Uploaded March 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago

---

PURCHASE SCORE: laurenbiggsmusic.com/music-catalog/the-call-of-a-calling

APU Recital Choir & Orchestra
Zhaotong Tang, soprano
Lauren Biggs, conductor

February 27, 2026
Munson Chapel, Azusa Pacific University

Program Note:

Tiffany Sun — a Taiwanese-American poet — and I decided to collaborate on a three-song cycle that would set her original poetry. The cycle, entitled “The Call of a Calling | 呼召的呼喊,” depicts a journey of discovery, our calling in life, and the mystery of the One who calls us. This song cycle marks a personal milestone as my first composition for chamber orchestra and choir.
甦醒 (“dawn”)

This opening piece, “dawn,” captures the quiet liminality of early morning—the moment between dreaming and waking, when the mind is still and the world feels suspended in a fragile calm. Sun’s short poem speaks to that in-between space, where unease and serenity intertwine. She wrote it while on tour with APU Chamber Singers in Ireland, feeling homesick for her friends and family in Taiwan.

Musically, I drew inspiration from Daniel Rosenfeld’s minimalist work on the Minecraft soundtrack, using repeated textures and motifs to express emotions that are hard to define but deeply felt.

5:00 in the morning
on the other side of this world
the seagulls have awakened
— excerpt from “dawn”
也想飛 (“want to fly too”)

"want to fly too" focuses on the desire to ascend into freedom like a bird. The main motif, as introduced by the piccolo, is based on the call of the white-crested sparrow, a bird found in my hometown, Anchorage. As the poem discusses time, I also incorporated a clocktower motif.

2:30 in the afternoon
early bird
it has been a long time since i looked back
fly toward freedom

— excerpt from “want to fly too”
顯現 (“revealed/revealing”)

"revealed / revealing" is by far the most heroic movement of this cycle. Like the previous movement, it expands on the need to fly, with learning to fly becoming a metaphor for finding direction, inspiring others, and embracing the divine essence of existence. This movement invites listeners to cling to the hope and promise of redemption, even amidst struggle. Through the music, I aim to capture the heroism it takes simply to survive and trust in God’s plans.

when learning to fly
you must have a destination
when learning to fly
you must encourage one another

— excerpt from “revealed/revealing”

♬♩♪♩

BUY MY MUSIC: laurenbiggsmusic.com

MY LINKS: solo.to/laureliamadeus

BUY ME A COFFEE:
ko-fi.com/laureliamadeus

♬♩♪♩