WHAT ’ S NEWS IN PETERS TOWNSHIP
MENDELSSOHN CHOIR OF PITTSBURGH ’ S ‘ SEASON OF LIGHT AND IMAGINATION ’ BEGINS WITH FREE CONCERTS IN DECEMBER
The choir of 100-plus voices seeks to engage a broad spectrum of the community with free shows and its first sensory-friendly event .
The Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh ( MCP ) recently announced its 2021-22 season . At 114 years in operation , MCP is composed of approximately 120 singers and is led by Robert Page Music Director Matthew Mehaffey .
MCP returns to live programming with a slate of performances celebrating light and imagination . Anchoring the season is The Promise of Light , running Dec . 10‐18 . MCP is offering free admission with the support of the Jack Buncher Foundation , in order to remove barriers to participation and engage with as many members of the community as possible .
The Promise of Light is a lighthearted meditation that draws from the vast wealth of music and poetry about winter , the solstice , the holidays , and most importantly , why we celebrate at the darkest time of the year . The 70-minute concert features music by some of choral music ’ s most popular composers ( Randall
Thompson , Ēriks Ešenvalds ), fresh new voices in choral music ( Melissa Dunphy and Georgia Stitt ), and well-known songs by the Fleet Foxes , Carole King , and Dolly Parton . The concert also includes seasonal poetry and reflections by the likes of Robert Frost , Ogden Nash , Mary Oliver , Amy Gerstler , Margaret Atwood , and Joseph Campbell .
“ From the beginning of time , our ancestors looked forward to the longest night of the year . Why ? As the days shortened , ancient peoples feared the sun would disappear completely , and deprive the world of heat , light and life ; yet , the end did not come , and the sun granted them a reprieve from death with just a few seconds more of light ,” Mehaffey observes .
“ Thus , over the millennia , to celebrate the resurrection of the sun back into the cosmic cycle , and eventually the birth of godheads who bring light into the world , they made the winter solstice a day of celebration . All of them , in every corner of the globe , in every corner of history .”
He adds , “ Whatever you celebrate , when you celebrate , your soul shares something with that first someone who looked up at the sun standing still in the midwinter sky and knew it was not an end but a beginning . And if we strip away the stress and demands of the holiday season that we have created for our modern selves , we will understand the absolute necessity to celebrate the joy that all humanity has felt at this time of year , across time — joy in the promise of light , and in new beginnings .”
Performances of The Promise of Light :
Friday , Dec . 10 7:30 p . m . Westminster Presbyterian Church , 2040 Washington Road , Upper St . Clair
Saturday , Dec . 11 ( Sensory-friendly concert ) 2:30 p . m . Westminster Presbyterian Church , 2040 Washington Road , Upper St . Clair
Saturday , Dec . 11 7:30 p . m . St . Kilian Church , 7076 Franklin Road , Cranberry Township
Sunday , Dec . 12 2:30 p . m . Ebenezer Baptist Church , 2001 Wylie Avenue , Pittsburgh ( Hill District )
Friday , Dec . 17 7:30 p . m . Sacred Heart Church ( St . Jude Parish ), 310 Shady Avenue , Pittsburgh ( East End )
Saturday , Dec . 18 2:30 p . m . Trinity Episcopal Cathedral , 328 Sixth Avenue , Pittsburgh ( Downtown )
MCP will be offering additional programming in the spring of 2022 .
A note on COVID-19 protocol : Proof of vaccination is required for entry to all concerts . Children under 12 and guests who need reasonable accommodations due to a medical exception or a sincerely held religious belief must provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test within the previous 72 hours . Masks will be required of all patrons whenever Allegheny County is in the CDC ’ s “ substantial ” or “ high ” community transmission level .
About the Mendelssohn Choir The 114-year-old Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh ( MCP ) is reinventing choral music for the 21st century . MCP singers are everyday community members from diverse backgrounds and professions who give generously of their time and talent to create powerful , unexpected , and deeply moving moments of musical discovery . Composed of approximately 120 singers , the choir performs its own concerts and others with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra , and it fosters the next generation of choral singers through the Junior Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh . More information can be found at themendelssohn . org . ■
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