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Singing on high: Santa Fe Desert Chorale hopes to reach a new audience with PBS special 'Candlelight Carols'
It takes nearly two years for Joshua Habermann to plan out a Santa Fe Desert Chorale season.
“From idea to when people see a performance on stage, it’s a long journey,” said Habermann, Santa Fe Desert Chorale artistic director. “We enjoy the process and want to put together the best possible performance we can.”
The Santa Fe Desert Chorale will be front and center during the holiday special, “Candlelight Carols: A Glimpse of Snow and Evergreen,” which will broadcast at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 24, on New Mexico PBS. The show will also be available to stream on the PBS app.
Habermann and the Desert Chorale performed the concert in December 2023 at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi in Santa Fe.
“We wanted to get the program to a wider audience,” Habermann said of partnering with PBS for the special. “The Santa Fe Desert Chorale is a hidden gem in Santa Fe and most people don’t get to experience it. With this collaboration with PBS, we’re able to get the performance seen statewide. That’s how we continue to grow our reach more than 40 years later.”
The Santa Fe Desert Chorale was founded in 1982 by Lawrence “Larry” Bandfield and is one of the longest-running professional music organizations in New Mexico, as well as one of the most distinguished American professional chamber choirs.
Performing in historical venues such as the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, the Desert Chorale has become a centerpiece of the cultural life of Santa Fe.
The annual Summer Festival is one of the nation’s largest choral events.
Habermann has led the chorale since 2008 in repertoire spanning seven centuries, from early polyphony to contemporary works.
The ensemble has traveled across the nation, performing in prominent conferences and cities such as Dallas, Chicago and Los Angeles.
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Throughout its history, the Desert Chorale has maintained a commitment to give voice to music from Hispanic and Native American communities, Habermann said.
Dedicated to advancing the composers of our time, the Desert Chorale has commissioned over 30 new works, and several additional pieces have been given their world or American premieres by the Santa Fe Desert Chorale.
Because winter is often some people’s first experience with the Desert Chorale, Habermann said he wants to create a program where they can find songs that are familiar.
“My goal is to get people to love chorale music as much as I love it,” he said. “Some people think of classical or chorale music as if it’s not theirs. I always feel like the music belongs to you if you like it. I want people of all backgrounds to find chorale music and take what they can from it.”
Being able to pull from centuries of music and cross it with the members of the Desert Chorale is a dream come true, Habermann said.
“We have some amazing singers,” he added. “There are other groups across the country that are good. We are unique in that we have developed a community over time. There’s been relative stability in the roster. There’s an ethos that has come to exist and it’s a joy.”
Habermann’s goal for curating a performance is to constantly push the singers.
“That’s where we get the joy,” he said. “By meeting new benchmarks, we keep the fire burning towards being better.”
From Friday, Dec. 20, through Sunday, Dec. 22, the Santa Fe Desert Chorale will present its 2024 offering — “Carols & Lullabies: A Rose in Winter” at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, 131 Cathedral Place in Santa Fe.
Tickets are on sale at desertchorale.org.
