Spring New England Choral Highlights: Spring 2015

Submitted by Editor-In-Chief on Wed, 01/21/2015 - 08:53

New Englanders have plenty of choral music to chose from! To date, some 200 events from late January to June 2015 have been posted to the Choral Arts New England events calendar. Here, we list a few highlights of the season. Most listings include a link to the performer's website, where there will be further concert information and directions for obtaining tickets. See our online calendar (www.choralarts-newengland.org/Calendar) for the most complete and up-to-date set.

—Peter Pulsifer, Choral Arts New England

Premieres and choral commissions (by composer)

  • Kati Agócs: The Debrecen Passion. With music by Béla Bartók, György Ligeti, and Bálint Karosi. Lorelei Ensemble, (with Boston Modern Orchestra Project) [MA], 1/24/15.
  • Samuel Beebe: Riding on a Train at Rush Hour, a short opera; with David Lang: The Little Match Girl. Boston Choral Ensemble [MA], 3/29/15.
  • Lembit Beecher: Premiere. Burlington Choral Society [VT], 4/25/15.
  • Avner Dorman: music inspired by the holy city, Jerusalem. Seraphim Singers [MA], 4/26/15.
  • Gabriela Lena Frank. To commemorate the bicentennial of the Handel and Haydn Society. Handel and Haydn Society [MA], 6/18/15.
  • Adam Grossman. Master Singers of Lexington [MA], 5/16/15.
  • Shaw Pong Liú: Peace is a Woman in a House, featuring Chinese calligrapher Mike Mei; Carson Cooman: The Dawning Light; with selections from Las Huelgas Codex. Lorelei Ensemble [MA], 5/22, 5/23/15.
  • John Ratledge: The Divine Siren, a cantata based on the life and poetry of 16th-century Italian poet Gaspara Stampa. New Hampshire Master Chorale [NH], 1/10, 1/11, 2/1/15.
  • Steven Sametz: Un Bacio (A Kiss); with works by Barnwell, Leek, Stuckey, and Whitacre. CONCORA [CT], 2/1/15.
  • Tom Vignieri. Masterworks Chorale [MA], 5/8/15.

Major or especially interesting works (by composer)

Special programs (a few of many)—Chronological.

  • Music from the Dow Partbooks. The Dow Partbooks comprise one of the most visually stunning and important collections of English music from the Tudor period. The collection includes some of the great English works of the time: Ne irascaris of William Byrd; O sacrum convivium of Thomas Tallis; Ave Maria of William Parsons; and Robert White’s Lamentations of Jeremiah. Convivium Musicum [MA], 1/24, 1/25, 1/31/15.
  • Defiant Requiem: Verdi at Terezín. Boston premiere performance. Created and Conducted by Murry Sidlin; with the Orchestra of Terezín Remembrance; Tanglewood Festival Chorus [MA], 1/27/15.
  • Ockeghem@600. Johannes Ockeghem: Missa De plus en plus; with music by Binchois and Du Fay. Blue Heron Choir [MA], 2/14, 2/21/15, 2/22/15.
  • Lenten Meditations. Théodore Dubois: The Seven Last Words of Christ; Francis Poulenc: Quatre motets pour un temps de pénitence; Johannes Brahms: Marienlieder. Coro Allegro [MA], 3/15/15.
  • Sacred Visions. Jean Langlais: Messe Solonelle; Herbert Howells: Collegium Regale Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis; Max Janowski: Hashkiveinu; Simon Sargon: Psalm 135; sacred works by Johannes Brahms and Charles Villiers Stanford. Newton Choral Society [MA], 3/15/15.
  • Mass and Magnificat. Antonin Dvorák: Mass in D; Franz Biebl: Ave Maria; John Tavener: Song for Athene; Arvo Pärt: Magnificat; Felix Mendelssohn: Hear My Prayer. Providence Singers [RI], 3/22, 3/23/15.
  • Songs for the Earth. Gwyneth Walker: To Love This Earth (settings of Thoreau); Dave Brubeck: Earth Is Our Mother (text by Chief Seattle); Andrew Carter: Benedicite. Master Singers of Worcester [MA], 3/22/15.
  • Michael Gandolfi: Chesapeake: Summer of 1814 (commissioned to celebrate the 200th birthday of the Star-Spangled Banner). Concord Chorus [MA], 3/27, 3/28/15.
  • Dan Forrest: Requiem for the Living; John Rutter: Feel the Spirit. Connecticut Master Chorale [CT], 3/29/15.
  • W.A. Mozart: Misericordias Domini; Corigliano: Fern Hill. With works by Samuel Barber and Béla Bartók. Amare Cantare [NH]: 3/28, 3/29, 4/1/15.
  • Masses of Frank Martin and Igor Stravinsky. Blanche Moyse Chorale [VT], 4/10, 4/12/15.
  • Music from Estonia, Home of the Singing Revolution. Works of Arvo Pärt; Tõnu Kõrvits; the premiere of a work by Estonian-American composer Lembit Beecher; with some well-known anthems from the Estonian Song Festival. With BCS string ensemble. Burlington Choral Society [VT], 4/25/15.
  • Expecting The Main Things From You. Francesco Durante: Magnificat, Nico Muhly: Expecting the Main Things from You (on Whitman texts from Leaves of Grass); Dominick Argento: A Toccata of Galuppi’s (from a Robert Browning poem). With string quartet, keyboard (harpsichord, organ), and percussion. Concord Chorale [NH], 5/1, 5/2, 5/3/15.
  • The American Spiritual Tradition. African Americans spirituals by William Dawson, Jester Hairston, Moses Hogan, André Thomas, and others. Salisbury Singers [MA], 5/9/15.
  • Songs of the Civil War. Music representing both sides of the conflict, with renditions of some stirring letters and commentary from the times. Special guest artist: Greg Boardman, fiddle. Androscoggin Chorale [ME], 5/9/15.
  • Time Remembered-Time Forgotten. Robert S. Cohen: Alzheimer’s Stories (New England premiere). A pre-concert forum at 6:30 pm features conductor Dr. Robert Russell; composer Robert S. Cohen; Alzheimer’s Association Maine Chapter Program Director Bill Kirkpatrick; music therapist Kate Beever; and poet/actress/activist Judy Prescott, author of Searching for Cecy: Reflections on Alzheimer’s. Choral Art Society [ME], 5/9/15.
  • Works of Women Composers. New Haven Oratorio Choir [CT], 5/9/15.
  • The Song of Songs: Sensual texts from the Bible’s raciest Book. Settings by Renaissance composers and by Boston’s Daniel Pinkham. Musica Sacra [MA], 5/9/15.
  • Blooming in Boston. Daniel Pinkham: Garden Party; James Woodman: Narcissus; Carson Cooman: Eros (text by Ralph Waldo Emerson); The Choir Invisible (text by George Eliot). Newton Choral Society [MA], 5/16/15.
  • Songs of the Civil War. Historic selections to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the conclusion of the American Civil War. Sounds of Stow Festival Chorus and Orchestra [MA], 5/17/15.
  • Songs of Love and War. Randall Thompson: Testament to Freedom; Ralph Vaughan Williams: Dona Nobis Pacem (Grant Us Peace); Paul Moravec: Songs of Love and War. The Worcester Chorus [MA], 5/30/15.
  • Bang! Music for Choir and Percussion. We explore the two most primitive musical sounds—the human voice and the drum— from a modern musical perspective with works by Dominick Argento, Peter Klatzow, Timothy Takach, Michael Sample, and Veljo Tormis, as well as percussion solos. The Oratorio Chorale [ME], 6/5, 6/6/15.
  • Long, long night. John Taverner: Dum transisset Sabbatum, five-voice motet (1575); Audivi vocem; John Tavener (1944–2013): Song for Athene (sung at the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales); Ex Maria Virgine for choir and organ (excerpts). Boston Choral Ensemble [MA], 6/6, 6/7/15.
  • Chorus America Conference concert. Handel: Coronation Anthem No. 1, "Zadok the Priest"; Palestrina: Vineam meam non custodivi; MacMillan: O Radiant Dawn; Palestrina: Pulchrae sunt genae tuae; J.S. Bach: "Singet dem Herrn"; Gabriela Lena Frank: Premiere (with introduction and narration by David Rockefeller); Pärt: The Deer’s Cry; Handel: Part the Third from Messiah. Handel and Haydn Society [MA], 6/18/15.

Category:

Effective Date: 
Wednesday, January 21, 2015