This Sunday, Drew University’s choirs will be performing a joint concert at the Presbyterian Church of Morristown at 3 p.m., singing the same pieces that will be featured on their upcoming summer tour of France.
Drew’s Choral Union and Chorale, along with the Presbyterian Church of Morristown Chancel Choir, will be performing the Duruflé Requiem as well as the pieces “Sing, My Soul, His Wondrous Love” by Ned Rorem, “Litanies a la Vierge Noire” by Francis Poulenc and “John 3:16” by B.E. Boykin.
Since it is rare for a director to have a solid treble choir, a full organ and the time to devote to proper practice, the choice to perform the Duruflé Requiem and Poulenc felt too tempting for Professor Sarah Michal to resist.
The performance, titled “Prayers and Assurances,” emphasizes the Requiem while still featuring a mix of repertoire in both English and French.
By itself, the word “requiem,” which means “a mass for the departed,” had not felt whole and is supplemented more fully by the other works that suggest a greater, more optimistic message.
This concert marks the choirs’ only stateside performance of the entire arrangement. For Drew choir students, this marks the last concert before singing at graduation.
Maddie Ortiz (’24) remarked, “I have done [choir] every semester since I’ve been at college.”
When asked why she stayed in choir, Ortiz said, “How come?! I’m a choir kid. I would be empty without choir.”
At the end of this semester, with the help of Drew’s chorale, Ortiz will teach and conduct an a capella piece she has composed for her capstone.
The concert, just off of Morristown Green, will feature organist Kevin Graft and cellist Marnie Kaller while the summer tour will have organist Mark Loria.
Michal, the choral director for all three choirs, will be conducting all of the United States and France performances.
The nine-movement-long Requiem will be the highlight of the choirs’ upcoming tour of France, where it will be sung four times and fully in French.
Choir members have been preparing by practicing three nights a week and singing the Requiem’s movements each week at Presbyterian Church of Morristown’s Sunday masses.
Departing on May 24, the choirs will first travel to Aix-en-Provence, France, to perform at the Cathédrale Saint-Sauveur.
The choirs will then go to the Basilique Saint Bonaventure in Lyons. Finally, they will travel to Paris, performing at both the Cathédrale St Pierre de Beauvais and the Église Saint-Étienne-du-Mont before returning home on June 2.
“Singing music in the place it was composed for, I think, there is something really special about that,” said Michal.
“Even if you’re not religious, to sing this ancient text and hear it in this sacred space, there’s just something very moving about that.”
Sunday’s concert will provide a glimpse into what lies ahead in France, showcasing extraordinary accompaniment all while bringing together the Drew, Madison and Morristown communities that share a collective love for music.
Shannon Thoma is a senior majoring in political science and English literature.
Featured image courtesy of Patricia Cunniff (’26).
A note: For the past two years, I have called Drew’s two choirs home, where I have made countless friends, had limitless laughs and made memories for a lifetime. As a former transfer student, now a senior, I could not be more grateful for the family and community full of music that Michal has given us all. Thank you sincerely, Shannon Thoma.
