Portsmouth Pro Musica

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Portsmouth Pro Musica "A tradition of choral excellence" Donations welcome http://portsmouthpromusica.org/support/

10/30/2026

Choral singing can be a powerful tool in a movie soundtrack. When it arrives, it elevates the action and intensifies the emotion on screen. It can create awe and reverence, like John
Williams’s "Hymn To the Fallen" from Saving Private Ryan. It can transport us to a mythical world, like Howard Shore’s score for the Lord Of the Rings Trilogy.

It can also scare the pants oﬀ us! Here are a few choral tracks from horror and sci-fi films. They lend an eerie accompaniment to this season of ghouls, goblins, witches, and ghosts — if you dare!

Poltergeist- Carol Anne’s Theme by Jerry Goldsmith: https://youtu.be/_zRZATcnHtQ?is=g-
zlmsOngindvQA_

2001: A Space Odyssey- Lux Aeterna by Gyorgy Ligeti: https://youtu.be/Q8fMG0xUPcU?
is=bUfhxpS0xA4RUfWL

Get Out- Listen To The Ancestors by Michael Abels: https://youtu.be/koeBsCFJIjA?
is=BeZg23_BB_B_GXCA

10/23/2026

“Ring out, you crystal spheres! Bless at once our human ears…with your ninefold harmony.”

The lyrics of Z. Randall Stroope’s "Hodie" sound positively groovy — even New Age. Upon first read, one might find them reminiscent of the song "The Age Of Aquarius," sung by the Fifth
Dimension, circa 1969. But, in this case, one would be about 400 years oﬀ the mark.

Stroope took inspiration from a poem written in 1629 by John Milton entitled "On The Morning Of Christ’s Nativity." Milton lived during a period of history when there was a belief in Musica
Universalis, also called The Music Of The Spheres. This philosophical and cosmological concept asserted that heavenly bodies like the sun and planets created sounds as they
traversed their orbits, and that the mathematical nature of music could be integral in helping human beings “connect with that harmony of the universe." Potentially, bringing one closer to
God. It’s definitely “Far out!” But, who knows? Perhaps, they were on to something.

The word Hodie translated from the Latin means “This Day," referring to the day of Christ’s birth. Stroope masterfully weaves in text from multiple sources in both English and Latin, and
the support of the brass builds layers of emotion that seem to exalt the Hodie. Rehearsing this ebullient piece of music is a thrilling experience — forty PPM voices ring out in what is almost a ninefold harmony!

JOIN US for an out-of-this-world celebration of what it is to be human in a universe full of mystery.

For tickets and information go to: https://portsmouthpromusica.org/concert-may-2026/

Sources: Wikipedia and notes written by Z Randall Stroope (https://www.zrstroope.com/hodie-2022-revised)

10/15/2026

There is something in the quality of "Northern Lights," by Ola Gjeilo, that makes both the singer and listener feel as though they might be hovering slightly above the earth. It has everything to do with its being composed in the Lydian mode.

Modes are ancient scales that have similarities to our modern scales, but are evocative of something uniquely their own. There are several modes, each with particular qualities ranging from the soulful Dorian and cheerful Ionian, to the exotic Phrygian and melancholic Aeolian. Modes have bold personalities.

Technically, the Lydian mode takes the fourth scale degree and raises it a half step. If you sit at a keyboard and begin on F-natural, the major scale would land you on a B-flat. The Lydian turns that flat into a natural. And when played, you will hear something that sounds and feels somehow ancient, with a strong dose of dreaminess.

What’s fascinating is that we have all heard this sound before. The Lydian mode makes an appearance in many contemporary works like "Yoda’s Theme" (Star Wars/John Williams), as well
as Sting's "When We Dance," Fleetwood Mac's "Dreams," and Pearl Jam's "Oceans."

If you wish to geek out on modes a bit more, this fellow on YouTube oﬀers fun insight: https://
youtu.be/ll8UwRWVkP4?is=UmxrfgJ9RKLCGqPI

And please JOIN US this December so you can experience the Lydian mode LIVE!

For tickets and information go to: https://portsmouthpromusica.org/concert-may-2026/

09/05/2026

Come sing with us!

Portsmouth Pro Musica is preparing for its 42nd season, and we are welcoming new singers. Here are some important details:

*Membership dues are waived for high school and undergraduate singers
*Tenor and bass voices are most welcome
*Winter concerts are December 12 and 13, 2026, and we will be joined by the Portsmouth Brass Quintet
*Rehearsals begin September 8, 7pm, at First United Methodist Church of Portsmouth

To schedule an audition, please contact Priscilla Stevens French, Musical Director, at [email protected].

For more information about PPM, visit our web site at https://portsmouthpromusica.org.

05/13/2026

Portsmouth Pro Musica and Manchester Choral Society are proud to present a historic collaboration:
Schubert: “Mass in E flat”
Mendelssohn: “Psalm 42”
With soloists and full orchestra
May 16 at 7:30 pm, St Marie Parish, Manchester
May 17 at 3:00 pm, Oyster River Middle School
Our exceptional soloists include Maggie Finnegan, Christina DeMaio, Andrew Sokol, Cody McDonnell, David McFerrin, and Neil Ferreira
Tickets: https://portsmouthpromusica.org/concert-may-2026/

05/11/2026

Join us this weekend as Portsmouth Pro Musica combines with the Manchester Choral Society to perform "A Romantic Spring". The program will feature Schubert's "Mass in Eb Major" and Mendelssohn's "Psalm 42". The performance will feature nearly 100 singers, a half-dozen soloists, and a 30-piece orchestra.

Performances will be held on Saturday, May 16, at 7:30 p.m. at Ste. Marie Parish, 378 Notre Dame Avenue, Manchester, NH, and Sunday, May 17, at 3 p.m. at Oyster River Middle School, 1 Coe Drive, Durham, NH.

Tickets: $30 for adults,$25 for seniors/military, and free to students K-undergraduate. Advance tickets can be purchased at www.ppmnh.org or www.mcsnh.org Tickets may also be purchased at the door.

Portsmouth Pro Musica and Manchester Choral Society are proud to present a historic collaboration:Schubert: “Mass in E f...

04/19/2026

Address

P. O. Box 234
Portsmouth, NH
03802

Website

http://www.portsmouthpromusica.org/

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