Name: Evening Light: Mozart's Vespers and Choral Twilight Reflections
Start: 2026-05-16T19:30:00-04:00
Location: Pease Auditorium

Evening Light: Mozart's Vespers and Choral Twilight Reflections

There is nothing like an evening in the spring. Bursting with joy, anticipation, and reflection. We hope that you will join Beyond Choir for a program that captures the quiet beauty and spirit of twilight. Evening Light centers on Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s reclective Vesperae solennes de confessore, a masterpiece of sacred choral writing filled with joyful praise, and the beloved “Laudate Dominum,” whose soaring soprano line floats above the choir in one of Mozart’s most luminous moments.

The program also features Ralph Vaughan Williams’ beautiful Serenade to Music, a work inspired by Shakespeare that celebrates the power of music to move the soul. adapted from The Merchant of Venice, the text reflects the atmospheric wonder of a spring evening. With its warm harmonies and expressive solo lines, the piece invites listeners into a sound world where voices blend like the fading colors of the evening sky. Originally written by Vaughan Williams for 16 soloists, its vocal warmth and color contrast perfectly with the Mozart.

Set in the historic Pease Auditorium at Eastern Michigan University, this concert surrounds the listener in a grand and resonant space shaped for choral sound. As music unfolds—from Mozart’s radiant sacred writing to Vaughan Williams’ reflective beauty—Evening Light becomes an atmosphere of warmth, wonder, and quiet joy.
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Beyond Choir is proud to collaborate with an exceptional group of featured and guest artists for Evening Light. This performance welcomes Dr. Sarah Simko, organ, whose artistry brings depth and brilliance to the program.

In keeping with our commitment to education, mentorship, and community connection, this concert also features singers from the Eastern Michigan University Choir and the Plymouth Canton Educational Park Choirs (PCEP Choirs). Their participation reflects Beyond Choir’s continued investment in education outreach and professional development, offering student musicians the opportunity to perform alongside professional and educator artists in a collaborative, high-level choral setting.

These partnerships embody our mission to connect musicians across experience levels and to elevate the choral art form through shared performance experiences.