On Sunday, October 15, in New Britain and on Saturday, November 4 in Stamford, CONCORA (Connecticut Choral Artists), the region’s oldest all-professional choral ensemble, will perform the enduringly beautiful Requiem by Johannes Brahms.
The concerts are the first of the ensemble’s 2017-2018 season, during which CONCORA, under the direction of Artistic Director Chris Shepard, celebrates masterworks of the choral art, with fresh interpretations of music that many consider the greatest examples of the genre, including the timeless Requiem of Johannes Brahms.
“True masterworks have lasting power and beauty,” said Shepard, who is beginning his third season as the ensemble’s Artistic Director. “Musical trends and fashions come and go, but the finest works of music – such as Brahms’ moving Requiem – stand the test of time. Singers never tire of performing it, and listeners never tire of hearing it. This sort of beauty transcends time.”
CONCORA will perform the “London Version” of the Requiem, an arrangement for choir and four-hand piano that Brahms himself prepared for more intimate presentations of the work. The vocal solos will be presented by soprano Louise Fauteaux and baritone Chai-lun Yueh. Eric Trudel and Cihan Yücel are the featured pianists.
The program also includes a rarely-heard Brahms choral masterwork, Nänie, a poignant, achingly beautiful, but ultimately consoling elegy. Oboist Libby van Cleve is the featured soloist.
CONCORA will give two performances of this program:
Sunday, October 15, 2017, at 4:00pm, at South Church, 90 Main Street, New Britain, CT. Tickets are $10-$55, with discounted rates for students, seniors, and groups of eight or more.
Saturday, November 4, 2017, at 7:30pm, at Saint John’s Episcopal Church, 628 Main Street, Stamford CT. No tickets are required for this performance, which is part of Saint John’s 275th anniversary celebration.
For information and tickets, visit CONCORA’s website www.concora.org or contact the CONCORA office at 860-293-0567 or .
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