2011-2012 Season
In Paradisum: Music of Consolation and Remembrance
| Sunday, March 18, 2012 | Mount Calvary Catholic Church |
| 4:00 pm | 6700 Marlboro Pike |
| Forestville, MD | |
| 3:00 pm The Half Note Pre-Concert Talk | MAP |
Guest Artists
David Kelly, organ
Gabriel Fauré referred to his famous Requiem as a work "as sweet-natured as myself." Indeed, the piece reflects much of the mild-mannered elegance, charm, and sophistication of its composer. Turning away from the tradition of the 19th-century Requiem, with its focus on the terrifying imagery of the day of judgment, Fauré adopts a gentler tone, evoking, as he put it, "a longing for the happiness of the world beyond." Coolly received at its premiere in 1888, the piece has since found a place as one of the most beloved choral masterworks as all time. Shorter works by Brahms, Bruckner, and John Tavener round out this program showcasing the versatility and vocal skill of the MCS.
Join Artistic Director Richard Giarusso at 3pm for an informal pre-concert discussion free for all ticket-holders.
Ticket Information
| $20 general admission | To reserve tickets: |
| $15 senior/student | by phone: (301) 961-7131 |
| children 10 and under free | by email: tickets@marylandchoralsociety.org |
Vaughan Williams: Dona Nobis Pacem
| Sunday, May 20, 2012 | Mount Calvary Catholic Church |
| 4:00 pm | 6700 Marlboro Pike |
| Forestville, MD | |
| 3:00 pm The Half Note Pre-Concert Talk | MAP |
Guest Artists
Jessica Lennick, soprano
Nathan Wyatt, baritone
with the Maryland Choral Society Chamber Orchestra
Ralph Vaughan Williams's Dona Nobis Pacem, written in the years just prior to the outbreak of World War II, blends the poetry of Walt Whitman with the cry for peace ("Dona nobis pacem") embodied within the Agnus Dei of the traditional Latin mass. It is a piece of tremendous drama, emotional scope, and eloquence, and it has much wisdom to offer to us and the world in which we live. We will perform the piece in the rarely-heard version for strings and piano, a reduced orchestration made by the composer himself.
Ticket information
| $20 general admission | To reserve tickets: |
| $15 senior/student | by phone: (301) 961-7131 |
| children 10 and under free | by email: tickets@marylandchoralsociety.org |
2011-2012 Season: PAST PERFORMANCES
Gloria! Festive Music for the Season
| Sunday, December 11, 2011 | Mount Calvary Catholic Church |
| 4:00 pm | 6700 Marlboro Pike |
| Forestville, MD | |
| 3:00 pm The Half Note Pre-Concert Talk | MAP |
Guest Artists
Allison Mondel, soprano
Kristen Dubenion-Smith, mezzo-soprano
with the Maryland Choral Society Chamber Orchestra
MCS celebrates the holiday season with Vivaldi's Gloria. One of the true high points in Vivaldi's prolific output, the Gloria conveys the unprecedented joy and drama of that magical moment in the Christmas story when the angels bring their greetings to the shepherds. The second part of the program will intersperse chorales from the Bach Christmas Oratorio with solo and choral movements from Part III of Handel's great oratorio, Judas Maccabaeus. Part III of the Handel focuses on the institution of Hanukkah by Judas Maccabaeus, and the selected movements from each of these great works focus upon images of light, joy, and peace common to both Christmas and Hanukkah.
Join Artistic Director Richard Giarusso at 3pm for an informal pre-concert discussion free for all ticket-holders.
Ticket Information
| $20 general admission | To reserve tickets: |
| $15 senior/student | by phone: (301) 961-7131 |
| children 10 and under free | by email: tickets@marylandchoralsociety.org |
Photo Credits:
2) excerpt "Beat! beat! drums!" The Charles E. Feinberg Collection of the Papers of Walt Whitman, Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
3) Candlelight vigil, Dolores Park, San Francisco. Copyright © 2001-2006 Eric Wagner All rights reserved.
