St. Louis Chamber Chorus Concert - Hope

Sunday, May 26th, 2019 - 3:00 - 5:00 p.m.
The Saint Louis Chamber Chorus season will reach its zenith on a high note, focusing on the many different forms of HOPE. Appropriate to the concert venue, the emotions of lovers will be explored in madrigals by Italian Renaissance Jewish composer, Salamone Rossi. More recent French Jewish composer Darius Milhaud contributes his “Cantata for Peace,” lamenting the warmongering of God's people and hopes for a better tomorrow. An appeal to man's innate nobility is issued in “Edel Sei Der Mensch,” a rare a cappella work from Ludwig van Beethoven.
The Chamber Chorus will sing another plea for tolerance, “Hope There Is,” by former Composer-in-Residence, Clare Maclean. Current Composer-in-Residence, Mårten Jansson, will fly from his home in Sweden for the world premiere of new piece for the Chorus, “Hope,” on which he collaborated with American poet, Charles Anthony Silvestri, who will also be at the concert. This new work addresses the transience of life, a theme also underpinning the “Sechs Geistliches Lieder” by Hugo Wolf and Benjamin Britten's “Flower Songs.” Both are significant works in the choral canon and exemplify the major repertoire the Chamber Chorus is committed to presenting to St. Louis audiences.

There will be a short reception following the concert. Audience members will have a chance to meet Mårten Jansson, Charles Anthony Silvestri and toast the culmination of the Chorus's 63rd season.