NEW ENGLAND CHAMBER CHOIR
Welcome.
Messiah
George Frideric Handel
Christmas Portion
Sunday, November 25, 2018 at 4 in the Afternoon
Saint Peter Church
30 Saint Peter Lane in Higganum, Connecticut
Featuring an ensemble and soloists of the Choir accompanied and directed by Richard Wm. Donohue
Sunday, November 25, 2018 at 4 in the Afternoon
Saint Peter Church
30 Saint Peter Lane in Higganum, Connecticut
Featuring an ensemble and soloists of the Choir accompanied and directed by Richard Wm. Donohue
Music for Christmas
Music of
Philipp Friedrich Böddecker , Richard Wm. Donohue,
Orlando Lassus, Tomás Luis de Victoria,
along with English, German, Italian, Danish, Polish, and Anglican Latin Carols
For the members of the New England Chamber Choir and their listeners, nothing invokes the spirit of Christmastide more than music. For forty-four years, Richard Wm. Donohue has selected the finest music and poetry from this extraordinary repertoire. With works spanning eleven centuries, Music for Christmas is a reflective and inspiring program.
Following a half-hour of instrumental music, the concert begins with” A Gregorian Chant urging all to “sing to Christ our lord Born of the Virgin Mary.” As the chant fades, the choir begins a grand procession to the front of the hall hailing “redemption’s happy dawn.” The concert continues with works of Carl Heinrich Graun, Orlando di Lasso, Richard Wm. Donohue, Philippe Verdelot and Tomás Luis de Victoria, celebrating the great mystery of Christ’s birth. Ensembles of men and women’s voices along with solo and duet offerings add detail and clarity to the rich full sound of the choir. A delightful surprise comes as the young voices of the Treble Choir ring out from the back of the hall with Oh du fröhliche. They too process to the front and join with the choir for carols in English, Danish, Italian, and Polish. The audience itself unites with the choir singing “Angels We Have Heard of High” while the entire ensemble files into the aisles. As the final notes of the soprano descant resound, the room falls into candlelit silence. The evening ends as it has for thirty-six years, with Franz Grüber’s miraculous “Stille Nacht” which sounds forth loudly that “Christ the Saviour is here.”
Following a half-hour of instrumental music, the concert begins with” A Gregorian Chant urging all to “sing to Christ our lord Born of the Virgin Mary.” As the chant fades, the choir begins a grand procession to the front of the hall hailing “redemption’s happy dawn.” The concert continues with works of Carl Heinrich Graun, Orlando di Lasso, Richard Wm. Donohue, Philippe Verdelot and Tomás Luis de Victoria, celebrating the great mystery of Christ’s birth. Ensembles of men and women’s voices along with solo and duet offerings add detail and clarity to the rich full sound of the choir. A delightful surprise comes as the young voices of the Treble Choir ring out from the back of the hall with Oh du fröhliche. They too process to the front and join with the choir for carols in English, Danish, Italian, and Polish. The audience itself unites with the choir singing “Angels We Have Heard of High” while the entire ensemble files into the aisles. As the final notes of the soprano descant resound, the room falls into candlelit silence. The evening ends as it has for thirty-six years, with Franz Grüber’s miraculous “Stille Nacht” which sounds forth loudly that “Christ the Saviour is here.”
Three Performances
Sunday December 2, 2018 at 4 p.m.
United Church of Tolland
45 Tolland Green in Tolland Connecticut
Sunday December 9, 2018 at 4 p.m.
Saint Colman Church
145 Hubbard Street in Middlefield, Connecticut
Sunday, December 16, 2018
Saint Paul Roman Catholic Church
2577 Main Street in Glastonbury, Connecticut
United Church of Tolland
45 Tolland Green in Tolland Connecticut
Sunday December 9, 2018 at 4 p.m.
Saint Colman Church
145 Hubbard Street in Middlefield, Connecticut
Sunday, December 16, 2018
Saint Paul Roman Catholic Church
2577 Main Street in Glastonbury, Connecticut
Christmas Carol Sing
A evening of traditional Christmas Caroling and performances by soloists of the Choir
Friday, December 21, 2018 at 7 p.m.
Second Congregational Church of Middle Haddam
52 Middle Haddam Road in Middle Haddam, Connecticut
A evening of traditional Christmas Caroling and performances by soloists of the Choir
Friday, December 21, 2018 at 7 p.m.
Second Congregational Church of Middle Haddam
52 Middle Haddam Road in Middle Haddam, Connecticut
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