Event

Mother and Child

Benjamin Britten: Christs Nativity. Brittens early choral works, written while he was still a college student, are recognized as masterworks of the choral repertoire. Christs Nativity was written three years before his choral tour dforce A Boy was Born and shares many of the brilliant characteristics of vocal writing that exemplify Brittens finest choral pieces.. This is a great opportunity to hear this rarely-performed work.

Gerald Finzi: Magnificat. Finzis lyrical gifts shine forth in this brilliant Magnificat setting for choir, soloists, & organ. Finzis setting is one of the most lucid and illuminating interpretations amongst all settings of this familiar text, and his musical style makes for a truly celebratory experience.

Kenneth Leighton: A Hymn of the Nativity and Of a rose is all my song. The Scottish composer Kenneth Leighton is an underrated (and underperformed) master of the choral art in the tradition of Benjamin Britten.

Two rarely performed works by Pierre Villette round out the featured works on this program: Hymne la Vierge and O magnum misterium, which rivals the beauty of Morten Lauridsens well-known setting. Although he lived from 1926 to 1998, Villettes genius as a choral composer is just being recognized.

Other works include:
Gerald Near: There is no rose;
Georg Schumann: Beim Kindelwiegen from Three Old German Songs Maria Wiegenlied am Drei Knigstage & Huldigung beim Jesuskinde from Three Sacred Songs and
John Byrt: All and Some