TOPSHAM

Topsham’s Midcoast Presbyterian Church reverberated with song during a rehearsal of the 40-member Vox Nova Chamber Choir last week. Baritones rumbled accompanied by tenors before being joined by altos and sopranos to form a rich harmony at the crescendo. Audiences can experience that harmony for themselves Saturday, when the choir kicks off its seventh year with a concert titled “Da Pacem: Music for Peace in Our Time.”

“Da Pacem” translates from Latin as “Give Peace,” a message that is, according to choir members, very timely.

“I think music represents the different ways we can find peace,” said soprano Dawn Anderson of Ossipee, New Hampshire, who drives 80 miles to practice with the choir. “And boy, could we use some right now.”

Founded in 2009 at Bowdoin College, Vox Nova draws mainly from contemporary composers, often from northern Europe and the Baltic states. Saturday’s concert will feature works by Rudy Tas, Kenneth Lampl and Veljo Tormis. Vox Nova Director Shannon Chase of Brunswick believes that the concept of peace is better conveyed by the composers of our time, if only because those folks are actually living through it.

“I started thinking about peace and what that means, and it’s not just about love and harmony, but I really wanted there to be a poignancy to it,” said Chase, who knows many composers featured in Saturday’s program personally. “Our opening piece, ‘Da Pacem Domine,’ is by Arvo Pärt from Estonia. If anybody knows about the trials and tribulations of the war for peace, it’s Estonia.”

Pärt began composing “Da Pacem” two days after the 2004 Madrid train bombings, and based the text on a medieval hymn.

“My heart is with the Baltic states, and that region is full of great composers,” said Chase. “You’ll see that represented throughout the year.”

The emphasis on modern and contemporary works is something that Chase believes sets Vox Nova apart.

“We do modern music, and while there are other groups that will perform that repertoire, we are aspiring toward a performance niche,” said Chase. “We don’t want to do Bach and Beethoven and the boys, because everybody else has that covered.” She added: “Our audiences come to hear us not because it’s something they know well but because they don’t know exactly what we’re doing, and they’re curious. I think all conductors work really hard to connect with the music and the text, but you can’t really sit down and chat with Beethoven.”

Chase said she recruits singers who are “really curious about music they don’t already know,” which makes them work harder. Vox singers range in age from 22-78 and hail from across Maine and New Hampshire.

“I just so enjoy singing with Shannon, the way she kind of brings you into the music,” said alto Rachel Turner of Rockland, who took voice lessons with Chase. “She has a way of really making music approachable.” Soprano Julie Richard has been performing with Vox for three years. Like Anderson, Richard also travels from New Hampshire to rehearse and perform. “The music we’re doing this year is spectacular,” said Richard. “My favorite saying is an anonymous saying,” said Anderson. “‘Music is what feelings sound like.’ I think that sums it up.”

“Da Pacem: Music for Peace in Our Time” premieres Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at Studzinski Hall on the Bowdoin Campus, with an encore performance on Sunday at 3 p.m. Tickets are $25 at the door and $20 in advance online. To learn more, visit voxnovachamberchoir.com.

bgoodridge@timesrecord.com

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