The nonprofit organization SOME (So Others May Eat) celebrated its 40th anniversary of serving the poor on July 1 with a heavenly concert, Beatitude Mass (For the Homeless), by members of the Georgetown Chorus, San Jose Symphonic Choir and Monterey Symphony Chorus. To match the breathtaking sounds of strings and voices, the concert was hosted within the magnificent crypt of the Basilica of the National Shrine, where the music echoed off the arched walls of mica, emerald, ivory and stained glass.
In the first portion of the concert, the symphony and choir performed traditional hymns, mostly in Latin. The chorus created a chilling but beautiful sound, as if they were angels singing of the sadness of the human condition. Soothing yet powerful, the full-bodied voices evoked emotion yet comforted the soul.
The only interruption from enchanting bliss was when Kathryn Hearden, soprano soloist, sang. Highly trained, she could touch the high notes but failed to touch the heart of this reviewer. Her voice lacked sincerity and emotion. Rather, it felt empty as she sang the words, “I’ve cried myself to sleep with tears of agony.”
The second half of the concert opened with a solo performance by Hall Johnson, who sang “Hold Out Your Light” and “City Called Heaven” in a gospel-meets-classical music style that was truly meaningful in the moments when he belted it out in a display of thorough emotion.
The highlight of the concert was when the chorus resumed its singing with numbers from Les Misérables. It was then that the chorus transformed from distant angels into breathing humans, expressing the living hope of the future of heaven, and reminiscing of the bright pieces of the past, despite the hardships. The notes cast a dream over the audience, in an almost enduring desperation, for a better life.
