"Calling" by Paul Fowler

From Pacific Chorale's "Songs of the Soul" concert on March 19, 2022, at Our Lady Queen of Angels Catholic Church Newport Beach, here is a lovely performance by members of the Pacific Chorale of Paul Fowler's "Calling," conducted by Robert Istad.

Video & Audio Captured by Arts Laureate, https://www.artslaureate.com/

CONCERT SUPPORT PROVIDED BY
Platinum Season Sponsor -- Phillip N. and Mary A. Lyons
Silver Season Sponsor -- Charles and Ling Zhang
Silver Season Corporate Sponsor -- Salt-Away Products, Inc.
This project was supported in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.

ABOUT THE PIECE
Paul Fowler’s wordless Calling is, in the composer’s words, a piece that explores “how we call to each other across distances and up close; and how the inherent overtones of our vowels and voices may also be calling us to awakenment.” Fowler uses a variety of wordless vowel sounds and vocal techniques in evocative ways that musically demonstrate his verbal description. Calling, written for two spatially separated choirs, opens with a short low, hollow whistling section followed by pitched intervals and the distinctive brief rising melodic motive that is heard throughout the work, in isolation and antiphonally (in close imitative succession). Longer stepwise melodic phrases alternate with the brief principal rising motive, and are supported throughout by vocal harmonics and changing vowel sounds written as repeated rhythmic ostinato patterns. Body percussion—sounds made by slapping hands and chests—is introduced later in the piece. All these repeated interlocking melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic aspects combine to create a beautiful sonic exploration that movingly emphasizes the notion of calling out to others for enlightenment, but without words.
(Program Notes by Dr. John Kogel, Professor of Musicology, California State University Fullerton)
Learn more about Paul Fowler's work at https://www.paulfowler.net/

ARTISTS
Robert Istad, Phillip N. and Mary A. Lyons Artistic Director
John Alexander, Artistic Director Emeritus
Kibsaim Escarcega, Assistant Conductor

SOPRANOS: Rebecca Hasquet (section leader), Alexandria Burdick, Chelsea Chaves, Kathryn Lillich, Maria Cristina Navarro, Joslyn Sarshad

ALTOS: Jane Hyun-Jung Shim (section leader), Denean R. Dyson, Eleen Hsu-Wentlandt, Laurel Sanders, Alison Stickley, Emily Weinberg

TENORS: Nicholas A. Preston (section leader, Roger W. Johnson memorial chair), Daniel Alvarez, Nate Brown, Saunder Choi, Alan Garcia, Sammy Salvador

BASSES: Ryan Thomas Antal (section leader, Ron Gray legacy chair), Jared Daniel Jones, Matthew Kellaway, Yannick Lambrecht, Jackson McDonald, Emmanuel Miranda