Overture Magazine 2019-20 BSO_Overture_Sept_Oct | Page 47

THE CITY CHOIR OF WASHINGTON ANNOUNCES ITS 2019-20 SEASON A choral collection of battles, heroes, history, and holidays illustrated in music by the artistry of Great Composers! HAYDN LOR D NEL SON MASS November 10, 2019. 5:00 pm • National Presbyterian Church In 1798, Haydn composed arguably his greatest choral work against the backdrop of Napoleon’s campaigns in Syria and Egypt, and in an era beset by turmoil. The composition’s name—Mass for Troubled Times—speaks to the uncertainty of the world in which Haydn lived, while the piece itself spectacularly captures and conjures the chaos of the time. The concert includes the jubilant opening movement of Benjamin Britten’s cantata, Rejoice in the Lamb, based on the Christopher Smart poem depicting the praise and worship of God by all beings; and the Washington premiere of Arvo Pärt’s austere and otherworldly Salve Regina, commissioned in 2001 to commemorate the founding of Essen Abbey in 845. T WELFTH NIGHT January 5, 2020. 5:00 pm • National Presbyterian Church The City Choir of Washington Partners in Song, and in spirit, with the Freedom High School Chamber Choir (Chantilly, VA), directed by Laura Lazarevich, in presenting an evening of beloved and traditional carols and songs to cele-brate the new year, and put a joyful end note on the holiday season. DURUFLÉ REQUIEM and Poulenc’s Litanies of the Black Virgin March 15, 2020. 5:00 pm • Saint Luke Catholic Church Composed in the immediate aftermath of World War II, Duruflé’s Requiem (1947) is both ethereal and transcendent. Again, joining the City Choir of Washington for an unforgettable evening of collaborative music making are the West Springfield (VA) High School Madrigals, directed by Dustin Brandt; and the Shenandoah University Cantus Singers directed by Dr. Karen Keating. BACH MASS IN B MINOR May 17, 2020. 7:30 pm • Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall Musicologist Ted Libby emphatically stated, “The Mass in B minor is as lofty in design, scope and expression as anything written by the hand of man.” Indeed! The City Choir of Washington will ring the curtain down on its 2019-20 season with a stirring and spectacular performance of Bach’s monumental and most memorable, masterpiece. TICKETS: $15-$59. Group discounts available. Order Your Tickets Today! Visit citychoir.org or call 571-206-8525.