爆發於2019年底的新冠肺炎給全球帶來超過三年之久的災難，對人類的社會活動尤其產生了深遠的影響。為了遏止時疫漫延，藝術團體的國際旅行演出大多取消，場館空置，實體排演禁絕，以至於一向慘澹經營的表演藝術產業鏈遭到了空前嚴酷的生存考驗。

如此不利的大環境並沒有阻卻臺大校友合唱團和台中市新世紀合唱團邁進的腳步。在指揮莊舜旭教授帶領下，兩團在三年內機動地把握疫情輕緩時段練唱，各自達成兩場年度公演的目標；如今更克服萬難，舉辦聯合公演，並邀請臺大校友交響樂團全場協演伴奏，推出精彩的三部經典大合唱作品：伯恩斯坦的《齊切斯特詩篇》、貝多芬的《合唱幻想曲》和浦朗克的《榮耀頌》。

這是一場集聲樂家、鋼琴家、管弦與打擊樂手，童聲、混聲合唱歌手，將近一百八十人同臺的音樂饗宴，由管弦樂指揮博士莊舜旭教授指揮。莊教授本身也是優秀男高音歌唱家，長年擔任臺大校友合唱團和台中市新世紀合唱團的指揮和藝術總監，針對團員的發聲法及歌唱表現持續深耕，訓練紮實，演示精準，團員在這樣的訓練下，方能勝任詮演這三部戲劇張力強大的合唱鉅作。

至於邀得臺大校友交響樂團協演，擔任全場管弦樂伴奏，更能展開這三部鉅作全幅的磅礴氣勢與音響縱深。臺大是國內唯一沒有完整音樂教習科系，卻早在1960年就成立了弦樂團的綜合大學；弦樂團後來逐步茁長為交響樂團，成為學生課餘演習古典音樂演奏的園地；熱心的畢業團友復於2012年夏天成立了校友交響樂團，延續在校時合奏的愛樂情誼。它在留美專攻管弦樂指揮的黃東漢老師常年指導之下持續精進壯大，近年來更與臺大校友合唱團攜手合作，演出巴赫、韓德爾、莫札特、韋瓦第、孟德爾頌、浦契尼和佛瑞等名家的經典曲目，均深獲好評，洵為國內僅見的一支由單一大學校友為班底的詮演古典音樂的精兵。本場演唱會要演出這三部鉅作，份量和難度均倍甚於往昔，這將是兩團合作的新里程，也是繼續攀登音樂高峰的又一次誓師。

「大藝崇聲」音樂會曲目之一的《齊切斯特詩篇》，是伯恩斯坦於1965年接受英格蘭齊切斯特音樂節的委託，以《舊約聖經》〈詩篇〉章句作曲，用希伯來文演唱。第一樂章是普天歡呼，頌讚耶和華，音樂昂揚而興奮；第二樂章以著名的〈詩篇23〉全篇為主體，用平靜的童聲獨唱和女聲兩部宣敘；隨即音樂轉為焦急迫促，問道：「外邦為何爭鬧，萬民為何謀算……？！」到第三樂章藉大衛王之口，祈許仰從上主耶和華，如斷奶的孩子在慈母懷中；最後以「弟兄和睦同居是何等美善」，寄寓「四海之內皆兄弟」的博愛善念，是一部跌宕起伏、張力十足的傑作。

曲目之二是貝多芬的《合唱幻想曲》，於1808年12月22日首演問世，原名為《Die Fantasie für Klavier, Chor und Orchester in c-Moll op. 80》，簡稱為《Chorfantasie》，是樂聖非常特別的一首作品。它的鋼琴部分隱約重現在三年後（1811年）發表的第五號鋼琴協奏曲《皇帝》之中，而發表於1824年的第九號交響曲《合唱》，更是化用了它合唱部分的主題和「愛與力量」的音樂美學。此次音樂會特別敦請知名鋼琴家張欽全教授擔任鋼琴獨奏。

曲目之三是浦朗克的《榮耀頌》，全曲有六個樂章。在第二次世界大戰之後，十二音音樂理論風起雲湧，他力抗年輕作曲世代的追逐時潮，始終堅持斯特拉溫斯基的新古典主義美學，潛心於嚴肅音樂的創作。1959年庫瑟維斯基基金會有意委託他創作一首交響曲，他回說：「那不是我的菜。」基金會轉而請他寫一首管風琴協奏曲，他答以：「我已寫過一首了。」最後基金會表示，董事會同意致上豐厚筆潤，由他「愛寫什麼就寫什麼。」於是他選取了日常彌撒的儀軌經句，創作了這部為女高音獨唱、混聲合唱和管弦樂伴奏的《榮耀頌》，於1961年1月21日在波士頓首演，成功贏得聽眾的喜愛，日後成為全球音樂會的常演曲目之一。此次演出特別敦聘林玲慧教授擔任女高音獨唱。

The Covid-19 pandemic from 2019 has been a global disaster lasting over three years, especially for social activities. International art productions have been cancelled and on-site events banned, threatening the survival of the industry.

Yet this has not deterred the NTU Alumni Chorus, nor the Taichung New Era Chorus from practicing and performing. This December, the two choruses will hold a joint concert along with the National Taiwan University Alumni Philharmonia, featuring three choral masterpieces: Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms, Beethoven’s Choral Fantasia, and Poulenc’s Gloria.

More than 180 vocalists, pianists, string/woodwind musicians, and others will join hands underthe conductor and artistic director of both choruses, Dr. Shun-Hsu Chuang, himself an accomplished tenor soloist. His guidance has elevated the standard of the chorus members to match the level of the works performed.

National Taiwan University enjoys the distinction of being the only university without a music department to have an orchestra, established as early as 1960. The orchestral alumni started the NTU Alumni Philharmonia in 2012. Under the direction of Mr. Toni Huang. the Philharmonia has partnered with the NTU Alumni Chorus to perform works by Bach, Handel, Mozart, Vivaldi, Mendelssohn, Puccini, and Fauré. This year’s concert promises to reach a new height in this on-

going collaboration.

Chichester Psalms was commissioned for the 1965 Southern Cathedrals Festival at Chichester Cathedral in south England. The text is from the Book of Psalms in the original Hebrew. The first movement is a joyous praise of the Lord. The second movement employs a boy solo and female parts to sing Psalm 23, followed by Psalm 2 asking: “Why do the nations rage, And the people imagine a vain thing?” In the third movement we hear King David praying to the Lord “As a child that is weaned of his mother.” The work ends with “Behold how good, And how pleasant it is, For brethren to dwell Together in unity,” extolling universal brotherhood.

The Choral Fantasia was first performed December 22, 1808. Originally titled “Die Fantasie für Klavier, Chor und Orchester in c-Moll op. 80”, it is often shortened as Chorfantasie. Part of the piano arrangement resurfaced in Beethoven’s Fifth Piano Concerto (Emperor) three years later in 1811, and the choral theme of “Love and Strength” features prominently in his Ninth Symphony (Choral) in 1824. Renowned pianist Prof. Chin-Chuan Chang will play solo for this concert.

Poulenc’s Gloria contains six movements. Twelve-tone music was all the rage post WWII, but Poulenc remained steadfast to Stravinski’s Neo-Classicism. In 1959, the Koussevitsky Foundation requested a symphony from Poulenc, who replied that the genre was “not my thing.” The Foundation suggested an organ concerto. Poulenc told them he had already composed one. The Foundation then offered a generous commission for a work of Poulenc’s own choosing. The result was this piece for soprano solo, orchestra, and chorus, set to the Gloria text from the mass ordinary. Gloria premiered on January 21, 1961 in Boston and has become one of Poulenc's most celebrated works. Prof. Ling-Hui Lin will sing solo soprano for this concert.