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A 'sweeping choral work' at Lincoln Center, performed by 800 everyday New Yorkers
By
Precious Fondren
Published May 13, 2023
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Roy Rochlin/Getty Images
By
Precious Fondren
Published May 13, 2023
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An audience of hundreds gathered at Lincoln Center’s Josie Robertson Plaza on Saturday afternoon for a special performance – sung by a chorus featuring 800 everyday New Yorkers.
The performance, titled “Search for Spring,” was a collaboration between English composer Jonathan Dove and librettist Alasdair Middleton. Lincoln Center, which commissioned “Search for Spring,” describes it as “a sweeping choral work exploring the emotional toll of climate change and our hope for a better future ahead.”
The piece, which was performed over the course of nearly an hour, was sung by five separate choirs, including the Young People’s Chorus of New York City. They in turn were guided by a team of six conductors led by conductor Simon Halsey. But because “Search for Spring” was written to be sung by “hundreds of community voices,” there were no formal auditions for anyone seeking to be part of a choir.
One singer, Daniele McCain, has been in a choir since she was 13. She’s currently part of the Our Chorus – The New York Choral Society and said she had to take part in the performance because to her, music is magic.
“It helps you grow as a person,” she said. “And it’s something that I can’t let go of. It’s the passion.”
McCain said that each of the five participating choirs rehearsed in separate locations for weeks. As the date of the performance drew nearer, all five choirs met in person at various locations like churches and auditoriums to perfect their sound. She said the best part of being part of rehearsals was having the opportunity to meet new people and reconnect with old friends.
“The harmony and the good aura and vibrations of other people kept me going,” McCain said.
That sense of community was something performer Erin Salokas longed for since the onset of the pandemic. Salokas said she joined a choir in Harlem to get out of her comfort zone and meet people. Performing in “Search for Spring” was her first time singing in front of people, and Salokas said she felt somewhat called to take part in the performance.
“It's cool, because it connects to the theme of the piece, which is sort of about building a sustainable future for the next generation,” Salokas said. “And so I think it was all just like, part of this grand theme of togetherness, and being in on something together.”
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Precious Fondren
Precious is a former WNYC & Gothamist culture reporter.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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