Cornell Glee Club presents “Singing in the Air” (CU Music)

The Cornell Glee Club presents “Singing in the Air,” a musical meditation on what lies beyond—or above—our earthly plane. Is death something to be feared or embraced? What faith sustains us in our efforts to do good and live well? And what celestial or spiritual forces guide and embrace us as we chart our paths across this earth, knowing we all share the same ultimate fate?

From the Renaissance to the present day, composers offer a diverse array of perspectives on these questions, including David Conte’s ebullient “Invocation and Dance,” William Henry Smith’s evocative “Ride the Chariot,” and works by Florence Price, Francis Poulenc, Michael McGlynn, and others. The concert culminates in the world premiere of “God is a God” by Brandon Waddles, commissioned by the Glee Club. Weaving together a lesser-known Black spiritual and the strains of a more familiar one, Waddles’s work offers a powerful testament to faith.

photo credit: Casey Martin Photos