The stage at Zoellner Arts Center transformed into a cross-cultural fabrication of sound, poetry and instrumentation for the Lehigh music department’s fall choral showcase.
Originally planned around the theme of human connection, the concert’s focus evolved over the semester into a broader exploration of presence and gratitude titled “What We Need is Here.”
The performances, which took place on Oct. 23 and Oct. 24, brought together all four of the department’s vocal ensembles: Choral Union, University Choir, Dolce and Glee Club.
Together, the ensembles explored a spiritual landscape through a varied selection of pieces, ranging from traditional Sanskrit chants to modern Americana poetry.
“‘What We Need is Here’ speaks to a broad sense of presence and gratitude that we experience,” said Sarah Frook Gallo, assistant professor of music and director of choral activities. “The idea is that there are all of these thresholds in a human life that everyone has, if they’re lucky and they live a long life, and that those transition times are universal and can be uniquely impactful.”
Frook Gallo said that the performance’s central piece inspired the shift, which was a multi-movement cantata titled “Tse Go La“ (at the threshold of this life) by composer Andrea Clearfield.
The concert title was drawn from Wendell Berry’s poem “Wild Geese,” which was featured in the program to anchor the performance in a shared call to be “quiet in heart, and in eye clear.”
Frook Gallo, who joined Lehigh’s faculty just over two years ago after teaching at the University of Georgia, said the cantata draws heavily from Tibetan and Zen Buddhism to trace universal rites of passage.
The piece required student musicians to sing pieces written by anthropologist Sienna Craig alongside traditional songs translated from Nepal’s Mustang region.
According to the concert’s booklet, the movements structured the performance around foundational human experiences expressed in the Tibetan language, beginning with “kye” (birth), moving through “shal ye” (mountain to the east) and the customs of “kusum” (marriage), before concluding with “shi” (death).
The final movement brought profound gravity to the stage, combining lines about a “fossil unearthed by river’s course,” with chanting of a Sanskrit mantra from Buddhist Heart Sutra that preaches enlightenment.
Executing this complex repertoire was a logistical undertaking for the music department, as it required collaboration with other instrumentalists playing Tibetan trumpets, traditional drums and singing bowls.
The singers also worked directly with Clearfield to better understand the emotional weight behind the music.
“I think it (working with the composer) really opened it up for us in a new way, beyond just the notes on the page,” Frook Gallo said.
For the students bringing these performances to life, the preparation served as a lesson in community building and artistic discipline.
Veronica Lada, ‘28, stepped into a leadership role this semester as president of the Dolce choir group. Lada said the program combines analytical interpretation with the opportunity to create something beyond themselves as a group.
“With music, you can really explain yourself without having to say anything,” Lada said.
The department’s ensembles underwent several transitions leading up to the October production.
Dolce grew to 30 members this semester and began working under a new conductor, Nicholas Sienkiewicz, following the departure of former associate director Liz Olson.
During the individual ensemble portion of the program, Dolce performed “O Pastorelle, Addio,” a piece from the opera “Andrea Chénier,” which tells the story of a poet executed during the French Revolution.
Dolce also performed Jennifer Lucy Cook’s rhythmic piece “Underneath My Feet” and the lively dance song “La Li Ley.”
Other ensembles performed selections including “Daniel, Daniel” and Jonathan Talberg’s “When We Are Gone.”
As returning members adjusted to organizational changes within the ensembles, first-year students immersed themselves in an unfamiliar musical environment.
Ayelen Bodnar, ‘30, University Choir member, said singing the Tibetan texts accurately required intense preparation.
To help singers master the unfamiliar language, Frook Gallo utilized a technique of teaching vocal phrases backward from the final word, working toward the first to build phonetic confidence in increments.
“It’s really hard, especially when we’re singing in another language,” Bodnar said. “We would always learn phrases in new languages from the back to the front. That helps because you don’t have to worry about what’s coming next.”
Bodnar said the concert was about returning to her roots and connection across cultures, which allowed her to form deep bonds backstage.
The performance fostered a shared, present moment between the stage and the community.
“I hope that each person in the audience finds at least one thing that they resonate with,” Frook Gallo said. “I hope that they feel the opportunity to be present together as an audience in-person, which is a really special thing about being at a choral concert.”
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