Your Colorado Symphony and Chorus present an evocative program uniting music born from the shadows of war, offering a journey through conflict, grief, and the search for peace. Two movements from Handel’s Messiah set the stage with a searing portrayal of nations at war. Haydn’s Mass in Time of War continues the narrative, its solemn prayers for peace interrupted by martial rhythms that reflect the looming threat of Napoleon’s armies. Missy Mazzoli’s These Worlds in Us – a haunting orchestral work inspired by her father’s service in Vietnam – intertwines grief and resilience, merging vulnerability with militaristic energy. Vaughan Williams’ Dona Nobis Pacem closes the program with an urgent cry for peace, drawing on sacred texts and Walt Whitman’s poetry, while offering a vision of hope. Through these works, the Colorado Symphony and Chorus remind us that even in humanity’s darkest hours, the struggle to find harmony is urgent and eternal.
