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Twice the Spirit: Two Choirs as One
(Mesa, AZ) Sonoran Desert Chorale and Canto Vivo Chorale join together under the direction of Dr. Craig Peterson for a grand collaboration. Two of choral literature’s most revered pieces are the cornerstone of the concerts along with some of the best-loved double choir works in the repertoire.
Twice the Spirit: Two Choirs as One performances are set for Saturday, February 24, 2024 at 7:30 P.M. at First United Methodist Church, 15 E. First Avenue, Mesa and Sunday, February 25, 2024 at 3:00 P.M. at La Casa De Cristo Lutheran Church, 6300 E. Bell Road, Scottsdale.
Single tickets are $25 for adults/$20 for seniors, students, and groups of 10 or more. Tickets may be purchased online at SonoranDesertChorale.org, by calling 480-305-4538, from singers, or at the door. Student Rush tickets are available ten minutes before curtain with appropriate ID.
Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms, written in 1965 in response to a commission from the Dean of the Cathedral of Chichester, juxtaposes vocal part writing most commonly associated with Church music with the Judaic liturgical tradition. By combining the Hebrew with Christian choral tradition, Bernstein was implicitly issuing a plea for peace in Israel during a turbulent time in the young country’s history. The piece is jazzy and contemporary, yet accessible. The work ends with a chorale which Bernstein called “a prayer for peace” – “Behold how good, and how pleasant it is, for brethren to dwell together in unity.” It is accompanied by organ, harp, and percussion.
Benjamin Britten’s setting of Christopher Smart’s poem Jubilate Agno, in his cantata, Rejoice in the Lamb, showcases the depth of Smart’s spirituality, and the indisputable wisdom and insight that his poetry has an extraordinary capacity to inspire and delight. Britten doesn’t shy from Smart’s eccentricity, but, rather, serves it up for the listener, so that all might experience the crackling brilliance of his imagination. Strange, to be sure, but there is so much wonder in which to share and so large a measure of beauty to ponder in this striking fusion of music and poetry.
Sir William Harris’s masterpiece Faire is the Heaven (1925) is one of the best-loved works in the repertoire. Coelos ascendit hodie (C.V. Stanford) a motet scored for double choir, makes much use of dramatic interplay between the two choirs. The superb final ‘Amen’ grows ever outwards from one single note, concluding on a vibrant eight-part chord. These and others, including Sing We Merrily Unto God (Martin Wood), comprise the remainder of the concert. Truly a glorious sound-fest not to be missed!
Event Links
Tickets: https://go.evvnt.com/2224369-0
Website: https://go.evvnt.com/2224369-2
