Accord concert, May 30 2026

I heard Accord Treble Choir in concert on May 30, 2026. This is my third or fourth time hearing them and the concert was so amazing, I’m hearing every concert they do from now on.

It had me asking myself: what is it that makes a great classical music concert? I see three primary elements: the quality of the music chosen, the level of the performance, and that most elusive element, thoughtful programming. Accord scores on all three points.

The music had lots of variety, music I’d never heard but written by composers I’d never heard of. That’s exciting. The ensemble (ten women) sing with a gorgeous blend throughout a wide dynamic range and absolute clarity in dissonances, an essential element in 20th century and contemporary music.

It was the programming that most knocked me out, major kudos to their musical director Liz Geisewite. The program wasn’t just carefully chosen, it was also deeply meaningful to the conductor and apparently to all of the singers. The theme was Reverence and Resistance - - the first half was sacred music and the second half music borne out of humanitarian struggle. There was a snowballing quality to the concert, it gained depth and meaning as it went on. The whole was greater than the sum of its parts.

The whole concert is on YouTube!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-zyPVpI9ss

The first piece was “Alleluia” by Fredrik Sixten (written in 2019). It showed off the beautiful sound of the group and their wide range, from warm baritone lows to silvery soprano highs. And everything in between.

My favorite piece on the program was “Pangat Melos” by David Douglas, a world premiere. The music rolled out with a profound sense of logic, it was intellectually stimulating and also delightful to the ear. I felt like I was paying attention every single moment, rather than just letting it wash over me. That doesn’t happen very often and it’s a hugely rewarding experience for me as an audience member. The concluding Amen was exceptionally beautiful.

Next up was “Salve Regina” by Ramona Luengen (written in 1987). The music felt like it took a little while to find its way. I was writing “I wasn’t wild for it” in my notes and at that moment there was a sudden and unexpected key change. Suddenly I was sold and it held my interest to the end.

The first half ended with the oldest piece on the program, André Caplet’s Mass in Three Voices (written in 1920). The Kyrie opened with an “ah,” an intriguing way to start a mass. There was lots of chant-esque writing, sung with sensuousness by the choir. A few willful harmonic moments made me feel like Caplet needed to assert himself as being MODERN.

The Gloria was exultant with lots of rapid notes in all the parts, sung with buoyancy and verve. They really sounded like angels in heaven. Which I think was the original idea. The Sanctus had a fascinating searching quality with the Hosanna feeling like an arrival. A few chromatic licks put my ear on its side. The Agnus Dei was tender, gentle, and surprisingly short.

The Resistance half of the program opened with “Muhona” by Cedrick Howoseb (written in 2024), a composer from Namibia. It featured ensemble member Jacquetta Bustion on djembe, a large drum she held between her legs. I worry when I see a primarily white choral group singing African or African American music - - I’m afraid there’s going to be a Whitey Goes Ethnic situation. Yes, I’m talking to you, Chanticleer. No hint of that with Accord, they sang it with joy, sincerity, and beauty.

The centerpiece of the second half and a major highlight of the program was “Rumor Mill” by Accord composer-in-residence Shireen Abu-Khader. She wrote the piece in 2024 for an eight-part mixed chorus - - this was the world premiere of her arrangement for eight-part treble chorus. She introduced the piece, which would have had an impact by itself, but the poet, Naomi Shihab Nye, was also at the concert and she read her poem.

The piece had a sense of purpose and built a feeling of community even before the first note was sung.

The music was daringly complex, not afraid to be a bit messy but then would snap into focus. The second half of the piece, the dreamy half, wove a magic spell. We were transported to another time and place. There’s nothing like that.

The next piece was “River” by Joan Szymko (written in 2014), a piece on a Native American text. Jaquetta Bustion was on piano, it was a nice change of pace to have a piece with piano for an a cappella program. The piece started with a serious jazz flavor, a spare and highly rhythmic pattern in the piano with the singers winding their way over it. Then a lovely ballad section and a rapturous, rippling finale.

Geisewite talked about the social justice aspect of the music they were performing and said, “Does it change the world? Probably not. Does it change us. Yes.” I say then yes, it does change the world!

The last piece on the program was “The Imaginary Garden” by Marie-Claire Saindon (written in 2018). It’s a setting of a poem by an Iranian woman who has been in prison since 2008. The music was infused with a sense of imagination and determination.

They sang an encore, an arrangement of “We Shall Be Known” by MaMuse, a warm and generous way to end the program. I should mention that the concert was more or less sold out and the audience was CRAZY for them.