Maestro Michael Nowak’s baton swished back and forth, leading the music with a brisk rhythm. But he wasn’t directing the violins and cellos of the Santa Maria Philharmonic Orchestra, but rather a four-part chorus, the Allan Hancock College Singers.
His arms dropped, ending the polyphonic passages of “And He Shall Purify the Sons of Levi” from George Frideric Handel’s Messiah, it was a rehearsal in the music building at Hancock, and Nowak was assisting Chorale Director Ann Lucas in preparing the ensemble for a Dec. 2 concert with the philharmonic.
“Basses, that is a very important line at measure 24 and again at 44,” Nowak said. “It seems like you’re fading away, so keep it strong on the first beat.”
And the music began again at the flick of his wrist.
The Santa Maria Philharmonic Society’s last concert of the year is titled Rejoice! and features music from the masters of the Baroque era, like Johann Sebastian Bach and Handel. The orchestra and choir will also perform Giovanni Battista Pergolesi’s “Magnificat” in its entirety, a piece that was new to Nowak.
“I had never heard it before, and I just love it,” he said. “It’s really, really well written. It’s a beautiful piece of music though; it really has gorgeous melodies. It’s very inspiring, and I don’t get sick of hearing it when I’m driving around or listening at home.”
The Baroque period was known for complex tapestries of melodic lines that bounce along in brisk rhythm, and Pergolesi’s “Magnificat” is no different. It’s a shorter oratorio, only lasting 14 minutes, but still with several movements.
The text for the “Magnificat” comes from the New Testament of the Bible, Lucas explained, when the Angel Gabriel told Mary that she would give birth to Jesus. The choir has learned every Latin word of the text and the accompanying melodies penned by the late Italian composer.
“It’s technically called a canticle, because a canticle is always when some character in the Bible sings an extended song of praise. So this is the canticle of the annunciation,” she said. “She talks about, ‘My soul doth magnify the Lord,’ and the Magnificat text has been set to music from the Medieval period on.”
Other pieces featured on the program include Bach’s “Orchestral Suite No. 1,” which the orchestra will perform alone to open the concert, and a few selections from Bach’s canatas.
The selections from Handel’s Messiah fall in with the modern tradition of performing the chorus at Christmastime, Lucas said. And of course, the “Hallelujah” chorus will fill the hall as well.
Baroque music in general has been associated with the holiday season for some time. Many classic Christmas carols were composed during the Baroque period, Nowak said, and the sound of brass permeated the era and into modern secular holiday music as well.
“There’s something wonderful happening this time of year. We’re all expecting something,” he said. “Just looking at the words, there’s angels, harps, and symbols. It’s all symbolic of a really beautiful time. It’s a lot of rejoicing we do this time of year, and I think that’s why this music fits so well together with it.”
Nowak planned to attend several more rehearsals with the Allan Hancock College Singers at the college before bringing the ensemble together with the Santa Maria Philharmonic Orchestra. The two ensembles were slated for three rehearsals together before the Dec. 2 concert, he said.
Lucas said that a college ensemble getting the chance to perform with an orchestra was vital to a music student’s education. She also said that Nowak’s generosity with his time for the rehearsals at Hancock was appreciated by students and staff alike.
“When he walks in the room it elevates everyone’s game,” Lucas said. “Because you know that there’s a person in the room who really knows and won’t be fooled, and it just puts you where you need to be.”
Managing Editor Joe Payne knows how difficult Handel’s bass passages are. Contact him at jpayne@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Nov 23-30, 2017.