Light in the Darkness

Experience an evening of choral music that gives voice to the voiceless and shines a light on those who suffer in silence. The Boston University Singers, Symphonic Chorus, and Soprano-Alto Chorus present The Little Match Girl Passion, featuring David Lang’s Pulitzer Prize-winning choral masterwork. • 

Featuring Boston University Singers, Boston University Symphonic Chorus, Boston University Soprano-Alto Chorus, with Daniel Parsley, Conductor • David Lang's Little Match Girl Passion is a haunting and minimalist choral work that reimagines Hans Christian Andersen's tragic tale of a young girl’s suffering and death on a cold New Year's Eve. Combining Andersen's story with the structure and text of J.S. Bach's St. Matthew Passion, Lang weaves a powerful narrative of innocence, despair, and redemption. The work, which won the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 2008, uses sparse instrumentation and delicate vocal lines to evoke deep emotional resonance, reflecting on themes of vulnerability and compassion. The afternoon is complemented with works by Morten Lauridsen, James MacMillan, Joel Thompson, B.E. Boykin, and others, exploring themes of vulnerability, resilience, and the power of collective empathy. Join us for a moving concert that resonates with the struggles and hopes of the human spirit. • Repertoire: Lang: Little Match Girl Passion • Lauridsen: Midwinter Songs • MacMillan: O Radiant Dawn • Zhuang: Tui Chao Mian • Elgar: The Snow • Boykin: Stardust • Thompson: “Amadou Diallo” from Seven Last Words of the Unarmed • Flaherty: Make Them Hear You •

This concert is free and open to the public.