Princeton concert to feature works by Catholic composers
March 30, 2022 at 5:34 p.m.
The Princeton University Chamber Choir will perform noted choral works April 2 by composers who converted to Catholicism; the concert will take place at 7:30 p.m. in Richardson Auditorium on Princeton University campus.
The program will include “a near-impossible challenge, a forgotten treasure and a world premiere,” according to Christie Starrett of the Princeton University Glee Club and Chamber Choir. This concert is presented in partnership with “02.24.2022,” the Princeton student group which aims to support victims of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The composers, Francis Poulenc and Mary Lou Williams, both experienced conversion to the Catholic faith mid-careers, which inspired them to switch their composing focus to choral music, and subsequently leave their mark on choral music of the mid-20th century.
“Both drew creative inspiration from religious icons,” said Starrett. “The canonization of St. Martin de Porres in 1962 fueled Williams' heartfelt tribute, while Poulenc visited the shrine of the Vierge Noir (Black Virgin) at Rocamadour in the Pyrenees to draw inspiration for what he considered to be the best and (in the perilous setting in which it was composed) the most important work of his life.”
[[In-content Ad]]
Poulenc’s thrilling cry for deliverance from tyranny – “Figure Humaine” - sets the words of the antifascist poet Paul Éluard, and is widely acknowledged to be the most challenging choral work in the Western canon, Starrett explained.
“Poulenc’s work is paired with a forgotten treasure by the jazz great Mary Lou Williams – ‘St. Martin de Porres’ – and features the incredible jazz pianist Cyrus Chestnut,” she noted
In addition, “Figure Humaine” “speaks with startling relevance and urgency to the crisis which is currently unfolding in Ukraine, written as it was during the Nazi occupation of France as a rallying cry for the preservation of liberty, and the rejection of tyranny,” Starrett continued.
The Chamber Choir began working on the program in Spring 2020 but was forced to shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic. After two years of preparation, the concert will now also feature Princeton University alumni.
General admission is $15. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit https://princetongleeclub.com/. Patrons of Richardson Auditorium are asked to wear face masks and show vaccine cards as proof of fully vaccinated and boosted status.
Related Stories
Saturday, September 21, 2024
E-Editions
Events
The Princeton University Chamber Choir will perform noted choral works April 2 by composers who converted to Catholicism; the concert will take place at 7:30 p.m. in Richardson Auditorium on Princeton University campus.
The program will include “a near-impossible challenge, a forgotten treasure and a world premiere,” according to Christie Starrett of the Princeton University Glee Club and Chamber Choir. This concert is presented in partnership with “02.24.2022,” the Princeton student group which aims to support victims of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The composers, Francis Poulenc and Mary Lou Williams, both experienced conversion to the Catholic faith mid-careers, which inspired them to switch their composing focus to choral music, and subsequently leave their mark on choral music of the mid-20th century.
“Both drew creative inspiration from religious icons,” said Starrett. “The canonization of St. Martin de Porres in 1962 fueled Williams' heartfelt tribute, while Poulenc visited the shrine of the Vierge Noir (Black Virgin) at Rocamadour in the Pyrenees to draw inspiration for what he considered to be the best and (in the perilous setting in which it was composed) the most important work of his life.”
[[In-content Ad]]
Poulenc’s thrilling cry for deliverance from tyranny – “Figure Humaine” - sets the words of the antifascist poet Paul Éluard, and is widely acknowledged to be the most challenging choral work in the Western canon, Starrett explained.
“Poulenc’s work is paired with a forgotten treasure by the jazz great Mary Lou Williams – ‘St. Martin de Porres’ – and features the incredible jazz pianist Cyrus Chestnut,” she noted
In addition, “Figure Humaine” “speaks with startling relevance and urgency to the crisis which is currently unfolding in Ukraine, written as it was during the Nazi occupation of France as a rallying cry for the preservation of liberty, and the rejection of tyranny,” Starrett continued.
The Chamber Choir began working on the program in Spring 2020 but was forced to shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic. After two years of preparation, the concert will now also feature Princeton University alumni.
General admission is $15. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit https://princetongleeclub.com/. Patrons of Richardson Auditorium are asked to wear face masks and show vaccine cards as proof of fully vaccinated and boosted status.