- Oct 25, 2025 - 7:00 pm
- 7:00 pm
- Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall
Poulenc & Hagen
Commission, premiere, and recording underwritten by the Ron Rudderow Legacy Fund, Commissioned in partnership with The Washington ChorusRobert Istad, conductor
Pacific Chorale
Pacific Symphony
PROGRAM
Poulenc’s Gloria
Jocelyn Hagen World Premiere What the Soul Already Knows
Celebrate the joyous spirit of choral music in this concert showcasing Poulenc’s exuberant Gloria alongside Jocelyn Hagen’s captivating new work. Poulenc’s score sparkles with brilliant brass fanfares, playful rhythms, and haunting soprano solos—expertly weaving together moments of drama and delight. Treat yourself to an evening of musical splendor as these two works combine tradition and innovation in a truly stirring performance.
Pacific Chorale is excited to collaborate with Minnesota-based composer Jocelyn Hagen and Native American Grammy Award-winning interdisciplinary artist, Ty Defoe on a new seven-movement oratorio work for symphonic chorus and orchestra.
What do we hold sacred in our lives today? What makes something sacred? Traditionally the word has described objects or places. In choral music, it usually denotes music performed or composed for the Christian church, and makes up the majority of pieces we sing. But in the 21st century, we are looking for a different definition. For me, the word can apply to ideas, relationships, and intangibles such as time. Like so many things in life, we choose what is sacred to us, and live our lives accordingly. – Jocelyn Hagen
Explore the values and ideas that today’s culture holds sacred. What is essential to our lives and necessary for our happiness and well-being? What significance do these things hold, and why? For many people, land is sacred and holds a deep spiritual connection. People have similar relationships with water: our seas, lakes, and rivers. For others, it is the environment or the animal kingdom. Our relationships with ourselves and each other can also inhabit sacred bonds. Newly commissioned poetry will explore these relationships and why they are special. The work will remind us that “not everybody has a god, but everyone has a religion.
