September 27, 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Chorus pro Musica, led by Artistic Director Jeffrey Rink, performs two profound yet contrasting Requiem settings by Roger Ames and Gabriel Fauré on Friday, November 9, 2007 at 8 pm at Old South Church, 645 Boylston Street, Copley Square, Boston. The performance features soloists David Murray, baritone, and Ilana Davidson, soprano.
Modeled after Benjamin Britten's magnificent War Requiem, the Requiem for Our Time by American composer Roger Ames merges the haunting, contemporary poetry of the late Boston-based poet Anne Sexton with traditional Latin texts to create a modern context for the ancient and moving remembrance of the dead. The piece premiered in 1985 (in a performance conducted by Jeffrey Rink) as “Requiem for Unbelievers.” This will be its first New England performance. Roger Ames (b. 1944) is a noted composer of operas and vocal works, including Amistad and In Memoriam: Warsaw 1943.
Writer, poet, and playwright Anne Sexton (1928–1974), who won the Pulitzer Prize for poetry in 1966, was appointed lecturer of creative writing at Boston University in 1970 and two years later promoted to full professor. Breaking from 1950s expectations of a suburban woman's role, Sexton pioneered a radical, new form of poetry, writing openly about family, sexuality, joy and despair.
Gabriel Fauré (1845–1924), completed his Requiem in 1901, drawing melodic inspiration from the tunes and rhythms of Gregorian chant. Considered by many as the composer's greatest achievement, it is a profound testament of faith, with an ethereal beauty that has made it one of the most-beloved Requiem settings of our time.
The concert is reserved seating. Tickets are $25, $35 or $45, with discounts available for seniors, students, WGBH members, and parties of 6 or more. Tickets may be purchased and seats selected online at www.choruspromusica.org or by calling 800-658-4276 at any time. For wheelchair-accessible seats, call 617-267-7442.
Now in its 59th season, Chorus pro Musica is a distinguished, independent Boston-based chorus, recognized for versatility and excellence in performing traditional, adventurous and seldom-heard works. The Chorus was founded in 1949 by the late Alfred Nash Patterson and has built a superb reputation for professional-level musical standards and innovative programming. In 2006, Chorus pro Musica was one of 45 cultural, environmental, and human service organizations profiled as “examples of excellence” in the Catalogue for Philanthropy.
The 2007–2008 season continues on December 21 at Old South Church with a special Holiday Concert conducted by Lisa Graham, featuring Daniel Pinkham's Christmas Cantata and Morten Lauridsen's O magnum mysterium, among other seasonal favorites. On March 7, 2008 the chorus, led by David Hodgkins, will perform A Celebration of New England Composers with a musical tribute to Daniel Pinkhamå at the Cathedral Church of St. Paul, 138 Tremont St, Boston. The season will conclude on June 1, 2008 at NEC's Jordan Hall with the traditional concert opera: Georges Bizet's Carmen, featuring audience favorite Victoria Livengood in her signature role as Carmen, Adam Klein as Don José, Robert Honeysucker as Escamilllo, Nouné Karapetian as Micaela, and Philip Candilis as Zuniga.
See the Chorus pro Musica online press kit at: www.choruspromusica.org/press.shtml
For more information, contact Peter Pulsifer at 617-267-7442.