Music, peace combine at university discussion> Haydn’s `Mass in Time of War’ musical focus of event

ORONO — A Sunday afternoon discussion and concert at the University of Maine became a celebration of sorts, a gathering of those who envision peace and can’t help but see its ethereal form take shape even when continuous violence threatens to all but obliterate it.

Professors, students, musicians and community members met at the Maine Center for the Arts to discuss, “Why do We Speak of Peace, Yet Wage War?” and, later, to listen to the University Singers, the University Orchestra and the Oratorio Society perform Joseph Haydn’s “Mass in Time of War,” and J.S. Bach’s “Magnificat.” The event, a collaborative effort between the University of Maine Peace Studies Program and the department of music, marks the first time in recent university history that a musical performance was used as a focal point for a philosophical discussion.

In fact, Haydn’s “Mass,” written in 1796 as Napoleon readied to wage war upon Austria, became the impetus for the program. Professor Ludlow Hallman, director of the department of music, said that the masterwork, which has been used for political commentary in the past, “seemed to make a statement about war.” He, Oratorio Society member Danny Williams and Kathryn Gaianguest, director of the Peace Studies Program, decided that it “might generate a lively discussion.”

The “Mass” includes the phrase, “Give us Peace,” even while the timpani passages at the end are reminiscent of cannon fire and rifle shots, and the flourish of trumpets resounds with military flair — a rallying cry toward victory, perhaps.

The dichotomy in the music may be clear. The answer to the question, “Why do we speak of peace, yet wage war?” is not.

But the people who took part in the discussion weren’t there to amass definite answers. “This is simply a part of the whole peace process,” explained Ilze Petersons, development coordinator at the Peace and Justice Center in Bangor and a discussion leader. “It’s just nice to support each other and acknowledge that each of us is working in our own way towards peace.”

The group agreed that ending violence may hinge on finding nonviolent ways to deal with anger and resentment, and on eliminating poverty, which destroys human potential.

The music, meanwhile, was superb: sometimes mournful, often filled to overflowing with unbridled joy, always powerful. The voices of the University Singers and the Oratorio Society were clear and true, and the arias, duets and trios were magnificent. A standing ovation revealed what was apparent from the very beginning of the concert — that the performers were much appreciated.