Circlesong: Music of Bob Chilcott

Symphony San José Chorale and Cantabile Youth Singers

Elena Sharkova, Conductor

Sunday, November 9, 2025 at 3:30pm

​

A work filled with ambition, Bob Chilcott’s Circlesong offers a vivid musical portrayal of the human life cycle, inspired by the rich traditions of indigenous North American poetry. Drawing on texts from the Chinook, Comanche, Dakota, Eskimo, Iroquois, Kwakiutl, Navajo, Ojibwa, Pueblo, Seminole, Sioux, and Yaqui peoples, the piece unfolds across thirteen movements in seven parts, tracing life’s journey from birth and childhood to adulthood, middle age, and death. With its energetic percussion, powerful tutti choir passages, tender unaccompanied moments, and the joyful voices of a children’s choir, Circlesong is a work of striking drama, variety, and emotional depth.

​

The program opens with one of Chilcott’s most frequently performed pieces, the Little Jazz Mass (2004), written for choir and rhythm trio. Here, Chilcott masterfully blends two distinct traditions — the sacred Latin Mass and the vibrant idiom of jazz — crafting a choral gem that is joyful, soulful, and exhilarating.​

​​​​​​​​​​​​