« All nearby programs

Book Andrew Egbuchiem for a groupmuse

Toward the Light: A New Year’s Offering


Details

Andrew Egbuchiem full profile / Soprano, Countertenor and Keyboard / 3 musicians


Full program notes

Toward the Light: A New Year’s Offering

As one year closes and another begins, we gather at the threshold — a place where reflection meets renewal, where memory gives way to possibility. Toward the Light traces this arc through music: from prayer and longing to resilience, gratitude, and the joy of belonging. Each piece becomes a step on the path from contemplation to celebration, guiding us toward hope’s first dawn.

Part I — The Lyrical and the Divine

(Prayer, Reverence, and the Quiet Light of the Heart)

Camille Saint-Saëns – Ave Maria (Duet)
A timeless expression of sacred reverence.

Francesco Durante – Vergin, tutto amor
A prayer to the Virgin for mercy and compassion.

Antonio Vivaldi – Vedrò il mio diletto
Joy in anticipation — love as divine longing.

George Frideric Handel – Empio, diro, tu sei (from Giulio Cesare)
Righteous indignation turned to faith in justice.

Vincenzo Bellini – Vaga luna, che inargenti
A moonlit prayer of love and remembrance.

Vincenzo Bellini – Ma rendi pur contento
A wish for the beloved’s happiness — a quiet thanksgiving of the heart.

Francesco Cilea – Io son l’umile ancella
“I am the humble servant of the creative spirit” — a perfect offering of gratitude for the gift of song.

Johannes Brahms – Die Mainacht, Op. 43 No. 2
Spring’s beauty mingled with loneliness — yearning transformed into reflection.

Johannes Brahms – Von ewiger Liebe, Op. 43 No. 1
Eternal love as a symbol of unbreakable devotion.

Johannes Brahms – Drei Duette, Op. 20
No. 2 – Weg der Liebe (Poco Adagio) — The path of love, patient and true.
No. 3 – Die Meere (Andante) — The vastness of love, deep as the sea.

— Intermission —

Part II — Songs of Spirit, Soul, and Home

(Gratitude, resilience, and the joy of belonging)

Gerald Finzi – Two Lips
Love’s tenderness — thanksgiving in fleeting beauty.

Leslie Adams – The Heart of a Woman
Strength, love, and grace — a quiet hymn to resilience.

Claude Debussy – Ariettes oubliées
C’est l’extase, Il pleure dans mon cœur
The bittersweet beauty of emotion — longing transformed into art.

Alban Berg – Die Nachtigall
The nightingale sings of hope renewed.

George Gershwin – What You Want Wid Bess? (from Porgy and Bess)
Love, forgiveness, and homecoming in the American idiom.

Andrew Lloyd Webber – Memory (from Cats)
Remembering what was lost — gratitude for what remains.

Henry Krieger & Tom Eyen – Changing (from Dreamgirls)
The courage to begin again.

Innocent Okechukwu – Egwu Onwa (Moonlight Play)
Celebration of community and shared joy under the moonlight.

David Ibinaiye – Gbamu Gbamu (Filled to Overflowing)
A jubilant song of abundance and divine blessing.

Henry T. Burleigh – Deep River
A yearning for peace and the promised rest.

Hall Johnson – River Chant
The voice of the spirit carried by living waters.

Jacqueline Hairston – Lord, I’ll Go
A declaration of faith and service.

Florence Price – You Won’t Find a Man Like Jesus
Joyful affirmation — gratitude that finds its voice in praise.


Videos from this player


Audio from this player


Other programs from this ensemble