The AU Chamber Singers—under the direction of conductor and College of Arts and Sciences Professor Daniel Abraham—will tackle a few big and beautiful questions in their concert program “Parallel Universes: Scientific Discovery and Musical Thought” on Nov. 16 and 17.
“The program navigates the zeitgeist of scientific discovery and artistic creation,” Abraham said. “It is designed to challenge the audience, provoking deeper thought on how creativity is connected to the sciences and arts.”
The show leads into an interactive journey through scientific history from Newtonian physics to quantum mechanics. Each step of the way, choral arrangements and graphic displays breathe life into the interwoven stories of music and science.
Quotes and sketches from some of the greatest and most controversial minds in history including Albert Einstein, Leonardo da Vinci and William Shakespeare illustrate the complex landscape.
The program is as innovative as it is conceptually ambitious, juxtaposing choral excerpts with both visual animation and historical background. The show, capturing the essence of music and science, is at once sensory and intellectual.
“Underlying the program is the concept of interconnectedness,” said vocalist Chris Waldron, a freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences.
The ethereal blend of voices depicts the “music of the cosmos,” bridging heaven and Earth, according to the show. Music is both enabled by science and inspired by it.
The AU Chamber Singers has a gorgeous collective voice that is transcendent and larger than itself. The performance is finely textured and is a great demonstration of the performers’ discipline as well as their artistic understanding.
Together with Abraham and piano accompanist and Musician in Residence Matthew van Hoose, the AU Chamber Singers are an incredible celebration of sound.
“Parallel Universes” will play on Nov. 16 at 8 p.m. and Nov. 17 at 3 p.m. at Abramson Family Recital Hall at Katzen Arts Center. Tickets are $10 for regular admission and $5 for AU community.
