News Release: PEV Holiday Program Offers Seasonal Music of Spanish Diaspora

PACIFIC EDGE VOICES PRESENTS HOLIDAY CONCERT CANCIONES DE LUZ - SONGS OF LIGHT, DECEMBER 3 IN SAN FRANCISCO AND DECEMBER 8 IN BERKELEY

BERKELEY, Calif. (Nov 13, 2023) – The Grammy-nominated Pacific Edge Voices (PEV) presents a holiday program Canciones de Luz - Songs of Light that features Ariel Ramirez’ lively Misa Criolla, a folk mass in Spanish, featuring soloists, traditional melodies and percussion. Also featured is a PEV-commissioned work Oración: Salvamè for baritone and piano by Paulino Contreras, who will perform the work with PEV music director Ash Walker as soloist.

Walker conducts the two performances: Sunday, December 3 at 7 p.m. at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in San Francisco, and Friday, December 8 at 7:30 p.m. at First Congregational Church of Berkeley. (Full listing details below.)

“I’m excited to open my fourth season with PEV with a holiday program full of musical joy and celebration,” said Walker. “As has become our tradition, we’ll combine lighting effects, percussion and movement as we celebrate musical traditions from the Spanish diaspora and beyond. Whether we’re telling tales from Basque mythology or processing by candlelight singing in Quechua, our goal is to transport our audiences on a musical journey that captures the spirit of the season.”

Program Highlights

Argentinian composer Ariel Ramírez composed Misa Criolla in 1964 as one of the first non-Latin masses written after the Second Vatican Council allowed vernacular texts in Catholic churches. The work incorporates various Indigenous folk themes, structures and harmonies, as well as traditional Andean percussion, while following the typical structure of a Latin Catholic choral mass. Soloists in the Misa are Isaac Perez, tenor, and Claudia Landivar, mezzo-soprano.

The program includes the world premiere of PEV-commissioned Oración: Sálvame for solo baritone and piano from Mexican-born composer Paulino Contreras. Contreras has performed with the Millersville University Orchestra, Gettysburg Chamber Orchestra, and serves as artist-in-residence for the Berks Sinfonietta Orchestra. He also has served as a faculty accompanist at Gettysburg College. Based in Pennsylvania, Contreras is also a music educator and theatrical music director. In this concert, Contreras will play piano in his composition and harpsichord in Misa Criolla.

Full program

Frank LaRocca: “Aue Maria” from Mass of the Americas

Ariel Ramirez: Misa Criolla  (Argentina)

Anonymous: Hanaq Pachap Kusikuynin (traditional Quechua)

Josu Elberdin: Gaur Akelarre (Basque)

Ruben Federizon/Chim Zayas: Gabaq-An (Philippines)

Paulino Contreras: Oración: Sálvame (World Premiere, PEV commission)

Jacobus Gallus Handl: Jerusalem Gaude

Kenneth Lampl: Adon Olam

Traditional/arr. Moses Hogan: The Battle of Jericho

Franz Gruber: Silent Night