Date/Time
Date - December 10, 2016
8:00 pm until 9:30 pm
Location
Basilica of St. John the Evangelist
279 Atlantic Street
Stamford, Connecticut, 06901
Basilica of St. John the Evangelist
Join us for this special evening of music as we celebrate the holidays.
The performance will take place in the Basilica of St. John the Evangelist in downtown Stamford, accessible to both our Fairfield and Westchester members and guests.
Tickets come in three price levels, I will be purchasing the $25 ticket (plus a $5 fee). Within the section, it is open seating, so we will need to arrive early to secure seats together. For more information on other ticket options, see the Stamford Symphony website.
Purchase Tickets: stamfordsymphony.org
THE PRO ARTE SINGERS
The Pro Arte Singers were formed in 1972 by current artistic director, Arthur Sjögren and a small group of professional singers who shared his dream to perform the finest choral music dating from the Renaissance to the present and to become the only fully professional chorus in the Fairfield/Westchester area. They continue to enrich the cultural life of lower Fairfield County with the finest choral music from the sixteenth century through contemporary works, including premiere performances of commissioned works composed for the Pro Arte Singers. Art Sjögren continues his remarkable leadership, and his faithful following continues to grow.
PROGRAM NOTES
George Frideric Handel, 1685-1759
Messiah , Part I and “Hallelujah” Chorus from Part 2
By now probably the best known, best loved and most performed choral work of all time, Messiah was in many ways an experiment for Handel. Faced with a sharp decline in popularity in England of the Italian opera seria, the composer’s first love and musical priority, Handel somewhat reluctantly toyed with a new musical form of his own devising. The oratorio, a musical dramatization of a sacred theme, performed without staging or scenery, was developed in Italy at the beginning of the seventeenth century. About the same time in Germany, unstaged renditions of Christ’s passion according to the evangelists were performed during Holy Week. But the English oratorio, as developed by Handel, while owing something to these early ancestors, was quite a different creature.
If members would like to meet for dinner before, please mention it in your RSVP, there are many restaurants in the area to choose from where we could meet.
Stamford Symphony, Stamford CT