Some works ask more of performers and listeners than others. Mahler's Symphony No. 2, "Resurrection," asks for nearly everything: a huge orchestra, two soloists, a full chorus, and an audience willing to go on a journey of almost ninety minutes that starts in grief and ends somewhere close to transcendence.

From October 1-3, Pacific Chorale joined Pacific Symphony and Artistic & Music Director Alexander Shelley on that journey to open the Symphony's 2026–27 Classical Season at the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall.

For the singers, the "Resurrection" is a lesson in patience. The chorus sits in silence through more than an hour of music, through the turbulent opening movement, the gentle dance, the irony, and the long, searching finale, before it finally comes in. When it does, it isn't a burst of sound. It's a hush. The first words, "Aufersteh'n, ja aufersteh'n" ("Rise again, yes, rise again"), arrive so softly they seem to come from the hall itself. Then Mahler builds, line by line, until voices, orchestra, and organ arrive at one of the most overwhelming affirmations in the symphonic repertoire.

"The Pacific Chorale sounded wonderful, like smoothest fur at pianissimo, like a million singers at fortissimo."
— Timothy Mangan, Culture OC

That arc, from darkness and turmoil to hope and renewal, is what makes the work so lasting. Mahler doesn't hurry it, and it can't be faked. It takes complete commitment from everyone onstage. Pouring that into Alexander Shelley's inaugural Classical Series performance as Artistic & Music Director, side by side with musicians we've shared the stage with for so many years, is something our singers will carry with them for a long time. We're grateful to have been there for the start of his tenure.

What the Critics Said: Writing for LA Opus, David J. Brown called the performance "cogent and often thrilling," with climaxes from the "massed forces" that were "as thrillingly impactful as anyone could desire." His verdict was that it "fully deserved its prolonged standing ovation."

Hear Pacific Chorale and Pacific Symphony join forces again for Carmina Burana and two premieres, October 17!