Elektra's THE LIGHT OF HOPE RETURNING Set For Next Month

Vancouver’s renowned Elektra will launch its 38th season with an invitation to embrace the music of winter, solstice, and Christmas in Shawn Kirchner’s sparkling folk oratorio, The Light of Hope Returning, November 30 and December 1 at Vancouver's Pacific Spirit United Church.

“Some music uplifts the audience and performers in equal measure,” says Artistic Director Morna Edmundson, “and The Light of Hope Returning is just that. It’s been three years since we gave this work its Canadian premiere, and I couldn’t resist one more experience of it in this, my final season with Elektra. We have a stellar group of instrumentalists with us, giving this piece all the colours and characters to make it shine.”

Composer Shawn Kirchner, who Elektra will welcome to Vancouver for the performances, has crafted a work that weaves strands of Appalachian and Shape Note traditions with Gospel and Spiritual traditions, along with faint echoes of the folk roots of the British Isles. 

“The fiddle and string bass get toes tapping on Brightest and Best, and bluegrass banjo-like rhythms sparkle on Angels We Have Heard on High," Shawn says. “Gospel-style piano undergirds Behold That Star, and Holy World, while saxophone solos soar above gospel grooves in Lo, How a Rose and Children, Go Where I Send Thee. Folk-style fiddling is heard on the violin and cello as a ‘midwinter motif’ guides us through the work’s many transitions, with the hammered dulcimer lending its unique ring and shimmer at special moments.”

Enhancing the performance are extraordinary original video art projections by renowned Syrian-American artist Kevork Mourad. Known for his collaborations with classical musicians, including Yo-Yo Ma’s Silkroad project, Mourad’s mesmerizing visuals add depth and wonder to this entrancing work.