The Guelph Chamber Choir presents Vices and Virtues from Italy to Broadway at Harcourt Memorial United Church on May 7 at 8 pm.
For centuries vices and virtues have played a prominent role in sacred and secular music, vividly contrasting the demons with the better angels of our nature. Delight in a mid-week evening of choral and solo works exploring the triumph of the human spirit over our baser nature.
Conductor Gerald Neufeld said, “This evening allows us to showcase some of the individual talents of the members of the Guelph Chamber Choir as well as our special guest soprano, Rebecca Whelan. The choral works present a wide variety of styles both ancient and modern but the frailties of human nature remain constant.”
Claudio Monteverdi is on the most important figures of early music, whose music speaks powerfully and directly to modern audiences. His Magnificat for 6 voices is a joy of vocal invention capable of inspiring divine pleasure.
Selections from Carl Orff’s Catulli Carmina speak of love and lust from the contrasting vantage points of innocent youth and jaded age. Its infectious rhythms, appealing repeated melodies, and forthright emotional power evokes an instant connection with his most famous work, Carmina Burana.
The evening will conclude with Leonard Bernstein’s brilliant and dazzling Glitter and be Gay paired with the stirring choral finale Make Our Garden Grow from his great operetta, Candide.
Along with guest soprano Rebecca Whelan, choir members Sheila Dietrich, soprano, Janice Coles, alto, Carolynne Davy Godin, alto, Chris Fischer, tenor, Larry Fleming, tenor and Neil McLaren, bass will perform solos and ensemble work. Alison MacNeill will accompany on the piano.
Single tickets are now available for only $20 each or 4 for $60. We encourage young adults to attend with $10 tickets for those 30 and under and only $5 for youth with eyeGO. Tickets are available through the River Run Centre by calling 519-763-3000 or online at riverrun.ca.
