Satan’s Fall

Saturday, April 23, 2022 • 7:30PM

Sponsored by the Office of the Provost and the Pepperdine Cross-School Collaborative Research Program

West Coast Premiere
Performed by the Pepperdine Chamber Choir and the Pepperdine Pickford Ensemble under the direction of Ryan Board and N. Lincoln Hanks
Featuring: Jamie Chamberlin and Scott Wichael, Special Guest Soloists

In 2019, the Pepperdine choral program joined a distinct group of choral organizations from across the US and Europe in order to commission the composition of a new oratorio by rock drumming legend Stewart Copeland. Pepperdine University has secured the rights to the West Coast premiere.

Stewart Copeland chose Milton's Paradise Lost as primary inspiration—from Milton’s nearly 100,000-word epic, Copeland selected roughly 15,000 from Books V and VI in order to tell the story of the clash between God, the Messiah, and Satan in a 40-minute musical work entitled Satan's Fall. Copeland sets his selected text to music performed by mostly classical instruments, soloists and a choir, but the style is anything but traditional. His composition is expectedly rhythmic, edgy, and blends styles as diverse as jazz and death metal.

In order to expand the scope and impact of the project, a team of professors from seven different programs at Seaver College applied for support from Pepperdine's Cross-School Collaborative Research Grant. With this support the project now includes collaboration from students and faculty in art, art history, great books, music, creative writing, and religion. Students have created original poetic works, essays, screenplays, visual art, and have engaged in discussions, lectures, and rehearsals all of which leads up to our culminating events on the weekend of April 23. These include curated mobile art truck exhibits and other exhibits and lectures to be announced, as well as the Center for the Arts performance of Satan's Fall on Saturday, April 23. The concert will include additional music performed by Pepperdine's Pickford Ensemble and the Pepperdine Concert and Chamber Choirs. Much of the first half of the program will focus on themes of heaven, angels, and paradise; while the second half depicts the "fall" from grace and Satan's plunge into hell.

 

CAST LIST

Raphaella – Jamie Chamberlin (Guest Soprano)

Raphael – Scott Wichael (Guest Tenor)

Satan – Jack Gerding (Senior, Seaver College) 

God – Keith Colclough (Pepperdine Assistant Professor of Vocal Studies and Director of Opera)

Messiah – Ida Nicolosi (Pepperdine Adjunct Professor of Music)

Abdiel – John Silva (First-Year, Seaver College) 

Belial – Jace Vendelin (First-Year, Seaver College) 

Zophiel – Sakeenah Godfrey (Junior, Seaver College)