin mass as a prism to take on secular themes, including taking this Latin text and substituting Mother Nature for God and Jesus,’ Snider said.

But it’s not just the lyricism that blended the old and the new: accompanying each of the six movements was a nature-inspired moving image, projected over the choir throughout the performance. These visuals were part of Snider’s larger goal of bringing classical music into the 21st century.

This vision is shared by Teaching Associate in Music Emily Isaacson, who directs the Chorus. Isaacson also founded Portland-based arts group Classical Uprising, which includes the Oratorio Chorale.

‘Sarah and I both feel incredibly passionate about this music and about the history of this music, but we’ve got to make it relevant and a part of the larger scene,’ Isaacson said.”

Photo credit: Andrew Estey