Ambitious choral work is told in 7 languages

The pandemic disrupted the work of artists and performers, but it also led to opportunities. For the Kailua-based Windward Choral Society, it offered the chance to learn “Jubilate Deo,” a challenging work by acclaimed choral composer Dan Forrest.

Inspired by Psalm 100, which extolls the virtue of singing, “Jubilate Deo” requires the chorus to sing in seven languages — Latin, Hebrew, Arabic, Mandarin Chinese, Zulu, Spanish and English. The accompanying orchestra, meanwhile, must accommodate two non-Western instruments, the violin-like Chinese erhu and the shekere, a West African percussion instrument similar to maracas.

The Windward Choral Society will host the Oahu premiere of the 50-minute work at 4 p.m. June 11 at Kawaiaha‘o Church, with Forrest coming from the mainland for the performance.

Susan Duprey, the choral society’s artistic director, said choral members were unable to meet in person during the pandemic, so she had them study the piece on Zoom as an educational exercise.

“(Forrest) is very meticulous in the score. He writes down everything,” Duprey said, referring to markings for dynamics, tempo, phrasing and enunciation. “So I thought this would be a great way to learn about the choral score.”

The 2016 work features a variety of musical genres, from “bombastic” Western orchestral music to haunting Middle Eastern sounds, Duprey said. “The fourth movement is in Zulu, which is super fast, lots of percussion instruments,” she said. “That was probably the most wild one for us to learn on Zoom.”

Wendy Buzby, a mezzo based in Kona, and well-known Oahu soprano Malia Ka‘ai-Barrett will sing featured solos. The Windward Choral Society will be joined by its sister chorus, the Kona Choral Society. Members of the Hawaii Youth Opera chorus and Punahou School’s middle school chorus — the piece was originally commissioned for the Indianapolis Children’s Choir — will sing from the balconies at the church to create an angelic effect. “People will be able to see them and hear them beautifully,” Duprey said.

“The main theme of Psalm 100 is ‘Whole world, you gotta sing. Just sing,’” Duprey said. “Sing joyfully, all the earth.”

The performance is free; donations are requested to offset costs.