Coming up soon in Boston choral music

Here are some highlights of the spring choral season in the greater Boston area. There is far too much going on to print; for more, and for concert details, including links to performer web sites, check out our new online choral events calendar: www.choralarts-newengland.org/Calendar.

Premieres and choral commissions (by composer)

• Greg Bullen: The Orchard. Coro Allegro, 6/2/13.
• Peter Child: Meditations Upon The Lamb. Chorus pro Musica, 5/31/13.
• Mohammed Fairouz: Anything Can Happen. Back Bay Chorale, 3/17/13.
• Malcolm Hawkins: Martha and Lazarus. Arlington-Belmont Chorale, 3/10/13 and 5/10/13.
• Ruth Lomon: commission. Cantemus Chamber Chorus, 4/27/13, 4/28/13.
• Marjorie Merryman: Beauty, Grief and Grandeur (First Boston Performance); James MacMillan: The Seven Last Words from the Cross (First Boston Performance). Cantata Singers, 3/17/13.
• Brian Tate: commission. Halalisa Singers, 4/2713, 4/28/13.
• Gwyneth Walker: The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere. Lexington Pops Chorus, 1/18/13, 1/19/13.
• Scott Wheeler: “The Jabberwocky” (based on Lewis Carroll’s poem). Cantilena, 5/4/13.
• Jan Dismas Zelenka: Missa votiva in E minor, ZWV 18 (First Boston Performance). Cantata Singers, 5/10/13.

Major or especially interesting works

• Giacomo Carissimi: Jephte; Marc-Antoine Charpentier: Missa Assumpta est Maria; J.S. Bach: Cantata: “Gottes Zeit ist die allerbeste Zeit.” Boston Baroque, 3/8/13-3/9/13.
• Giacomo Carissimi: Jephte; Morten Lauridsen: Lux Aeterna. Newton Community Chorus, 5/11/13.
• Antonin Dvorak: Stabat Mater. Newton Community Chorus, 1/26/13.
• George Frideric Handel: Jephtha. Handel and Haydn Society, 5/3/13, 5/5/13.
• George Frideric Handel: Jephtha. Sounds of Stow Festival Chorus, 3/24/13.
• Franz Joseph Haydn: Mass in Time of War; Igor Stravinsky: Pulcinella (complete). Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, conductor. BSO/TFC, 2/21/13-2/23/13, 2/26/13.
• Gustav Mahler: Symphony No. 3. Daniele Gatti, conductor. BSO/TFC, 3/28/13-3/29/13, 3/30/13.
• John Stainer: The Crucifixion. King’s Chapel, 3/24/13.
• Giuseppe Verdi: Requiem. Daniele Gatti, conductor. BSO/TFC, 1/17/13-1/19/13.
• Giuseppe Verdi: Requiem and Stabat Mater. Quincy Choral Society, 5/19/13.

Old Favorites

• Johannes Brahms: A German Requiem. Cambridge Community Chorus, 5/19/13
• Johannes Brahms: Neue Liebeslieder Wälzer; John Corigliano: Liebeslied; PDQ Bach: Liebeslieder Polkas. Masterworks Chorale, 5/17/13.
• Gabriel Fauré: Requiem. Newton Choral Society, 5/11/13.
• Gabriel Fauré: Requiem. New England Classical Singers, 5/5/13.
• Gabriel Fauré: Requiem, Les Djinns, Le Ruisseau, Madrigal, Une Châtelaine en sa Tour; Lili Boulanger: Pie Jesu, Renouveau, Les Sirènes, Sous Bois. Spectrum Singers, 4/18/13.
• Franz Josef Haydn: The Creation. Andover Choral Society, 1/27/13.
• Franz Josef Haydn: The Creation. Newton Choral Society, 3/24/13.
• Franz Josef Haydn: Lord Nelson Mass. Boston Baroque, 4/19/13-4/20/13.
• Franz Josef Haydn: St. Nikolai Mass, Andover Choral Society, 1/27/13.
• Karl Jenkins: The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace. Metropolitan Chorale of Brookline, 5/4/13
• Felix Mendelssohn: Elijah. Nashoba Valley Chorale, 1/12/13
• W.A. Mozart: Requiem. Back Bay Chorale, 3/17/13
• W.A. Mozart: Requiem. Nashoba Valley Chorale, 4/27/13
• John Rutter: Requiem. Polymnia Choral Society, 3/17/13
• Ralph Vaughan Williams: Five Mystical Songs, and other music by English and American composers. Heritage Chorale, 5/11/13.

Special programs (a few of many)—Chronological

• Anton Bruckner: Pange lingua and Christus factus est; Herbert Howells: Requiem; Frank Martin: Mass for Double Choir. Cantata Singers, 1/18/13.
• Daniel Pinkham: Wedding Cantata; Eric Whitacre: Five Hebrew Love Songs; J. S. Bach: Jesu mein Freude (funeral motet). Chorus pro Musica, 3/10/13.
• Josquin des Prez: Deploration on the death of Ockegham, Thomas Tallis: Lamentations of Jeremiah for men’s voices, Spem in alium, three settings of “When David Heard that Absalom was Slain.” Boston Choral Ensemble, 3/8/13, 3/10/13.
• Benjamin Britten: Hymn to St. Cecilia and Sacred and Profane; William Byrd: Laudibus in sanctis; Henry Purcell: “O Sing unto the Lord”; Nicholas White:From Earth to Heaven. Boston Cecilia, 3/16/13.
• Robert Schumann: Four Double Choruses; Marjorie Merryman: Beauty, Grief and Grandeur (First Boston Performance); James MacMillan: The Seven Last Words from the Cross (First Boston Performance). Cantata Singers, 3/17/13.
• Astor Piazolla: Portenos and Tangos; Heitor Villa-Lobos: Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5, Bachianas Brasileiras No. 9 for Wordless Chorus, Mass in Honor of St. Sebastian; Alberto Ginastera: Lamentations of Jeremiah. Spectrum Singers, 3/23/13.
• Franz Joseph Haydn: Mass in Time of War; Alberto Ginastera: Lamentations of Jeremiah; Lee Hoiby: Last Letter Home; Peter Eldridge: Come Home. Coro Allegro, 4/7/13.
• This Sacred Ground, Commemorating the 150th Anniversary of The Battle of Gettysburg: Walt Whitman: “A Dirge for Two Veterans”, settings by Gustav Holst, Harl McDonald and Charles Wood; David Diamond: The Gettysburg Address; Ralph Vaughan Williams: Dona Nobis Pacem. Dedham Choral Society, 4/21/13.
• Celebrating Artists of the North Shore: Ruth Lomon: commission (Premiere); Randall Thompson: Frostiana; John Purifoy: Address to the Moon; Charlene Archibeque: The Cooling Shadow; Daniel Pinkham: The Tenth Muse, Gwyneth Walker: Tree of Peace, If Ever Two Were One. Cantemus Chamber Chorus, 4/27/13, 4/28/13.
• Poetic License: Holmes: “Let Evening Come”; Daley: “The Lake Isle of Innisfree”; Persichetti: settings of e.e. cummings; Roger Bourland: settings of Alarcon. Cantilena, 5/4/13.
• Ned Rorem: In Time of Pestilence; Johannes Brahms: Three Quartets Op.31, Four Quartets Op.92, Five Songs Op.104. Master Singers, 5/11/13.
• Orazio Vecchi: Night Games of Siena. An Italian Madrigal Comedy with musical caricatures, tongue twisters, and madrigals of various humors. Exsultemus, 5/18/13, 5/19/13.
• Franz Schubert: Mass in G; Jennifer Higdon: Southern Grace; Greg Bullen: The Orchard (World Premiere). Coro Allegro, 6/2/13.