A Light in the Darkness

A winter solstice-themed holiday concert

Sacra/Profana, San Diego’s premiere professional vocal ensemble presents “A Light in the Darkness,” at 7 p.m., Friday, December 15 at Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church in Cardiff, located at 3459 Manchester Avenue.

Diverging from the traditional yuletide program “A Light in the Darkness” is a winter solstice-themed, transcendent musical experience celebrating the power of light to pierce the darkest nights. Enchanting voices and triumphant brass will invite the audience to reflect on the shifting balance and profound symbolism of the shortest day of the year.

Conducting will be Sacra/Profana Founding Director and Principle Guest Conductor, Krishan Oberoi, and Assistant Conductor Aaron Burgett. Musical selections will include contemporary works focusing on themes of peace on earth, and featured piece Ralph Vaughan Williams’ ‘Dona Nobis Pacem,” in a new chamber orchestration.

“The timing of “Dona Nobis Pacem” is sadly relevant with two major conflicts gripping the world’s attention, both of which echo two previous World Wars,” explains Sacra/Profana Artistic Director Juan Carlos Acosta. “Vaughan Williams volunteered for service in World War I and served as an ambulance driver. ‘Dona Nobis Pacem’ is in part a reaction to the devastation of World War I, and a caution written for Europe which was on the brink of another war when it premiered.”

 Although he described himself as a “cheerful agnostic” Vaughan Williams wrote a good deal of sacred music, and the “Dona Nobis Pacem”(grant us peace) is a mixture of texts including the Mass, poetry by Walt Whitman, passages from the Bible, and a political speech.

“Our programs this year grapple with loss, dark times, the environment, racial equality, perseverance in the face of hate, and the struggle for community,” said Acosta.  “And yet undergirding all of this is a message of hope and love. In each of the programs this season we hope to show that although a better and brighter day is on the horizon, we cannot sit idly by.”

Sacra/Profana partners with an area nonprofit for each of their concerts in an effort to elevate their missions. The nonprofit partner for “A Light in the Darkness” is the San Diego Diplomacy Council. The San Diego Diplomacy Council creates inclusive professional, cultural, and educational experiences that connect local and global changemakers, fostering convergence in a divergent world.

Sacra/Profana is acclaimed for its musical diversity; merging pop, classical, and contemporary music with its commitment to amplify the artistic voices of women, and individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds, alongside traditional works.

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