The University Chorale of Boston College took the stage on Friday for its annual Fall Concert, home—a performance that asked its audience to ponder the question, what is home to you?
Founded in 1913, Chorale is a cherished part of BC’s vibrant artistic community, performing at significant events like Commencement and Pops on the Heights.
Through a diverse selection of songs, Chorale explored the theme of home—whether as a physical place, a sense of belonging, or a spiritual exploration.
“I wanted to look at it from different directions, not just one-dimensionally,” Chorale’s director Dr. Riikka Pietiläinen Caffrey said. “I wanted to broaden the idea—where do we come from? We should look beyond just the BC home or the home in Massachusetts, and broaden the idea of who are we and what might home mean to us?”
Set in St. Ignatius Church, home incorporated a variety of musical styles from around the world such as a hymn from Johannes Brahms’ A German Requiem, a Baroque piece, an African-American spiritual song, a South Asian Tamil song, and a Finnish piece composed by the director’s own grandmother.
Chorale and soloists alike possessed an almost otherworldly, angelic sound that was at the same time full and powerful. Home clearly touched members of the BC community, some of whom could be seen tearing up after the first song.
The song “Would You Harbor Me,” performed by the chamber singers, explored what love for one’s neighbor looks like. Its powerful lyrics asked audience members to examine their own humanity and how far their generosity and love for others truly extends.
“Would you harbor me? / Would I harbor you? / Would you harbor a Christian, a Muslim, a Jew? / A heretic, convict spy,” Chorale sang.
In between songs, Caffrey opened the conversation of an individual’s duty within a society.
“Who do we invite to our homes?” Caffrey asked. “Because I think that’s a valid question also as a part of Jesuit education. What is our role when we leave this place and how do we contribute to society as humans and citizens?”
The concert also focused on the theme of home in its relation to cultural identity. A lot of effort was made to train singers on the correct pronunciation of certain foreign words with the purpose of honoring their meaning in songs such as “Kottarainen,” sung in Finnish, and “Balleilakka,” sung in Tamil.
Caffrey said that hearing her grandmother’s “Kottarainen” was a touching experience for her.
“It doesn’t get old,” Caffrey said. “Even if it was first performed 19 years ago, it doesn’t get old. They’re her works, and they have traveled with me this far.”
After the last song and then blessing, Chorale enjoyed a standing ovation from the entire audience.
Correction (11/11/24, 10:12 a.m.): This article was updated to clarify that Kottarainen is a piece by Caffrey’s grandmother.
