For its annual Holiday Magic concert — on Saturday Dec. 8 at Edmonds Center for the Arts — the 100-voice Sno-King Community Chorale will perform “Dreamweaver,” a beautiful, soaring tale by Norwegian composer Ola Gjeilo. Featured are accompanist Debra DeMiero, soprano Jennifer Bromagen, and a 22-piece string orchestra, under the direction of conductor/artistic director Dustin Willetts,
The text is based on parts of the well-known Norwegian medieval poem Draumkvedet, an epic ballad that has much in common with Dante’s The Divine Comedy. The protagonist falls asleep on Christmas Eve and sleeps for 13 days. When he awakens, he goes to church to describe his dreams to the congregation about his brave, beautiful, terrifying and, ultimately, redeeming journey through the afterlife. Charles Anthony Silvestri’s playful interpretation of the poem is performed in English.
Composer Gjeilo was born in Norway and at the age of 23 came to the United States to study composition at The Juilliard School. Today, he is a full-time composer in New York City.
Other selections in the concert include “Somewhere in My Memory,“ John Williams’ lyrical theme for the popular movie Home Alone; a rollicking rendition of “Toboggan for Two”; and “Walking in the Air,” from the animated film The Snowman.
Vocal Lab, the smaller select group of singers, will perform several holiday favorites and Ēriks Ešenvalds’ “Only in Sleep.”
Tickets for the 3 p.m. or 7 p.m. performance may be purchased at Edmonds Center for the Arts Box Office, 410 – 4th Ave North, online at ec4arts.org or sno-kingchorale.org, or by calling 425-275-9595. Chorale members will also have tickets at the Holiday Market outside Edmonds City Hall on Saturday, Nov. 17, from 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
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