There's no mystery when it comes to knowing how composer Jose Delgado-Guevara feels about the departure of loved ones.
Delgado-Guevara, the artistic director at the Prince George Conservatory of Music, will showcase his composition, Morning, Noon and Parting Hug, during Changing Tides: a Musical Voyage with the Nove Voce choir Saturday night at 8 at the Prince George Playhouse.
Delgado-Guevara went to Nove Voce's last concert and decided he would compose music for their distinct voices. The group will debut Delgado-Guevara's original piece during the concert.
The composition is a song cycle.
"A song cycle is basically one song in many parts," Delgado-Guevara explained. "There are cycles that can be very long - I've seen some that are 25 songs long. What I am trying to do with the three-part cycle of my composition is express a series of emotions. It's how you feel throughout a day when someone you care about is leaving. When I first moved to Prince George, I noticed that everybody is from somewhere else. So the majority of people here have, at one time or another, left very important people behind."
It's about leaving or being left behind, he added.
"So I am trying to portray that feeling that you are very happy for them but you're very sad also," said Delgado-Guevara. "As a composer my plan is to, with a minimum amount of material, try to portray a very clear feeling. So when you listen to this piece you say 'ok, this is sad, or this is happy or this is angry', so there is not a lot of confusion about what's going on. So as an audience member you can see in your mind's eye and recreate that feeling that I am trying to portray with the music."
Delgado-Guevara has written for other groups in Prince George, including Bel Canto children's choir and the Cantata Singers. It's definitely a win-win as the groups get new work created specifically for them and the composer gets to showcase his talent as well, Delgado-Guevara explained.
"Nove Voce is honoured to be featuring the works of two Prince George composers," said Robin Norman, artistic director of Nove Voice. "First the world premiere of Morning, Noon and Parting Hug, a song cycle by Jose Delgado-Guevara, PGSO concert master, and secondly V'la L'Bon Vent by former Prince George resident Allison Girvan."
Changing Tides will also feature one of the finest choral traditions, the folk song.
"You will hear favourites from across Canada, Europe, Asia and the Middle East including The Skye Boat Song, Loch Lomond and Ah! Si Mon Moine Voulait Danser. We will also show how many of these great pieces inspired beautiful modern compositions such as Celtic Woman's Winter, Fire and Snow."
Special guests at the concert include Maureen Nielsen on piano, Sebastian Ostertag on cello, Anna Scarpino on flute and Noelani Jung, percussion.
Tickets are $15 at Studio 2880, 2880 15th Avenue or by calling 250-563-2880 or at the door.
