At the Scarritt Bennett Center
SONUS CHOIR’S “MOTHER NATURE”
As part of their eleventh season, SONUS Choir presented “Mother Nature: a Celebration of Female Composers and Nature,” on May 16th at 7:30 p.m. in Wightman Chapel at the Scarritt Bennett Center. Originally an a Capella (or singing without instrumental accompaniment) choir made up of alumni from the Trevecca Madrigalians (of Nashville’s Trevecca Nazarene University), the group set its sights on becoming a premier choir starting in 2018. SONUS’s leadership team includes Co-Founder and Musical Director Timbre Cierpke, Director of Business Development Garen Webb, and Director of Operations Joy Baker. I was excited for this concert since I attended SONUS’s Tenth-Anniversary performance last May. If I recall correctly, SONUS became an auditioned ensemble beginning in 2024, and they will hold their 2025 auditions on July 1st.
Cierpke shared how the evening’s program intertwined the celebration of female composers with the theme of nature. Reflecting on her upbringing in a musical family where “classical” music was prevalent, Cierpke observed that women composers were widely underrepresented—an oversight that, at the time, did not seem to indicate a path for her own future as a composer. Yet, Cierpke did become a composer herself and two of her pieces—Dum Spiro, Spero and Mother God— are featured on the evening’s program. The concert’s title, “Mother Nature,” evokes a poetic parallel between the creative visions of the collection of women composers featured and nature’s generative force.
SONUS opened their concert with Eric Whitacre’s “With a Lily” from Three Flower Songs (1990). This introduction showcased the choir’s wonderful composite sound. The rhythmic momentum, complex harmonies, and unique musical gestures were tightly performed.
Next, Emily Mason’s Meditabor won a 2021 composition prize sponsored by Notre Dame University’s Magnificat Choir. This beautiful contemporary piece texturally evokes echoes of Medieval vocal music. The title “Meditabor,” Latin for “meditate,” is initially repeated in unison by female voices before additional voices join, creating a sound reminiscent of organum. Drawing from Psalm 119 (verses 47–50), the text expresses the psalmist’s delight in God’s commandments and desire to meditate on them. The piece emulates chant, to organum, to homophony throughout, reaching its climax on the lyric “which I love.” Gorgeous! (I recommend experiencing this clip of SONUS the climax of Meditabor on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DIuTm6cSvfm/).
I am thrilled to discuss “Imagine a Favorite Place” from Shara Nova’s captivating choral song cycle Titration (2022). This profound cycle explores how challenging emotions—fear, sorrow, disgust, and rage—impact our nervous systems. While the term “titration” traditionally refers to the careful balancing of chemicals or medications to achieve bodily equilibrium, Nova’s “Imagine a Favorite Place” beautifully reinterprets this concept through the lens of self-soothing. The piece encourages listeners to navigate negative emotions by self-regulating their nervous systems, inviting them to envision safe, comforting spaces as a form of emotional titration. SONUS delivered an exceptional performance of this work, with high voices weaving an ethereal—almost mythopoeic—melody over a grounding drone of low voices. The drone itself subtly shifted between unisons and dissonant and consonant intervals, creating a dynamic, meditative foundation. The melody’s text serves as a gentle guide, offering a list of places one might imagine, each evoking a sense of tranquility and refuge.
After the lyric “Imagine the ocean side or a cloud ride,’ the music shifts into a trajectory that feels distinctly synaptic, as if Nova’s composition sonically maps the intricate,
internal processes of neural communication. It develops through a cascade of ever-shifting tone clusters, their fluctuations and oscillations mirroring the dynamic rhythms of the body’s regulatory systems. Gradually, the music finds its equilibrium, arriving at a moment of serene stasis, echoing this notion of titration, or the name of the cycle that “Imagine…” belongs to.
Of the two compositions by Artistic Director Timbre Cierpke—Dum Spiro, Spero and Mother God—I’ve chosen to focus on the latter, having previously reviewed the former in May of last year.[1] Mother God emerged from Cierpke’s profound meditation on the divine as a feminine presence, a concept she developed through her exploration of biblical scriptures that illuminate God’s nurturing, compassionate, and altruistic nature. This piece masterfully reimagines the divine through a lens of maternal care, offering a tender and transformative perspective on spirituality. Sonically, Mother God reflects Cierpke’s introspective journey, weaving together a tapestry of biblical imagery to craft its verses.
The opening line, “Like an eagle stirs up her nest…,” draws from Deuteronomy 32:11, while the second verse, “Like a mother hen gathers her children…,” echoes passages from Luke 13:34 and Matthew 23:37. “As a mother lifts a little child to her cheek” is inspired by Hosea 11:3, and “Like a mother comforts her child, so I will comfort you…” resonates with Isaiah 66:13. Each verse, rich with vivid imagery, not only underscores the piece’s thematic depth but also invites listeners to experience the divine as a source of unconditional love and solace.
Cierpke’s setting of this text is masterfully crafted, with a tonal palette that ebbs and flows between moments of spare simplicity and rich, full textures. She skillfully balances passing figures and suspensions, creating a dynamic yet cohesive musical picture.
SONUS’s performance of the piece was nothing short of exceptional, as they navigated its delicate nuances with precision and sensitivity. Their interpretation brought out the emotional depth and subtle contrasts in the music, allowing the work to resonate with both clarity and warmth. It was a performance that not only honored Cierpke’s vision but also elevated it, leaving a lasting impression on the listener.
While I can’t delve into every piece on the program, it’s essential to highlight the other remarkable composers featured in this concert: Rachel Grimes, Joy Baker, Kyle Baker, Cecilia McDowall, Kerensa Briggs, and Caroline Shaw. Each brought their unique voice to the evening, contributing to a rich and diverse musical offering. This performance marks the culmination of SONUS’s season, and I wholeheartedly encourage everyone to follow as they embark on their next season. To stay connected and learn more about their upcoming performances, visit their website at https://www.sonuschoir.com.
[1] Stephen Turner, “Dum Spiro, Spero: SONUS Choir’s Tenth-Anniversary Concert,” Music City Review (May 17, 2024), https://www.musiccityreview.com/2024/05/17/dum-spiro-spero-sonus-choirs-tenth-anniversary-concert/. Accessed: May 19, 2025.
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A Georgia native, Stephen D. Turner moved to Nashville in 2023 with his partner of over thirteen years. When he isn’t hiking in the woods or enjoying the ocean, Stephen is a musicologist and tubist who teaches music at Tennessee State University.
