Grinnell Choirs to Present Reena Esmail’s This Love Between Us and J. S. Bach’s Magnificat in December Concert

The Grinnell Choirs will host an extraordinary musical event featuring Reena Esmail’s This Love Between Us and J. S. Bach’s Magnificat in D on Sunday, December 8, at 2:00 p.m. in Sebring-Lewis Hall. This concert will showcase the Grinnell Oratorio Society and the Grinnell Singers, accompanied by a professional orchestra and distinguished guest artists. 

Blanche Johnson Professor of Music and Conductor of the Grinnell Singers, John Rommereim, shared, “Esmail’s music helps us to find our common humanity, which is so easily lost amid all of the dissention and discord that fills our world today.  

Indian-American composer Reena Esmail’s This Love Between Us explores the theme of unity through a powerful interplay of musical styles and sacred texts. This seven-movement piece highlights the teachings of seven major religious traditions in India—Buddhism, Sikhism, Christianity, Zoroastrianism, Hinduism, Jainism, and Islam—illustrating how each tradition approaches unity, brotherhood, and compassion. Esmail bridges Western classical music and Indian musical traditions by incorporating the sitar and tabla into a choral and orchestral arrangement. The musicians blend their unique expertise, creating a harmonious meeting of two musical cultures. 

Designed as a companion piece to J. S. Bach’s Magnificat in D, Esmail’s work shares the stage with Bach’s magnificent musical proclamation of joy. The Magnificat features vibrant lines for strings and trumpet reminiscent of his Brandenburg Concertos and conveys a message of transformative hope and the promise of equity—raising the oppressed and humbling the mighty. 

The concert will include over 100 singers from Grinnell College’s Oratorio Society and Grinnell Singers, featuring soprano Mikayla Liu, alto Taylor Mayne, and bass Nicholas Miguel as soloists. Esteemed musicians Sutanu Sur (tabla) and Shreekant Shah (sitar) will join the performance as guest artists, enhancing the cultural and musical depth of the program. 

This event is made possible by the support of Grinnell College’s Department of Music, the Institute for Global Engagement, the Public Events Committee, and the Center for the Humanities. 

Event Details

• What: This Love Between Us by Reena Esmail and Magnificat in D by J. S. Bach 
• When: Sunday, December 8, 2024, at 2:00 p.m. 
• Where: Sebring-Lewis Hall, Grinnell College 
• Admission: Free and open to the public 

Join us for an afternoon that celebrates unity through the power of music, blending Western and Indian classical traditions in a unique and uplifting concert