Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY) presents Glimpses of the Sacred Veil: The Music of Eric Whitacre in Review
Eric Whitacre, composer/conductor
Distinguished Concerts Singers International
Kelly Yu-Chieh Lin, piano; Jake Charkey, cello
Stern Auditorium, Carnegie Hall, New York, NY
May 31,2022
“It’s been two long years.” So said Eric Whitacre, in his remarks to the Carnegie Hall audience on May 31, 2002. Yes, it’s been over two years since his last appearance with Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY), so this was something of both a homecoming and a sign that DCINY is back. It’s not the first concert DCINY has presented, but it is the first truly marquee event – Eric Whitacre is a bona fide superstar. This reviewer was thrilled to be there to see the excitement that took me back to the pre-pandemic days , when family and friends filled the hall and cheered their hearts out for their stars.
This is Eric Whitacre’s 19th appearance with DCINY, and the program was dedicated to his works, some old favorites, and selections from The Sacred Veil (completed in 2019). Mr. Whitacre’s trademark charisma is still intact- even when telling stories that he’s told countless times (and I have heard at least four or five times). He did seem to strike the right balance of fun and gratitude as he spoke, as opposed to just playing the audience for laughs (he got them anyway!). He introduced each work, which was a plus, as the printed program did not follow the order, and one work was even missing (but the lyrics for that missing work appeared in the program notes).
The Distinguished Concerts Singers came from South Carolina, Tennessee, Colorado, Texas, Illinois, North Carolina, New Jersey, and Minnesota. They were well-prepared by their respective directors , but the magic that is Whitacre is what took these singers to greater heights than they probably imagined possible. Pianist Kelly Yu-Chieh Lin is a star in her own right.
About the music – the six selections from The Sacred Veil were split equally between the halves, but I am going to speak of them together. About the others works, I have written extensively about them in past reviews, so I’ll limit myself to brief comments. Lux Aurumque, probably the “Signature” work by Whitacre (and seemingly “done to death”), still has the power to enchant. The two volumes of Animal Crackers, set to text by Ogden Nash are pure side-splitting fun, which had the audience roaring in laughter. The City and the Sea, employing texts by E.E. Cummings, had the pianist using the “oven mitt” technique (clusters on the white keys) and was done to the hilt. The last of this set, the bustling little man in a hurry is an old favorite of this listener and did not disappoint. A Boy and a Girl (text by Octavio Paz) and The Seal Lullaby (text by Rudyard Kipling) were both done with a sensitivity that was touching.
Mr. Whitacre spoke briefly about The Sacred Veil, and his friendship with Tony and Julie Silvestri. I’d like to actually quote his written words about this work: “The Sacred Veil is a 12-movement work and the most recent collaboration between Eric Whitacre and poet/lyricist Charles Anthony Silvestri telling a story of life, love and loss. Silvestri’s wife, Julie, died of ovarian cancer at age 36 in 2005, leaving two young children. Including texts from Silvestri, Whitacre and Julie herself, the intimate, compelling score tells a story of courtship, love, loss and the search for solace. Although inspired by this extraordinary and moving friendship, the piece does not mention Julie by name and shares a very human journey –one that so many of us can relate to.” The Sacred Veil is scored for chorus, piano, and cello. On this occasion, six movements were presented.
I suspect that the movements featured were carefully chosen to give the listener an “overview” of the entire work. It is also possible that the difficulty of certain movements (some are filled with medical jargon) was also a consideration. This listener has heard the entire work several times and was deeply moved by the journey, but was also emotionally devastated as well, in particular by You Rise, I Fall (which was not one of the six selected movements).
The three movements A Dark and Distant Year, Home, and Magnetic Poetry tell the story of a man despairing of ever finding love, meeting a wonderful woman, falling in love, and settling into a happy life. Four little words “You feel like home” give rise to some poignantly beautiful music, with cellist Jake Charkey projecting that poignancy with simple sincerity. Magnetic Poetry takes its name from those little magnetized word kits with which one can make word jumbles on their refrigerator. The text was Julie’s arrangement of these little word magnets that she wrote down on paper. That paper was not found until after her passing. The text-setting was done with reverential power – this was not silly randomness, but the words of a woman who was obviously a force.
The movements Delicious Times, Dear Friends, and Child of Wonder are the journey through illness and into final release. Delicious Times is a remembrance of Julie’s children’s reaction to her losing her hair, not one of fright, but laughter and joyful times (“The kids have been amazing, and we’ve had some really delicious times.”). Dear Friends is the request for prayer when the end is near, not prayers for a peaceful death, but a miraculous recovery – the spirit of one who is not giving up and who will fight for life until the very last breath. One can feel that spirit in the music and hopes against hope that somehow that miracle will occur. Child of Wonder (words by the composer ) are what Whitacre calls a Benediction, which is apt, both in the religious sense (a welcome to Heaven) and a release from life into the next.
The audience gave Mr. Whitacre and the singers (in both halves) a standing ovation. I think most were incredibly moved by what they heard and experienced. As a send-off, Sing Gently, finished the evening. Congratulations to all!
