SALT LAKE CHORAL ARTISTS, “Remembrance and Reflection,” Libby Gardner Concert Hall, Oct. 20

Brady Allred and his Salt Lake Choral Artists opened their new season Saturday with a program commemorating the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic. The main work was Donald Patriquin’s Titanic Requiem, which received its Utah premiere at this concert.

Donald Patriquin (Photo: David Wray)

Scored for strings, piano and organ, in addition to chorus and soprano soloist, Patriquin’s requiem is a powerfully moving work. It’s charged with emotion and feeling, which Allred captured in his thoughtful and sensitive account. He also brought out the broad palette of expressions with great care; his interpretation was nuanced and wonderfully lyrical.

Soloist Carol Ann Allred gave a beautifully eloquent performance; her rich soprano lent itself wonderfully to the text, allowing her to underscore the emotional intensity of her part.

The same, in fact, was true for the chorus. They brought depth and feeling to their part, singing with seamless lyricism and beautifully crafted expressions.

The string orchestra played with wonderful articulation and nuance; cello soloist Julie Bevan, one of Utah’s most remarkable players, played her extensive solos with feeling and gorgeously molded expressiveness.

Counterbalancing Patriquin’s heartfelt work was the Sunrise Mass by the young Norwegian composer Ola Gjeilo, which also received its Utah premiere at this concert.

Using the traditional Latin text for the mass, Gjeilo has crafted an intoxicatingly lush work. The chorus and string orchestra once again gave a stunning performance that did justice to this piece.

Rounding out the program were two shorter works: Stephen Paulus’ magnificent a cappella Little Elegy and Samuel Barber’s poetic Agnus Dei, which the composer set to his rightly famous Adagio for Strings.