CANTON — The St. Lawrence Choral Society and the Laurentian Singers will stage the concert "What Only Light Can Do" on Friday, April 19, from 7-8 p.m. at the Gunnison Memorial Chapel.

Free, open to the public

This program explores how darkness and light are used as metaphors for such human dichotomies as hate and love, ignorance and wisdom, or war and peace.

Two works will be performed for chorus and chamber orchestra, both written by contemporary, award-winning choral composers: Elaine Hagenberg's Illuminare (2022), and Jake Runestad's Into the Light (2017).

Illuminare, Hagenberg's first extended work, consists of five movements using lesser-known sacred Latin, Greek, and English texts. 

Runestad's Into the Light was inspired by Michael Kinnamon's book, The Witness of Religion in an Age of Fear and was composed to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the Reformation as a pivotal event in the history of Western culture.

 Preceding these works will be Will Todd's The Call of Wisdom for choir and organ, based on text from the Book of Proverbs and commissioned in 2012 by St. Paul's Cathedral in London to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II.

For more information on other upcoming events at the chapel, contact the Chaplain's Office at chapel@stlawu.edu.