It is hard to believe, but Easter is next weekend! For those of us who observe Lent, it has been a long period doing without something we feel we should give up for Lent; for me, it is chocolate, and believe me, I am looking forward to Easter!
Another reason to look forward to Easter is the wealth of great music available at this time of the year, especially choral. This weekend, for example, Choralis Camerata, directed by Laura Thomas, perform their Easter concert twice, in Niagara Falls Saturday night and Sunday afternoon here in St. Catharines.
I am particularly looking forward to these concerts, as they are performing two works I have not had the opportunity to hear live before: Vivaldi's Gloria and Stainer's The Crucifixion; both perfectly suited to the Easter season. The Stainer, especially, is a welcome addition to the season this year, as it was first performed over the Easter season in 1887. The work, written primarily for amateur singers, is probably the best-known work by the British composer Sir John Stainer, who was knighted by Queen Victoria following the success of this work. He became one of the leading British composers of the Victorian age, and in fact he lived almost exactly during the Victorian period, having died in 1901 at the age of 61.
The Gloria by Antonio Vivaldi dates from 1715, but did not receive its first modern performance until 1939, after being rediscovered in a pile of manuscripts by scholars in the 1920s. It has since become one of his best-known works, but it was almost unknown during the two hundred years following Vivaldi's death. The work, scored for three solo voices and several instruments, including trumpet, oboe and violin with chorus, is broken up by the composer into 11 sections, and is largely joyous in tone, as befits the Easter theme of resurrection.
Both performances are widely recorded, and I have several versions of both works available through my website, www.finemusic.ca, or by emailing me at music@vaxxine.com. I will also be at the Niagara Falls concert on Saturday evening with lots of music of a choral nature for sale at very attractive prices.
The Saturday evening performance is at Lundy's Lane United Church at 5825 Lowell Avenue at 7:30 pm. The Sunday afternoon performance is at 2:30 pm at First Grantham United Church at 415 Linwell Road in the north end. For tickets, contact Choralis Camerata at 905-354-4348 or simply pick them up at the door.
See you Saturday evening for some great choral music in Niagara Falls!
March 26th, 2010.
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