When Enns meet: DaCapo choir shoots for a new dimension using works by Leonard and Jeff

All's well that Enns well.

That would have made a fitting - albeit perhaps too cheeky - name for an upcoming concert by the DaCapo Chamber Choir.

Saturday's concert will feature a piece written by conductor Leonard Enns and another work written by composer Jeff Enns (no relation).

What's more, the concert marks the end of the choir's 2008 concert series.

But when choosing a name for the concert, Leonard Enns decided to go for something a little simpler.

It's called Three, since it's the third concert in the series.

"I sometimes run out of ideas for programming," he explained, "so this time I came up with concerts called One, Two and Three."

But there's a deeper logic behind the numerical names -- a theme that will reach its fruition at Saturday's concert.

The first concert of the series, One, featured pieces that explored the themes of genesis and creation. The next, Two, built on the idea of pairs -- two different ways of interpreting the same text.

As for Three, well, Enns found this one trickier to pin down.

"I wasn't going to go for the (Holy) Trinity -- that would be too obvious," he said.

Instead, the choir will perform a dozen pieces of music that explore the notion of a third dimension -- a "reaching beyond," as Enns puts it, "into a new plane."

As such, the first half of the concert will feature pieces that lyrically focus on earthly ideas, while the second half will explore eternal and spiritual ideas.

"I want a bit of a journey," said Enns. "I want people to be awestruck."

Enns was determined to create a "narrative" that would run through the concert, which required careful selection of pieces, several of which were have strong connections to Waterloo Region.

"I'm very excited that we have three pieces by local composers, including me," Enns said.

Enns will conduct his own composition, I Saw Eternity, which won the Polyphonous music competition and was premiered in Seattle several weeks ago. Jeff Enns, an instructor at Kitchener's Beckett School, wrote a piece specifically for the concert called Moonset.

And the choir will also perform a piece by Waterloo composer Timothy Corlis, titled In Paradisum, which features accompaniment by local saxophone player Willem Moolenbeek.

All of which will make for what Leonard Enns hopes to be a moving night of music.

"I want the audience to hear some really, really good choral music that will elevate them in a truly engaging experience."