“Sing Me To Heaven” was first conceived as a concert program built around a piece of music that had not yet been written: Chautauqua Requiem by Bob Chilcott, commissioned by the Susquehanna Chorale. Only the text was known, poet Mary Anne Morefield’s “Requiem,” which offers her perspective on life and how to live in the face of loss. Other pieces were chosen to augment the basic theme of heaven, whether on earth or in the afterlife, and the emotions and natural phenomena that enrich the human experience. Eriks Esenvalds’ Stars- which incorporates water glasses played as instruments by the singers- celebrates the natural world. Dan Forrest’s setting of the biblical text Entreat Me Not to Leave You presents the power of love for another, and Daniel Gawthrop’s Sing Me to Heaven stitches the programmatic threads of the recording’s 13 pieces into a comprehensive vision. The Susquehanna Chorale, founded in 1981 by Artistic Director Linda L. Tedford, has been recognized as “one of the most connected, communicative choirs in the country” (Mark Boyle). The late choral icon Robert Page said of the group, “Music making at this level is a rarity… the Susquehanna Chorale is a real treasure.”