Southern Miss Gulf Coast Civil Chorale to Present Magnificat

Fri, 02/17/2023 - 08:59am | By: Van Arnold

The Southern Miss Gulf Coast Civic Chorale is set to perform Taylor Scott Davis’s Magnificat at St. Michael Catholic Church in Biloxi on Sunday, March 5. The 2:30 p.m. concert is free to the public and features the Civic Chorale soprano, Dr. Meredith Johnson, and a chamber orchestra of instrumentalists from South Mississippi.

The Southern Miss Gulf Coast Civic Chorale is under the direction of Dr. Jonathan Kilgore, who serves as Associate Director of Choral Activities in The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) School of Music. As a member of the Coast’s choral community for nearly two decades, Kilgore is especially thrilled for March’s performance.

“It’s always exciting to perform a work that is new to a community. We have the unique opportunity to collaborate with talented instrumentalists and explore a piece that is new to almost all of us,” said Kilgore.”

Comprising volunteer singers from across the Mississippi Gulf Coast, the Civic Chorale is known for delivering compelling performances of diverse choral music and showcasing the region’s vocal talent.

Davis’s Magnificat is a multi-movement journey through Mary’s hymn of praise in the book of Luke. In the second movement, the composer craftily supplements the traditional Latin text with a reflective English poem that reinforces Mary’s emotions. In a brief moment of introspection, soprano Dr. Meredith Johnson sings a stunning and poignant solo that separates this work from traditional Magnificat settings. Other movements feature joyous fanfares, daring solos, moving melodies, and modern techniques that create an almost cinematic feel. 

Magnificat is sponsored by the Ambassador Series, a cultural outreach project of USM’s Gulf Park Campus.

For more information, please visit: usm.edu/arts/ambassador-series.php